WINDHOEK, March 17 — Namibian youth are bringing the land back to life and protecting the environment with a school garden.
At Jan Mohr Secondary School in the Namibian capital of Windhoek, learners prepared a deserted space behind the building, transforming it into the school’s first garden. The garden will grow fruit trees, mainly apples, mangoes and vegetables.
The youngsters are on a mission to nurture the soil through gardening, alongside advocating for better environmental practices.
Klaudia Roerkohl, a grade nine learner at the school, said the garden aims to address the current challenges of littering and adopt more environmentally friendly land-use practices.
“I have never planted anything in the soil before at this scale, and I know the value of plants. So I will gain experience in this respect,” Roerkohl said.
The idea was conceptualized in 2022 and implemented this year, driven by the school’s environmental club. “We have looked for experts in agriculture to help us kick-start this process, which has come to fruition,” said Roerkohl, the environmental club’s team leader.
Learners were trained on preparing the land and fertilizers, managing the irrigation system, and overall maintenance of the garden from WeGrow, a local enterprise providing agriculture solutions. Learners were also taught how to prepare seedbeds and transplant seedlings donated to the school by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, and local farmers.
Yeabsra Nega, another member of the environmental club at the school, said the youngsters have since developed a strategic approach to managing the school garden and harvest.
The yields from the garden will be distributed to the school. “The products will be sold to the local community, and revenue from the project will be re-invested in sustaining the garden and toward the activities of the environmental club,” Nega said.
The garden will also be used for experimental and practical lessons for biology and agriculture-related subjects at the school.
“In addition, the garden, along with other interventions, will drive toward instilling a sense of responsibility in learners through peer-to-peer learning,” said Lukas Hashiti, the school principal. (Xinhua)
