Nutrition
June 2022
Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte, Philippines

A biologic school garden at the San Roque Elementary School

A garden project in the Philippines will support the children's healthy growth and development.

Many children in the Philippines are undernourished.  To help these children develop and we have started an organic garden project at the San Roque Elementary School in the Philippines, which not only provides the school canteen with food for the Child & Family Foundation nutrition programme, but also provides the whole town with fresh vegetables.

Malnutrition effects  the childrens development

85 pupils at the San Roque Elementary School suffer from malnutrition, 35 out of those suffer from “wasting”, which is the most serious form of malnourishment. Most of the children come from very poor backgrounds and their performances at school as well as their health are affected in a negative way by the bad nutritional situation. This pupils take part in the “Health and Nutrition Program” established by the Child and Family Foundation, which guarantees them breakfast and essential vitamins.

 

Hungrige Kinder auf den Philippinen

Fresh vegetables for a balanced diet

Especially fresh vegetables are important when it comes to a balanced diet. But the soil in the area where the San Roque Elemantary School is located is not very fertile due to the high portion of salt and sand and many people cannot afford to buy expensive fertilisers. Moreover, chemical fertilisers have a negative impact on the environment because beneficial organisms are being killed.

Ökologischer Schulgarten als Entwicklungshilfe auf den Philippinen
Ökologischer Schulgarten als Entwicklungshilfe auf den Philippinen
Ökologischer Schulgarten als Entwicklungshilfe auf den Philippinen
Ökologischer Schulgarten als Entwicklungshilfe auf den Philippinen

This is why the Greenfinity Foundation provides for an organic school garden including compost and natural pest control. With the support of the Department of Agriculture greenhouses and an irrigation system will be built and also vermicomposting will be used.

Eigenes Gewächshaus der San Roque ELementary SC

Greenfinity attaches great importance to sustainable management of the gardens and to the fact that they are entirely organic. Its goals are that the cultivation method will be passed on continuously by means of technology transfer and that damages to the environment caused by chemical production and overfertilisation will be counteracted step by step.

Schulküche der San Roqie Elementary School
Foodprogramme

 

The biological garden provides vegetables to the school kitchen

The harvest will be used to provide the school with fresh vegetables which thus no longer have to be bought. Further, the garden contributes to establishing food security. In the event of surplus, surplus vegetables can be sold and create an additional income for the school. Also low-income families will receive vegetables from the school garden.

Training on how to establish a garden in the backyard

Pupils, teachers and parents will receive trainings in how to create an organic garden. The families can apply the acquired knowledge at home and thus improve their nutritional situation. During the initial phase of the project the Greenfinity will donate seeds so that the families can create their own gardens. On a long-term basis the gardens shall be managed sustainably, which means that seeds should be taken from the previous harvest.

Gardening Workshop
EIgener Garten zur Versorgung der Familie
Projekt Info
Project Goals
  • Achieving food security (fruits and vegetables from the school garden will benefit the “Health and Nutrition Program”; nutrient-rich vegetables will be grown → positive impact on children’s health)
  • Sustainability, no chemical fertilisers, reduction of costs
  • After a three-year support period the gardens can be managed autonomously by the school and the families
  • Additional value for parents (low-income families receive vegetables from the school garden)
  • Raising awareness in the entire area (transfer of know-how, workshops; school garden = training garden; families shall create their own organic gardens at home)
  • Additional value for the school (selling surplus)
Projekt Location

Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte, Philippines

Project period
from November 2013
Financing

The Greenfinity Foundation covers all costs of building the garden, of the seeds and of the workshops.

Convenantee group
  • 85 pupils who take part in the “Health and Nutrition Program”
  • 470 families whose children attend San Roque Elementary School (all parents and teachers have the opportunity to attend workshops on the topic of “organic gardening”)
Project partner

Child & Family Foundation
Dapartment of Agriculture, Philippines
San Roque Elementary School