schoolsthatrockGreen Fingered Learners.
Green fingered learners from Curro Delft in the Western Cape were ecstatic to see Dr Ivan Meyer, Provincial Minister of Agriculture. Dr Meyer joined them for a tree planting ceremony last week.
The ceremony was to officially launch a vegetable garden. This was an idea that was spearheaded by two grade 8 learners, Yola Mgogwana and Anelisa Mgedezi. They came up with the idea late last year to help educate their peers about the significance of food sovereignty. They also encourage others to make informed decisions about nutrition.
Curro Delft is in the heart of a rapidly expanding community on the outskirts of Cape Town. Many of the learners hail from underprivileged backgrounds. The school, which falls under Curro’s uber successful DigiEd model, also provides learners with their own dedicated device. The school ensures teaching is fresh, yet flexible, with videos and e-learning in class. The poverty cycle also remains a prevalent concern for all.
Needy learners
As a result, some of the vegetables from the school’s garden will be used to provide delicious meals for needy learners. The remainder will be sold at a fair price to the wider community, fostering an element of entrepreneurship amongst the learners.
“I am incredibly proud to see this fantastic idea come to fruition. At Curro, we also place great emphasis on moulding our learners into the future leaders of tomorrow. It is also very refreshing to see our learners think outside the box and find innovative ways of helping their local community. By demonstrating how easy it is to start a vegetable garden and the benefits of having one, the girls and I hope that others will be inspired to perhaps also try to replicate the same at home. This way, the wider Delft community can benefit from a supply of fresh, healthy, and organic vegetables that also costs much less,” explains Johan van der Merwe, Head of High School at Curro Delft.
Donation of trees
The school also received a generous donation of trees from Mrs Rene Nel of Vroue Landbou Vereeniging. Along with renowned farmer, Rossouw Cillie, the duo helped contact vegetable farmers operating nearby. Very soon their efforts also attracted the attention of the minister.
The trees at the ceremony were planted for several reasons. As well as providing learners with valuable shade in the hot summer months, they also beautify the campus landscape. It will also highlight the important role they play in the sustainability of the environment.
“Trees remind us that, just like the learners at Curro Delft, everyone is unique and has inherent values. When we are rooted in our integrity, we are resilient against any storm and can also grow into our wildest dreams,” concludes Van der Merwe.
