The European Union provided packages with school gardening tools to 15 schools in Ra Province. This was one of the activities in a Children’s Programme hosted by the EU and Ministry of Agriculture as part of the “World Food Day Celebrations and Mini Agricultural Show” held in Rakiraki Town on Friday, October 14, 2022.

The Minister of Agriculture and representatives of the EU, through its Technical Assistance for the Support to Sustainable Rural Livelihoods programme”, were on hand to make the presentations. The EU is pleased to support efforts on educating children about where their food comes from and to help build connections to healthy food.

School gardens introduce students to a scientific approach to farming. They can help to reinforce basic academic skills like reading and writing. But more importantly they provide rich opportunities for introducing students to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Understanding essential processes such as how plants convert sunlight to food can introduce understanding of a wide set of essential concepts in science and in technology. Learning how to process and extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables from our gardens can increase understanding of engineering and mathematics.

Also, and importantly, school gardens provide a powerful tool to improve the quality of nutrition and education of children and their families in rural and urban areas in Fiji.

Children learn how to grow healthy food and how to use it for better nutrition. Beyond this, school gardens also serve environmental education and personal and social development by adding a practical dimension to these subjects.

Source: Ministry of Agriculture

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