School in finals of national EDUplant competition
Learners and staff members of Mookgophong Primary School were overwhelmed with joy when they received the good news of being finalists in the National EDUplant competition.
Learning that they are the only school in the Waterberg District to reach the final was a great achievement but the cherry on top was when they won second place in the national competition.
According to Elsia Hlapo, principal of the school, they entered the competition to gain knowledge as they want to offer agricultural science as a subject.
“We plant vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees and use a companion planting method to increase crop yield. We do not have enough water but the School Governing Body (SGB), Community Work Programme (CWP) and permaculture facilitator from Tyger Brand are supporting us,” she told Die Pos.
Nelson Mothoa and RM Petje are the managers of the project.
“We do not sell our crop. We use it in the kitchen to provide meals for the learners,” Hlapo said.
Most learners are from disadvantaged families and need nutritious meals. They donate vegetables to the old age home and clinic for diabetic patients. Hlapo said their goal is to teach learners the skill of cultivating gardens at home.
The EduPlant School Gardening and Nutrition Programme offers a fresh perspective on education that intertwines learning with sustainability. EduPlant focuses on schools, learners, and the surrounding communities. It develops school-linked food security clusters.
EduPlant Winners 2023
Well done to all of our EduPlant schools who have demonstrated an exceptional understanding of permaculture food gardening for enhanced food security. We are pleased to announce the winners of this cycle:
National:
- 1st Place: Mfesane Secondary School (Eastern Cape)
- 2nd Place: Mookgophong Primary School (Limpopo)
- 3rd Place: Mbhureni Primary School (Limpopo)
Provincial:
- Eastern Cape: Elufefeni Primary School
- Limpopo: Grace and Hope Special School
- KwaZulu-Natal: Sinathing Junior Primary School
- Western Cape: Dennegeur Avenue Primary School
- Gaugeng: Masizani Primary School
- North West: Rekgonne Bapo Special School
- Free State: Lerato Primary School
- Mphumalanga: Sifundzekhaya Primary School
Fan Favourite:
- Ledingwe Primary School (Limpopo)
