Dainfern College has taken Reshomile Primary School in Diepsloot under its wing with volunteers from the college planting a food garden and a vegetable tunnel at the school.
The Dainfern College Feeding Scheme, run under the Dainfern College Foundation, supplies monthly food parcels to more than 150 orphaned and vulnerable schoolchildren at Reshomile.
As these food parcels contain non-perishable food items, the foundation identified a need to supplement the schoolchildren’s diet with fresh produce.
“Hungry children cannot learn. The food parcels, together with the additional vitamins and minerals from this fresh produce, will contribute to healthier children who have increased concentration at school,” said Tracey Blyth, manager of the foundation.
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Dainfern College started the One Seed Can initiative and the school planted bean seeds and took homegrown bean plants to Reshomile Primary School and planted them in the vegetable garden.
The college also funded and installed two JoJo water tanks at the school.
The foundation received R50 000 from NetBank (Nedbank subsidiary) which enabled the college to increase the vegetable garden and create a food tunnel – which is an advanced way of growing and sustaining vegetables.
The commitment of Reshomile Primary School staff and schoolchildren has been vital in ensuring the success of the tunnel and vegetable garden. Their dedication and involvement in ensuring that the gardens are maintained have been an empowering and educational exercise.
Gugu Mdlalose, deputy principal of Reshomile thanked Dainfern College Foundation for ‘unlocking our potential through this process’.
The Grade 7 children were put in charge of maintaining the garden.
Reshomile had its first harvest in April last year, but now with the school’s new food tunnel, a healthy diet and bright minds can be achieved.
Edited by Stacey Woensdregt
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