School lunches don’t come much fresher than this!

Thanks to a ground breaking agriculture project at the Stafford Centre, pupils are now enjoying fresh produce such as these aubergines in their school canteen, grown on land next to the school.  Farming conditions in Burkina Faso have been tough recently, but the drip feed irrigation system, installed last year, has ensured year round production of maize, eggplants, onions, tomatoes, zuchinni, aubergines etc. for the Stafford Centre school kitchens.

There are now ambitious plans to expand production on more land and support to make this possible would be welcome.

The garden does not just produce healthy school food however, it also acts as an ‘outdoor classroom’, with pupils such as Marie, pictured, in the field of eggplants at the school that she helps to cultivate, learning farming techniques as part of the school curriculum.  Marie told us,

I dreamed since my primary school to learn gardening and can realise my dreams 5 years later. After my training I will set up a small garden to feed my family.’