by Linda Straker
- Constantine Methodist School has new school garden to commemorate Earth Day 2018
- Partnership between the USA Embassy in Grenada, MNIB and the North East Farmers Organisation
To commemorate Earth Day 2018, a partnership between the USA Embassy in Grenada, the Marketing and National Importing Board (MNIB) and the North East Farmers Organisation (NEFO) has established a school garden one of the nation’s primary schools.
The Constantine Methodist School is the recipient of a project that will, in the long term see the students having fresh produce from a school garden that will aid with the preparation of meals at the school’s kitchen which feeds more than 150 students per day.
Stephen Frahm, Charge d’Affaires at the USA Embassy in Grenada said the office is very pleased to be involved in such a project because it provides an avenue for young ones to understand how food is grown and at the same time how to care for the earth.
“We are supporters of this project. We work together with private organisations as well as with this school and the Ministry of Education to showcase the benefit of agriculture for 2 reasons: one the importance of growing and having fresh food and being sustainable, and 2, the importance of how we care for the earth,” he said.
Throughthis project, Ruel Edwards, CEO of MNIB said the MNIB hopes to instil the message about the importance of agriculture to health and sustainable living to young people so that as they grow older, it will become a lifestyle. “It is important that students at that level understand the importance of eating properly and healthy and what better way to send that message but through a garden where they can participate and be involved in the entire process,” he said.
“This message of sustainable living, healthy eating is one that has to start from young and our involvement is to pass on that message from the school setting, and then it will be extended to the home and communities,” he added.
Costing approximately EC$5,000 the garden is expected to be maintained by the students and teachers and farmers from the community who are members of NEFO.
Edwards said that in the future other schools will benefit from a similar project.
