Emafini Primary School is pitching in, not only to help its pupils but also its KwaDwesi community at a grassroots level by ploughing back through its award-winning vegetable garden.
The primary school claimed the Eastern Cape provincial title in the 2018 National EduPlant Competition at the finals at Konka in Magaliesberg earlier in October.
The school’s Enviro Club, consisting of five teachers, three parents and 30 pupils, have worked tirelessly to ensure their vegetable garden continues to produce fresh vegetables and herbs.
The garden has fed more than 300 pupils and community members daily since it was initially established in 2005.
A team of three pupils – Iviwe Oliphant, 11, Bukho TayiTayi, 12, and Sibulele Hantana, 12 – and teacher Nomini Ncambele represented the Enrivo Club at the finals.
They beat 66 Eastern Cape schools and 318 schools nationally.
“This garden has truly sprung new life into the school and the community,” Ncambele said.
“The daily chores of maintaining it have become the highlight of the pupils’ day.
We also incorporate lessons into the chores, as well as little skits and other arts using the garden.
“The garden has a variety ranging from cabbage and spring onions to herbs and other things which we use to supplement the school’s nutrition scheme food to provide a more well-balanced meal for the kids.
“And the leftovers are going to the community,” Ncambele said.
The longstanding Eduplant competition is managed by Food & Trees for Africa and has been sponsored by the Woolworths Trust over the past 14 years.
Woolworths director of corporate affairs Zinzi Mgolodela said: “It is inspiring to see that, despite the limited resources in their communities, these schools aren’t holding back when it comes to improving food security by growing their own food.”
Team member Bukho said they were quietly confident going into the competition.
“We spend hours in this garden and also put a lot of love into what we do here,” he said.
“It makes us very proud to work in this garden because we know our hard work is helping the whole community, that’s why we come back every day to make sure the garden is producing the best quality food it can.”