At Yathrib Primary School in Garissa, a transformative climate-smart agriculture initiative is providing students with practical skills to combat drought and food insecurity in their region. The project, funded by the UK-Tech Hub, focuses on equipping learners with modern agricultural practices tailored to the challenges of arid and semi-arid climates. This initiative not only helps the students develop agricultural skills but also enhances the school’s feeding programme, allowing families to enjoy fresh produce from the school’s practice garden.
The school’s Centre of Practice garden, which serves as both a learning hub and a community resource, is where students gain hands-on experience in farming. This includes the use of mobile technology to monitor soil health, track crop growth, and assess weather patterns, empowering learners to adapt to the challenges of farming in the region. The project is especially significant in Garissa, an area that faces frequent droughts and food insecurity, as it teaches resilience and sustainable agricultural practices.
On a recent Saturday, parents and students gathered to celebrate the first harvest of kales grown through the initiative. Abdi Ahmed, a parent, expressed pride in the skills his child, a Grade 5 pupil, had learned. “This is the first time I’ve ever harvested kales. I am not a farmer, we only buy them from the market, but our children have proven to be capable of being self-reliant,” he said. The simplicity and effectiveness of the methods taught by the project have made a strong impression on both parents and students.
Another parent, Hassan Mohamed, emphasized the far-reaching benefits of the program. He noted that not only would the students benefit from the agricultural knowledge they gained, but the broader community would also be positively impacted. The initiative’s focus on maximizing water efficiency and crop resilience through the use of planting cones designed to thrive in Garissa’s harsh climate is crucial to ensuring that the practice can be sustainable in the long term.
The project is a collaboration between the 4gotten Bottommillions (4BM) organization, M-lugha, the local county government, and the UK-Tech Hub. Headteacher Osman Dure explained that the project’s primary aim is to teach modern agricultural skills that can help tackle food insecurity while also supporting the school feeding program in the region. “The use of mobile technology in monitoring soil health, crop growth, and weather patterns is vital,” said Dure. The students are learning not only how to grow food, but how to adapt to the environmental challenges posed by their region.
Osman also mentioned that, while the students are on holiday, they took part in the harvest alongside their parents, who were eager to take the freshly harvested kales home for their meals. This hands-on involvement reinforces the connection between learning and practical application, making the agricultural practices more relevant to everyday life. The garden is under surveillance with CCTV cameras to ensure the security of the crops, reflecting the value placed on the initiative by both the school and the community.
For the learners, the experience has been engaging and inspiring. Imran Abdullahi, a Grade 6 pupil, shared how the project has sparked interest in farming among his peers. “Most of us have been influenced by the project. Today we are enjoying the harvest of kales that we have grown,” he said, adding that many of his friends were keen to continue practicing the skills they had learned at home.
This initiative at Yathrib Primary School is an excellent example of how education can be a tool for empowering communities to address pressing issues like food insecurity. By equipping students with climate-smart agriculture skills, the project is not only enhancing the school’s feeding programme but also promoting sustainable farming practices that can help the wider community thrive, even in the face of challenging environmental conditions.
