School Gardens

The Project

The Beninese government provides school meals for students, but these meals often need more vegetables and fruits, making them unbalanced. To improve this, the Foundation is establishing school gardens at partner schools. This way, students and teachers can easily access fresh fruits and vegetables.

Objectives

The goal is to ensure that school meals include vegetables and fruits, allowing students to enjoy a healthy, balanced meal. At the same time, they learn practical skills in growing their own fruits and vegetables.

Project Description

In each school, a teacher is assigned responsibility for the school garden, with help from older students who assist with maintenance. Our agricultural advisors provide active support, from setting up planting beds through all stages of production. The students regularly water the plants, using water from wells we are gradually installing in these schools.

Local food vendors also purchase vegetables from the school gardens ; any surplus is sold to teachers. The proceeds are reinvested in buying new seeds and plants, ensuring continuity in production.

Results and Evolution

Thanks to the school gardens, student meals are now much more balanced. Many students also apply the cultivation methods they learn at school in their homes, becoming more familiar with eating fruits and vegetables.

So far, we have established a garden in a quarter of our 111 partner schools. However, only some schools (13) have wells, essential for maintaining the gardens. Fencing is also important to keep animals out, so the gardens don’t have to be replanted at the start of each school year. There’s still work to equip all schools with wells and fully functional school gardens!

Support the project!

• Watering can: 10 euros each.
• Spade, shovel, or rake: 20 euros each
• Seeds and planting materials: 40 euros
• Wheelbarrow: 75 euros each.

You can transfer your donation to account number BE14 7865 8929 4683 of the Hubi & Vinciane Foundation. Please include: School Gardens + your first and last name + your national register number.

Prefer something quicker and easier? Scan the QR code to open your banking app and pay by bank transfer or via Payconiq by Bancontact.

Donations of 40 euros or more are eligible for a tax certificate. Don’t forget to provide your national register number – it is required for issuing the certificate.