Planting ideas in young people in Uganda

In Uganda, PWRDF partner St. Jude Family Projects is teaching young people how farming practices and tree planting can improve nutrition and income. “Agroecology for School Nutrition Enhancement and Entrepreneurship” began in November 2023 and will continue until the end of 2026. It builds on the successes of a previous project, as well as the organization’s 25 years of community engagement in sustainable organic agriculture. The project focuses on: 

• improving implementation and management of integrated land use design (ILUD) on school grounds;
• increasing sustainable use of diverse food resources at schools and students’ homes;
• improving agroecological entrepreneurship at schools. 

St. Jude’s is working with agriculture and biology teachers in 15 schools to improve agribusiness knowledge and skills in approximately 4,500 young people. The students are in the lower secondary level, where practical agriculture has been rolled out in the new curriculum for four years. 

“We have always taught the principles of agricultural science, conservation and economics to the learners but most of them could simply cram and pass,” says John Ssali, head teacher at Timothy Girls High School, one of the participating schools. “Thanks to this project, now learners are practically instructed on the demonstration plots in principles of biofertilization, landscaping for erosion control and value addition, among other principles. We have the confidence that this will translate into improved grades as well as stimulating an entrepreneurial spirit among our young people if they see the improved harvests once science is put into practical application. Many of our parents are equally impressed with this project work and have increased confidence in the school.”

The project started with a one-day workshop on soil and water conservation techniques, followed by training sessions on manure composting and Bokashi fertilizers (a fermented organic compost). By the end of the sessions, students and teachers gained practical knowledge on composting and received materials to make Bokashi fertilizer. Students learned soil conservation techniques as a basis for crop production. 

Next, 30 teachers participated in a five-day training on agro-ecology, expanding their knowledge on farming practices that support ecosystems. Each school also received training in climate change adaptation and mitigation, emphasizing improved crop varieties, intercropping, soil management and drought-coping strategies. Training sessions on nutrition underscored the importance of food security and healthy eating habits among students. 

Trees and gardens

Students planted fruit tree seedlings including mango, orange and lemon, as well as vegetable plantlets and seeds in the permaculture gardens. The project provided wheelbarrows, hoes, watering cans and Jerry cans. A nursery bed was established in each school so that students could learn about seed propagation and raising trees. Schools also formed agro-ecology clubs to further encourage participation, project monitoring and ownership of the gardens. 

Agroforestry as an agroecology practice was introduced to promote ecosystems interdependence and further demonstrate the principles of agricultural economics, such as farm planning and enterprise diversification.