From Garden to Table: Students Grow Food in Uganda
We are excited to share that the orphaned and vulnerable children we serve in Uganda are learning practical life skills that will contribute to a more sustainable future. They are learning how to grow their own food.
Students enjoy the class because they get hands-on experience through every stage of the process. Thank you for supporting learning that makes a tangible difference in the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children.
—Uganda Team
Students in Uganda are learning how to grow their own food.
They plant, tend, harvest, and prepare crops to be eaten.
This year, Mariam is one of the students participating. Though she grew up in a family that farms, she said, now, she has the skills to do it even better. With more agricultural knowledge and practice gardening, she will be able to help her family produce more food, the difference between having another meal or going hungry.
The class Mariam attends is structured so that two days each week are spent in the garden, while the remaining time is spent learning agricultural sciences in the classroom.
Top: Mariam and her classmate plant seeds.
In Mariam’s words—
“When I go to the school farm, I practice real skills like planting crops, applying manure, and looking after them as they grow. It feels different from only learning in class because on the farm, I see with my own eyes how nursery beds are prepared and how seedlings are transplanted.”
Mariam and her peers are learning how to grow foods like cassava, cabbage, eggplant, amaranth, and maize—staples in Ugandan cuisine.
Another valuable skill students learn is problem-solving when challenges arise.
For instance, this season, students discovered monkeys were destroying some of their crops. They considered methods to deter them and decided to try scarecrows.
At the end of the class, there is a big celebration and feast. Students harvest the raw ingredients and learn how to cook a nutritious meal.
Mariam shares—
“What I enjoy most is that after working hard, we eat the food we have grown, and that makes me very happy.”
The practical skills Mariam and her peers are learning will help them as they become adults.
But it’s not just the practical skills that will help. They are also learning how to work as a team, developing integrity, humility, and respect.
As Mariam finishes the class, she is thankful for her experience. Now, she wants to help others by teaching them all she has learned.
Pray for Uganda
- Praise God that Mariam and her classmates are learning to grow food so that they can help sustain themselves and their families.
- Praise God for opportunities for the students to work as a team and exercise integrity, humility, and respect.
- Pray for a plentiful harvest for the agriculture class.
- Praise God for a new partnership with coffee farmers in Uganda, a sustainable business opportunity.
- Pray for orphaned and vulnerable children in Uganda to receive nutritious food so they can develop, learn, and grow.
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Will you help orphaned and vulnerable children in Uganda experience the hope of the Gospel?
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