We are super grateful for the kind support accorded to us by Julia Davis. Through her financial support, we were able to successfully launch and install the first ever Bustani Garden at Living Streams academy, Kisumu, Kenya. On Friday 13th August 2021, our team joined pupils and teachers for an interactive conservation education session, planting of indigenous and fruit trees, setting up a vegetable garden, and setting up of a nursery. Some of the trees planted included; mangoes, avocados, oranges, Elgon teak, Mahogany and Terminalia brownie. We also planted kales, spinach, and set up nurseries for cowpeas, amaranth(terere), African nightshade (Managu), spider plant(saga) and African kale(kanzira), among others.
About Bustani Garden:
Bustani is the Swahili word for “Garden”. At KEAN, we believe that by working with learning institutions to set u and maintain food gardens, we will help the school communities work towards attaining food security for learners, contribute to active conservation education, and create a sustainable culture of meaningful participation of the younger generation in caring for the environment while reaping benefits of the same.
Conservation Education in Schools
- As a way to foster better and practical environmental stewardship among learners in Kenya’s learning institutions, Bustani Garden program seeks to create the space for co-learning through setting up and managing gardens for vegetables, fruits and local/indigenous trees in schools.
- These sustainable practical systems can leverage on school land proximity to students and the coupled advantage to help train learners on the importance of conservation, ways of restoring nature and the art of gardening.
OBJECTIVES:
- To create organic gardens and tree nurseries with schools and communities
- To create fresh and local food sources
- To set up creative regenerative systems for Environmental Protection
- To engage and inspire students and volunteers for Environmental Action
- To develop and implement a school gardening curriculum
Now, pupils at the school will be able to actively participate in the managing and care of the garden, and practically learn about conservation education through planet friendly ways of managing crops and food, as well as creating spaces for biodiversity to thrive.
We cannot wait to track and follow up with the activities to see this Bustani transform into a thriving food haven for the school community.
From us (Kenya Environmental Action Network – KEAN), we say a hearty THANK YOU for believing in us, and facilitating the efforts to address the needs in our communities. Thank you WE HAVE THE POWER & Julia Davis.
