Issue - April 2007
Editorial
April 2007
Dear readers, in March we broaden our horizons, searching for centers in Bolivia that have a commitment to the community. This edition, read about the Fundación Simón I: Patiño and the Hacienda Pairumani who demonstrate an unfailing commitment throughout the years, not only to Cochabamba, but Bolivia in general...read more...
Final stage of the school garden competition
After a first cycle of managing various vegetables with schools in the Southern part of Cochabamba from September till January we have finally entered the school garden competition. I would like to present the four competing schools:
Unidad Educativa Carlos Medinacelli
This school is one of the new schools. In this school one of the teachers every year is planning and managing a small ornamental garden. The almost square terrain where the school also tried to createrealize a small fruit orchard will be a great space for planting vegetables and other plants and flowers. We also will maintain the few figs and citrus trees that remain. In this school we work with the 108 kids of sixth and seventh grade.
Unidad Educativa San Antonio
Preparing the ornamental garden part of the school garden.This school is also new and we made a good start. The parents have visited to turn the soil and now it is up to the kids. In this school we work with the 111 kids of sixth grade.
Unidad Educativa Atiy
Atiy is a school that has the luxury of two small gardens. The school has a mixed ornamental and vegetable garden inside the school terrain and a vegetable garden in a long stretch on the side of the school which used to be a garage. In this school we work with the 129 kids of sixth and seventh grade.
Unidad Educativa Villa Israel
Villa Israel is the school where we’ve had the most commitment until now. The housekeeper is lending a hand in irrigating during the weekends and during the holidays he used a small part of the garden to grow some onions. Hopefully this school will keep up the good work this year. In this school we work with the 99 kids of seventh and eighth grade.
Once a week we visit the four schools in order to work 80 minutes with every class. Every week has a specific theme which we try to teach inside the class room and in the garden. Half of the class is dedicating 40 minutes to the theory while the other half is doing some of the practical duties in the gardens. After 40 minutes we switch, this way we can manage smaller groups in the gardens and we are able to dedicate enough time to the educational part.
The four schools are in the race for the first prize, a set of computers and a printer, while the third and fourth place as well will be rewarded with a computer. This way our school garden program will not only educate the children in cultivating crops and managing a garden, it also helps the school to improve their situation.
Huertos Educativos Cochabamba
Since we also collaborate with three Dutch schools who are doing a Bolivia project in their school we initiated a school garden website with photos of the schools. Unfortunately the site is in Dutch but under the links of the four Bolivian schools you can find photos of the work they have done so far.
www.schooltuinenincochabamba.blogspot.com
If you have any advise or comments please write to: huertoseducativoscbba@gmail.com
