A Farmer Field School (FFS) Success Story!

Last year, we championed Farmer Field Schools (FFS), an avenue through which we aim to expand our nutritional targets beyond the program partners we serve. We enrolled 12 schools in Gasabo and Burera Districts to serve as model sites for nutrition-responsive agriculture. 

Meet Dominique Bihozagara, the Headteacher at Groupe Scolaire Kimironko II, one of the FFS in Gasabo District. We supported the school in establishing a school garden from which lunch vegetables are collected for the students. On our visit to the school, Dominique showcased the lush variety of vegetables in the garden. The varieties include amaranth, swiss chard, beetroot, leeks, carrots, and collard greens, some of which Dominique saw for the first time.

With the support of our Field Facilitators, the school received guidance on how best to maximize the gardens from which they harvested more than expected. 

“At first, I couldn’t believe that the initiative of planting vegetables at school would work,” Dominique shared. “I was amazed at the amount of vegetables harvested from the school garden!” “Since the year started, we have been eating from the vegetables we planted ourselves at every lunch.” He added.

The abundance of vegetables has not only improved the school’s nutritional status but has also positively affected the surrounding community.

“We have started sharing vegetable seeds and our harvest with the neighboring villages and communities this term,” Dominique explained.

Looking ahead, Dominique aims to continue the FFS initiative by expanding school gardens. He plans to remove some of the overgrown area to provide additional space for vegetable gardens. Most importantly, Dominique, along with his leadership team and GHI, is committed to fostering and sustaining the healthy nutrition of students through these vegetable gardens, as they support academic performance and contribute to a brighter future for the children.