Why plant fruit trees on school grounds in Tanzania?

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  • School grounds in rural areas are public lands, thereby we avoid any complex land tenure issues.
  • Rural school grounds are the heart of a child's community and and it provides the perfect setting in which to engage other community members.
  • Gardening concepts taught to the children are eventually learned by the whole community. They will all become better gardeners as they transition from a traditional hunter gather skill base.
  • Children will be taught to plan for the future.

The children dig the holes, and water the trees; teachers learn silviculture from Tancan instructors, and teach children how to care for the orchard. The entire village takes ownership of the fruit trees, so in time, it will become a community garden. They plan to plant beans in the orchards this year, to enrich the soil.

Within five years the mature orchards and associated gardens become a productive crop of benefit to the entire school community. Children can market their crops and earn money for continuing their education which, at present, is only funded to Grade Five.