In the Philippines, one in three children does not have adequate food. They come to school hungry and this effects their ability to learn. Compared to other Southeast Asian countries, the Filipino people rank the lowest in vegetable consumption. They average 40 kilograms per head each year as opposed to the Chinese who consume 250 kilograms per year. The lack of food and the type of food consumed has resulted in stunted growth, 33% of all children, and anemia, 20% of all children.
In response to these problems, the Department of Education started a program called Gulayan Sa Paaralan in 2011. It is a five year project with the goal of planting gardens in all 42,076 elementary and secondary schools across the Philippines. The project's cost is approximately 50,000 pesos or $110 dollars per school. These funds are used to purchase seed. The GPTA must become stake holders because soil supplements, fruit trees and labor are needed to make this project work. Education Director Armin Luistro has faith. He has instigated awards and training to promote organic gardens. He has mandated that the food feed the children and if there is excess then it can be sold to enhance the learning at the school where it was grown. The hope is that this project will be up and running in all schools by 2016.
At Impact Learning Center, each class is responsible for a plot of land or an area of ground. They weed, plant and mulch their area. As the okra and beans begin to grown, their excitement rises. If the present garden thrives, then there is a possibility of planting the hectares behind the school that are currently home to the neighborhood cattle. In the front of the school, the teachers used bags to plant vegetables in because the soil is too hard to promote growth. Also, with the threat of a typhoon, these bags are portable and will not be lost if they can be moved in time.
All in all, the project works at the school where I am assigned because the teachers and parents make it work.
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