1. New Nation School
EduPlant school competition.
The NewNationschool issituatedinVrededorpnearBrixtoninJohannesbrug.Itisa special school
because itwasopenedin1996 forstreetkids,andstill admitsleadersfromthe sheltersaround
Johannesburg,like Hillbrow,Yeoville,Kensington,Berea,andsome stayinJHB CBD or Bretramsor
Soweto.Mostof the kidsare frompoor familybackgrounds,andthere are those whostaywith
parentsinthe shelters,like inJeppestown.
The school environmentisgood,eventhoughthe school isabitcrowdedbecause accordingtoits
admissions,itshouldn’texceed500, because of the buildingsandthe backgroundof the learners.
There are manytreesinthe school,the groundsare maintained,grassiscutby groundstaff.There
are flowersinthe front,andsome beautifulrocks.The grassoutside the school ismaintainedby
CityParks.When theycutgrass, we askedforit forthe garden.We usedthe grass for mulchingas
well asgreenmanure.
The garden isthe school isbuiltinthe main buildingfoyer.Itwasnottakencare of,but after
attendingthe workshop,we reviveditbyturningthe soil andput all the soil thatwas inthe
containersthere.We plantedthe seedlings.The grade 6classesfirstinspectedthe gardenforaclass
activityonecosystems.Theycountedhow manydifferentplantstheycouldfind,trees,andinsects.
The learnerswere excitedtodothe activityand alsofindsnails,whichtheyplayedwith.Otherswere
scaredof the snail andspiders.
Learners duringthe inspection,before theystart theygarden project.
2. The garden hasbroughtlife tothe learnersbecause I teachthemaboutrespectinreference tothe
garden.I toldthemthat if theyrespectnature,nature will respectthem.Theyshouldnotkill
anythinginthe garden. There isa lot that theyhave learnedbecause someof themdonotget this
opportunityas theystayin the flatsintown.
Learners turning the soil,and emptyingthe containers that were there not usedanymore.
Whenwe plantedthe seedlings,we didn’thave compost.Sowe made agreenmanure,usingthe
greenplantsthatwere cut outside the school byCityParks,andsoakedinto20 litresof water.It
stayedfora weekanda half.Thenwe wateredthe soil.The plantsare growingfastnow,asI was
afraidthat theymightdie.
3. Learners preparingthe bedsafter they have turnedthe soil
The nextday afterplanting,the learnersarrivedearlyinschool andwere alreadywateringthe
plants.Therefore itshowsthat,theyare enjoyingworkinginthe garden.Everytime inmyclassthey
ask if we will goto the garden.So forme itis notgoingto be usedtopunishanyone,buttomotivate
5. We are planningtoplantthe whole gardensothatwe can have enoughharvestforthe learnerswho
don’thave foodintheirhomes,aswell asuse in the kitchenforfeedingscheme.
Photo taken after the green manure,on the 31st
May 2016
We thankFoodand Treesfor AfrikaandWoolworthsforthisOpportunity.
MissNikiwe Bam: Teacher and Project Leader
Contacts: 0834820116
Nikiwe4me@gmail.com
