TAKING IT TO SCHOOL

When schools reopened in January 2021, Orina went back to teach his Grade 3 learners, who would soon advance to the next grade. When his learners reached Grade 4, he realised that the syllabus included teaching innovative agriculture, an area he had immense experience in.

“The Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) re-introduced agriculture in primary school, and it started in Grade 4,” Orina said.

“I talked to the headteacher, who gave me a small space in the school, where we would conduct practical agricultural lessons. I would take the pupils through an oral classroom lesson, then proceed to our garden, where we would put the knowledge to practice.”

Under his tutelage, the Grade 4 pupils transformed their small piece of land into a garden filled with all types of vegetables, such as kale, spinach, capsicum, spring onions, celery, beetroot, broccoli, sweet potatoes and cabbage.

Later, the club started rearing rabbits.

“I taught the children to tap the rabbit’s urine, which we use as foliar fertiliser and pesticides to keep aphids and pests away.”

All along, Orina kept updating his progress with the school kitchen garden on Facebook and YouTube.

After their first harvest, the teacher decided to treat his pupils to an end-of-term party, using the vegetables they had grown, and he bought meat, rice and potatoes to make a meal. When he shared the photos on Facebook, some of his followers noticed that a number of pupils were wearing torn school uniforms and shoes. This led to a charity drive called the “Dress Me Up Initiative”, providing Orina’s pupils with new school uniforms, shoes and other school supplies.

“I blur the pictures of my learners whenever I post pictures of them working in the garden on social media. On this particular day, however, one lady noticed that some of my pupils wore torn shoes and sweaters. She approached me and requested to buy the pupils new uniforms,” Orina said.

“After consulting the parents of the pupils as well as the headteacher, I connected the lady to the families of the needy pupils and they got school supplies.”

That act of kindness sparked a chain reaction, where people from all over now started offering to dress his pupils. Soon enough, the learners started receiving uniforms, shoes and other school supplies.

“Recently, we received sanitary towels for the girls and underwear for both girls and boys. All these are donations from people I have never met.”

The bountiful harvest from the school garden also goes back to the pupils, who work so hard to keep the garden going.

“I share the harvest amongst the pupils or share with those in need right here in Konoin, and sometimes we sell the vegetables to the teachers and neighbours. We use the money to maintain our garden and fund the end-of-term party for the learners.”

Matthew Sigilai is one of Orina’s colleagues.

“I can now get fresh vegetables at an affordable price from my pupils right at the comfort of the school. I am in the process of setting up my own garden so I can start growing a variety of vegetables, too,” Sigilai said.

Source: the-star.co.ke