On Earth Day, we celebrate our youngest farmers – the students in the public primary schools in Northeast Alta Verapaz, Guatemala – and what they have gained by studying greenhouse curriculum at school:
Two students at Escuela Flavio Gutiérrez (Fray Bartolomé) shared their stories about how they feel about what they’re learning.
Kevin Samuel Luna Saquil and Sara Patricia Manuela Pop Coc, both 12 years old, in the 6th grade, wrote their personal accounts in their notebooks:
Kevin shared about his family – that his father sells musical instruments and his mother stays at home to care for him and his five siblings. He also wrote that he lives with his aunt and uncle, and his grandparents.
He wrote that the benefit he has gained from the agricultural project is that it helps him to feed his family and also teaches him how to grow vegetables.
Sara explained that she and her parents live together with her six siblings. Both her parents sell soft drinks for a living.
She wrote that she has benefitted by having food to eat as well as learning how to grow her own vegetables, and about the different processes in doing so, from sowing to harvesting the plants for the maximum yield.
For both students, they were able to verbalize the following gains from working in a greenhouse:
- Planting is done without the sun beating down on your back (and takes very little time).
- Harvesting requires minimal effort (and is done while standing).
- It uses very little water.
- There is no loss of plants (whatever is planted gets harvested).
- Since the plant is not uprooted—but rather just its leaves are harvested—we have a continuous supply of food.
- A higher density of plants per unit of area.
- It is very easy to learn.
- There is no contamination on the planting tables; conversely, contamination *is* a risk when planting in the ground.
Finally, both of them expressed clearly, “I want to set up a garden for my business so I can sell the produce.”
It is through your donations that this groundbreaking work is possible – the first of its kind in all of Guatemala.
On Earth Day, please continue to support this critical work, which is literally changing the landscape of Guatemala to benefit the people, from the youngest on up.
You can make your donation at this link:
Thank you and Happy Earth Day!
Fern and the Sowing Opportunities team