STUDENTS’ VEGETABLE CULTIVATION HELPS SCHOOL PURCHASE EQUIPMENTS
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| students of Lourde Matha School, Pacha, Thakazhy, Alappuzha |
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“What does one gain by agriculture?” If the students of Lourde Matha School, Pacha, Thakazhy, Alappuzha are asked this question, they will reply: “stereo, water filter, clock.”
One
need not be astonished by the answer for these students have helped the
purchase of these items from the income generated through their vegetable
cultivation in the school compound.
“The
students come mostly from lower income groups.
It wouldn’t be fair to ask their parents to sponsor the purchase
of equipments for the school. Income generation through vegetable cultivation was the other
option”, says headmaster P.J.George, the motivation behind the endeavour.
Since
1992, the Young Farmers’ Club of the school is involved in vegetable
cultivation. In the same
year, the school won the 3rd prize for the best vegetable
cultivation in the district. And
the next year they had won the 1st prize.
The
school had chosen ‘Agriculture and Gardening’ for its pre-vocational
course. As part of it, the
headmaster had an opportunity to attend a special training on agriculture.
This gave him the idea to start cultivation in school premises.
Among
those who gave leadership for the programme were sponsors of the Club,
P.K.Antony and Baby Mathew; teachers, Thankachan, Babu and Kuriyachan;
school leader Prasanth Soni Soman etc.
Agriculture Officer Dahlia Cherian and Assistant Raju provided
necessary guidance.
A
by-product of the exercise was that students had a better vision of
agriculture. Earlier it was
very difficult to make them understand the concept of hybrid plants.
But now they know it from experience, says the headmaster.
Courtesy: Geordy George (text), M.M.Thomas (photo), Karshakan, April 1999
Contributed by: Administrator
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