The Joy of Harvest: Students Celebrate the First Produce from Their School Garden

There is no greater reward for a young gardener than harvesting the fruits of their labor. At Town School, the smiles told the whole story. After months of effort, discipline, and curiosity, students proudly harvested fresh vegetables from their Go Green school garden—marking a joyful milestone in learning, nutrition, and community empowerment.

Why a School Harvest Matters

In many parts of Tabora, children face nutritional challenges, including limited access to a variety of vegetables. Most schools rely entirely on purchased food, missing key opportunities to enhance health, reduce costs, and provide practical environmental education. Creating a school-based food system not only strengthens nutrition but also promotes hands-on learning and environmental responsibility.

The Go Green Project recognized this opportunity and built a learning model rooted in sustainability—and designed to feed both minds and bodies.

How Students Grew Their First School Harvest

Through CODEWA’s support and the dedicated guidance of teachers, students planted a variety of local and improved vegetables. They nurtured crops such as:

• Spinach
• Sukuma wiki
• Chinese cabbage
• Traditional green vegetables

The garden became a learning ground where students practiced the full cycle of agriculture—from preparing soil to watering, weeding, mulching, and finally harvesting.

When the first vegetables were ready, the sense of achievement was unmistakable. Students held their bundles of greens with pride, celebrating not just a harvest, but the success of teamwork and persistence.

A Student’s Reflection

“I couldn’t believe we grew this ourselves,” said one student, beaming as she held fresh greens in her hands. “I want to start a garden at home too.”

Moments like this highlight the ripple effect of sustainable learning—skills learned at school extend into homes and communities.

What This Harvest Achieved

The vegetable harvest proved the strength of the Go Green Project by delivering:

• Practical agricultural skills for more than 200 students
• Increased student motivation, responsibility, and pride
• Access to fresh vegetables for school use
• A replicable model for other schools in Tanzania

Where Things Stand Now

The school garden continues to produce vegetables throughout the term. The Green School Club is expanding planting beds and planning new varieties for the next season—an encouraging sign of sustainability and student leadership where majority of students are adopting the same to their homes.

Support the Movement

Join CODEWA as we work to establish more school gardens that feed, educate, and empower children across Tanzania.

Reflection

The harvest is more than just food—it is a powerful testimony to what young people can achieve when given knowledge, tools, and an opportunity to grow. Through the Go Green Project, students at Town School are learning life skills, improving nutrition, and inspiring a greener future—one garden at a time.