Watch the just completed videoclip by Aminah Ulmer of SD USA on year 4 of the Kitchen Garden Project for Students and a review of four years of success: Kitchengarden Year four on Vimeo
Kitchen Gardens for Students of 23 regional schools
Susiladharma USA is proud and happy to report that Anisha successfully completed year 4 of the first phase of a Kitchen Garden Project (KGP) for students of grades 7-10 of 23 regional schools. The goal of teaching 1400 students the basic skill of designing, establishing and nurturing a kitchen garden from preparing the soil, sowing and planting native seeds and saplings to harvesting and seed conservation, was even exceeded.
Placed next to the house, these gardens are less prone to suffer at times of drought, due to available wastewater and other strategies of water conservation. Around the schools which in rural areas are surrounded by suitable grounds, gardens were also established and the produce used to augment school meals.
Starting with 743 participating students in Year 1, the program has added new students each year while retaining the former ones. This model has produced a rolling effect of creating approximately 200 post-tenth grade students each year who either remain in their village or go on to new educational settings. They bring their kitchen gardening skills and experience with them. Some students who have gone on to boarding schools have started kitchen gardens there. Forty percent of the children in the KGP spread the native seeds they saved from their own gardens to neighbors, relatives and friends. Younger siblings and family members of all ages have adopted organic kitchen gardening and are continuing the work at home. They have learned the benefits of fresh produce from their own gardens and their effect on the household economy.
This project was made possible through the generous annual grants of the major donor, the Guru Krupa Foundation (GKF). In its fourth year, the project was also supported by the Paull Family Foundation and the NUE Foundation in Germany. Thanks are owed also to many Susila Dharma organizations, led by SD USA as well as individual donors.
With 1361 students currently growing a garden, Anisha has slowly begun to reshape the local food culture in the Martalli Region.
The KGP for schools will continue until December 2020 with funding from various sources. A continuation beyond 2020 an the targetting of more schools is presently under review.
During the present Corona Lockdown Anisha coaches the students via Skype or other available virtual media
Placed next to the house, these gardens are less prone to suffer at times of drought, due to available wastewater and other strategies of water conservation. Around the schools which in rural areas are surrounded by suitable grounds, gardens were also established and the produce used to augment school meals.
Starting with 743 participating students in Year 1, the program has added new students each year while retaining the former ones. This model has produced a rolling effect of creating approximately 200 post-tenth grade students each year who either remain in their village or go on to new educational settings. They bring their kitchen gardening skills and experience with them. Some students who have gone on to boarding schools have started kitchen gardens there. Forty percent of the children in the KGP spread the native seeds they saved from their own gardens to neighbors, relatives and friends. Younger siblings and family members of all ages have adopted organic kitchen gardening and are continuing the work at home. They have learned the benefits of fresh produce from their own gardens and their effect on the household economy.
This project was made possible through the generous annual grants of the major donor, the Guru Krupa Foundation (GKF). In its fourth year, the project was also supported by the Paull Family Foundation and the NUE Foundation in Germany. Thanks are owed also to many Susila Dharma organizations, led by SD USA as well as individual donors.
With 1361 students currently growing a garden, Anisha has slowly begun to reshape the local food culture in the Martalli Region.
The KGP for schools will continue until December 2020 with funding from various sources. A continuation beyond 2020 an the targetting of more schools is presently under review.
During the present Corona Lockdown Anisha coaches the students via Skype or other available virtual media
For full reports of each of the 4 years go to the following links:
year_1_of_kgp_for_schools_2016-2017.pdf
year_2_of_kgp_for_schools_2017-2018.pdf
year_3_of_kgp_for_schools_2018/2019.pdf
mid-year_report_-_anisha_kgp_year_4.pdf
year_4_of_kgp_for_schools_2019-2020.pdf
Short videos by Aminah Ulmer of SD USA show the efforts and results of
year 2: kitchen_garden_year_two_on_vimeo.html
year 3: kitchen_garden_year-three_on_vimeo.html
School Kitchen Gardener’s Food Festival at ANISHA Resource Center in 2017
This program was designed to become an event for a number of reasons: Primarily it was an occasion for the children of Martalli Panchyath to get together and share their produce. It was decided that we give an opportunity for the children to involve in a group activity like cooking and sharing the meal. The response to this activity was overwhelming and more than 120 children gathered. They all brought vegetables from their gardens. A dozen teams were formed and a stock of 130 kgs of vegetables thrown open to them. From spinach to mammoth sized bottle gourd, there were twelve varieties of vegetables in all, and the children had their choice of a copious share of garnishing materials from the kitchen and the garden at Anisha. The teams prepared about thirty dishes in three hours. There was a festive mood in the campus and children hurriedly carted firewood, chopped the vegetables and stirred the pot in a competitive frenzy. Mr. John Don Bosco, and John Britto, cultural delegates from the locality, were invited to taste the recipies prepared by the children and comment upon it. They both were spellbound by the results and applauded the culinary skills of the children and their knowledge of the nutritional values of the vegetables they had used. Anisha’s kitchen had cooked rice en masse which was served to all the children, and which they enjoyed with the curries they had prepared.
This program was designed to become an event for a number of reasons: Primarily it was an occasion for the children of Martalli Panchyath to get together and share their produce. It was decided that we give an opportunity for the children to involve in a group activity like cooking and sharing the meal. The response to this activity was overwhelming and more than 120 children gathered. They all brought vegetables from their gardens. A dozen teams were formed and a stock of 130 kgs of vegetables thrown open to them. From spinach to mammoth sized bottle gourd, there were twelve varieties of vegetables in all, and the children had their choice of a copious share of garnishing materials from the kitchen and the garden at Anisha. The teams prepared about thirty dishes in three hours. There was a festive mood in the campus and children hurriedly carted firewood, chopped the vegetables and stirred the pot in a competitive frenzy. Mr. John Don Bosco, and John Britto, cultural delegates from the locality, were invited to taste the recipies prepared by the children and comment upon it. They both were spellbound by the results and applauded the culinary skills of the children and their knowledge of the nutritional values of the vegetables they had used. Anisha’s kitchen had cooked rice en masse which was served to all the children, and which they enjoyed with the curries they had prepared.
In December 2018, Aminah Herman of SD USA writes: A morning of thanks at Anisha as students drew pictures about their gardens and talked about how they felt growing vegetables for their families. We showed videos we made of them for our reports and shared lunch, gave out gifts of art supplies and special sweets were give in appreciation for their time. At this event we had about 30 out of the 1000 students in the Kitchen Garden Project.
Kitchen Gardens for Tribal Communities
The kitchen garden project with tribal communities took place in three villages. Even though there was a water scarcity in the village these 130 families grew vegetables like radish, okra, field bean, tomato pumpkin, bottle gourd and sponge gourd. 102 families saved seeds from the previous harvest and Anisha provided seeds for the remaining 28 families. On an average 10-12 kgs. of vegetables was grown and consumed by each family. 130 families generated 1331 kgs. of vegetables and saved Rs.37,700/-. Anisha staff visits the villages once a month to provide ongoing support.
Valli meeting with tribal women
Valli meeting with tribal women
MAILING ADDRESS: Anisha . Kadabur Village . Odaradotti . Martalli Post . Kollegal Taluk . Pin Code 571444 . Chamarajnagar District . Karnataka State . India
E-MAIL: anisha.india@gmail.com . PHONE: (91) 9448872207
E-MAIL: anisha.india@gmail.com . PHONE: (91) 9448872207
@Website, videos and photos by Myra Margolin. Additional design by Osanna Favre and additional photos by Anisha, the Human Force Volunteer Camp, Renee Zimmer
and Aminah Herrman. Updates Renee Zimmer and Valli Krishnaswamy, eMail Renee: CZimmer@t-online.de
and Aminah Herrman. Updates Renee Zimmer and Valli Krishnaswamy, eMail Renee: CZimmer@t-online.de