ALDERTON and Bensonton primary schools in St Ann have received support from various agencies to establish a special project which will boost the schools’ feeding programmes.

The Social Development Commission (SDC), in collaboration with the Claremont Development Area Committee (DAC), the Rural Agricultural Development Authority, and the St Ann 4-H Clubs recently launched the Farm to Fork project at the schools.

The project provided the schools with items, including seedlings and farm tools, to start their gardens.

Many parents, including several fathers, turned out to support the launch of the project and to ensure the schools were not left to do all the work on their own, as they joined representatives of the agencies to prepare the land and plant the crops.

Terrence Richards, programme coordinator for the SDC, said the school-feeding programme was introduced in 2010 after it was realised that poor nutrition and lack of attendance were some of the factors resulting in poor performance in schools.

He added that a number of students are unable to attend school because parents are not able to provide the money for food, hence the launch of the project.

Richards said, while Alderton and Bensonton primary schools may not have a problem with its attendance, by establishing a farm at the schools, the nutritional value of the meals being served will be improved.

Additionally, he said, the schools may be able to produce excess, which can be sold and the proceeds used to improve other areas in the institutions.

Chairperson of the launch, Veronica Thomas, also supported Richards’ position.

“Our school garden will be of benefit to our students; proper nutrition is integral,” she said.

Omar Brady, chairman of Claremont DAC, said in addition to providing good nutrition, the programme is aimed at getting fathers more involved in their children’s lives.

“We are hoping that one of the goals through this project is to get the fathers involved (and), so we want to encourage the parents to really take this up as your project.”

He said parents will have to help to maintain the farm and protect it from praedial thieves.

Principals of the participating schools were extremely happy for the start of the programme.

“As a school we are extremely pleased to be a part of this initiative,” said Wendy Litchmore, acting principal at Alderton Primary.

Students, she said, will benefit and so the school will do everything in its power to ensure the success of the programme.

Marva Johnson, principal of Bensonton Primary, was equally happy for the assistance.

“We are grateful that you have decided to come on board with us; We are all aware that nutrition plays an important role in education.” Johnson said, adding that the donation will go a very far way.

She promised that the school will work closely with the coordinators to make the programme a success.

Parents, too, were excited about the initiative and their enthusiasm showed as they worked at Alderton Primary on Wednesday and Bensonton Primary on Thursday.

“It’s a good idea, because the schools really want to uplift. Basically most of the stuff that they buy they won’t need to buy it again and the children will get more nutritious foods. It will benefit both the school and the community,” resident Sashana Stewart said.

Another community representative, Evlett Spence, said the programme is a good initiative for the schools.

“It will be of good benefit to the children. Most of the parents are single parents and many times they don’t have the money to send the children to school. With the garden, the students will be able to get food,” she said.

Jody Somers, the teacher who will oversee the project at Alderton Primary, said it will greatly benefit the school which currently has a breakfast programme for needy students.

“This programme will enhance the school-feeding programme that we currently have in our school. We have a breakfast programme and we seek to provide a balanced breakfast three days per week for our needy students,” she explained.

Somers, who also heads the 4-H club at the school, said the plan will be to use produce from the garden to enter competitions.

“Also we are trying to get the students involved as much as possible,” she said.

She said the school is very grateful for the agencies coming together and pooling their resources to assist the schools.

“We are very grateful because the main problem that we have here is that we lack labour,” she said.

With the involvement of the SDC, Somers believes the community will become more involved in the school’s farming activities.