SUSTAINABLE
GLOBAL GARDENS
ST DENIS LIBOLINA SCHOOL FOR THE PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED
SGG fieldworkers usually receive a warm welcome from schoolchildren at St Denis when we meet them at their school. We are highlighting St Denis Libolina School for the Physically Challenged as it is an excellent example of North-South international partnership, which is Sustainable Development Goal No. 17. That multistakeholder partnership is founded primarily on British generosity & funding, Kenyan skill & expertise, and a willingness of African beneficiaries to work for their own benefit.
End of school assembly in May 2022. Note the poor grass coverage found in most parts of the compound at that time.
When SGG first visited St Denis in May 2022, the Head Teacher Mrs Gladys Orlendo needed to solve several chronic problems. Some of these were obvious to the eye – the broken water tanks, the unuseable toilets, the poor state of many of the facilities & buildings. Other problems were less visible – the school debt, parents unable to pay for educational costs, and above all else the low self-estime of many of the school learners. In May 2022 the problems seemed overwhelming. How could so many problems be solved in a short time with SGG’s limited resources?
In June 2022 SGG agreed to establish a partnership with SCOPE Kenya after a field visit to some of their projects in Eastern Kenya. At the same time John Macharia, SCOPE’s National Coordinator, agreed that our first joint action would be at St Denis Libolina. SCOPE specialise in permaculture principles being applied to turn school grounds into productive fruit & vegetable units. This enables schools to provide practical educational experience, much improved nutrition for learners, and the possibility of sales income.
In May 2022 most of the school grounds were unproductive grass as seen here. This toilet block is no longer useable as it has been filled with disposable nappies which do not decompose.
This temporary kitchen is used because the main school stoves are broken. The use of traditional 3 stone open fires as seen here is a major health hazard because of smoke.
For several years Sherwood Sunrisers Rotary Club have been one of the best funders of SGG projects. The situation at St Denis was mentioned to them during the summer of 2022, and their response was both sympathetic and positive. By the time of SGG’s next visit to St Denis, which was in February 2023, two new water tanks were in place. However, as the SGG report showed, there were still serious problems with the school infrastructure. Sherwood Sunrisers again showed their generosity with funding to improve the kitchen facilities.
During the SGG visit in February the anticipated rains had not started, so SCOPE’s activities were largely limited to ground preparation. However, once the long rains of March-May arrived, large sections of St Denis Libolina’s grounds were transformed into productive gardens. The school learners and staff now had their reward for all the work and physical toil done previously to make their school grounds more productive.
During the SGG visit in February the anticipated rains had not started, so SCOPE’s activities were largely limited to ground preparation. However, once the long rains of March-May arrived, large sections of St Denis Libolina’s grounds were transformed into productive gardens. The school learners and staff now had their reward for all the work and physical toil done previously to make their school grounds more productive. Read the SCOPE report on the work to establish a permaculture garden.
Both SCOPE and SGG would like to use St Denis as a ‘demonstration plot’ of permaculture methods, not only for the learners & staff at St Denis but also for their parents and the surrounding community. This part of the SGG-SCOPE partnership began in July with a course of practical training in permaculture methods for staff & some adults. Read the SCOPE report on what was achieved during this course.
Sherwood Sunrisers continue to be active in support of St Denis. At the time of writing, October 2023, they intend to apply for a Rotary District Grant which will be used to improve the toilet facilities at the school. In order to do this they are cooperating with the Rotary Club of Bungoma, who will be responsible for monitoring the new work undertaken at St Denis.
What this establishes, above all else, is that when diverse individuals & groups work in partnership much can be achieved for the benefit of hundreds of people, who are currently languishing in poverty. What is required for African development is a continuation of North generosity, a mixture of expertise from both the North and the South, and a willingness among African communities to work for their own benefit.