Young students can adopt Impactful Conservation Agriculture despite Covid-19 effects

By Elias HAKIZIMANA.

Empowering young students to practice Conservation Agriculture such as fruit trees planting at school and at home can improve their welfare.

A good example is the students at ‘Ecole Primaire Rusororo-Adventiste’ in Gasabo District who managed to grow tomatoes, lemons, avocadoes and mangoes.

These students were trained by a local organization that caters for sustainable protection of environment, conserving Biodiversity and fighting malnutrition through youth engagement; Social Actions for Environment protection and Biodiversity conservation (SAEB).

Simeon Abayisenga, a teacher who was helping the students to cater for these fruits at school told THE INSPIRER that the students started with this project to plant the fruits by the end of last year.

“In the beginning of 2020, students started to make tree nurseries, when they returned home due to Covid-19, the tress were at good growing stages with some green fruits on the branches. As they went home, some employees at school kept on sustaining the trees,” Abayisenga said.

He said that students have a club that is for environment protection at school where they used to meet and get lessons in this regard.

“When schools reopen, we will continue teaching children on environment protection by planting and sustaining fruit trees that are also contribution to good nutrition at school and at home,” he added.

SAEB helped students to plant 3000 fruit trees on 1 hectare of land.

Elisa Tumwesigye, Chief Executive Officer of SAEB said that this project aims at inspiring youth to grow fruits and vegetables and to impact the measures of the country in fighting malnutrition.

“We want youth to have a routine and culture to cultivate fruits and vegetables and use their efforts to help their families after we train them. Rwandan economy is based on conservation agriculture and agro forestry practices, we teach the students how to cultivate on a small land using organic fertilizers,” Elisa said.

The project works with the government to select most Districts affected by malnutrition and Sector authorities help to determine suitable areas to run agriculture activities.

At least 100 young students at Ecole Primaire Rusororo-Adventiste have been so far trained on best practices to sustainably protect environment by planting agroforestry trees.

Jean Piere Twizeyimana, the government representative who is the Agronomist& Forestry officer at Rusororo Sector said that SAEB has contributed much to empower youth in protecting environment by planting agroforestry trees.

“Normally, the government is highly appreciating the work of SAEB to combat malnutrition and protecting Environment as well as poverty reduction among families in our Sector. This will help us to achieve the national strategies for the socio-economic development of our country,” Teizeyimana said.

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