Following on from our recent blog about how climate change is impacting on Arise School and the local community, as students headed home for the Easter break, staff at Arise chose to dedicate some of their time during the holidays to the school’s maize fields.
Maize is used for two staple Tanzanian dishes, ugali, a type of stiff porridge made with water, and makande, a combination of maize and beans. Usually served with vegetables, both are key foods in the school kitchen.
The Arise staff wanted to ensure that the school reaches its goal of becoming self-sustainable. By the school growing its own crops, substantial savings are made on food expenses, thereby enabling the money released in the school budget to be allocated to where it is needed the most.
This year, the school rented and planted ten acres of maize. Unfortunately, because of the drought, the initial sowing dried up and another was necessary. Fortunately, the recent rains mean the crop is now growing but, also, the weeds!
With everyone bringing a hoe from home, the task the staff set themselves was to weed the maize. For those who did not have a hoe, the school provided one. It was a tough task but all remained dedicated and committed to ensuring that the weeds were removed allowing the maize to grow better.
Once again, as teachers and support staff worked together, their teamwork and commitment to Arise School shone through.
In their words: “Team work always brings out the best of us, and Arise is one big family that is ready to change the life in the Wiri Community”.
