School gardens provide nutrition and agricultural training in Cameroon

Students and educators in Cameroon are establishing school gardens to combat widespread food insecurity and teach sustainable farming techniques.

In regions like the Centre and North West, schools are using regenerative practices such as composting, organic manure, and fruit-tree grafting to grow crops including huckleberry, cabbage, and various fruits. These initiatives aim to provide practical environmental education while offering a direct source of nutrition for children who face high rates of malnutrition.

Nonprofit organisations and community groups are leading these projects. Support Humanity Cameroon (SUHUCAM) manages a club where pupils learn to manage organic waste and plant trees. In the North West region, the Youth Association for Climate Action (YACA) runs a programme where pupils design garden sections and learn skills like plantain propagation. Other groups, such as Yodo Cameroon, provide tools like wheelbarrows and watering cans to help students manage gardens that produce vegetables like carrots and Irish potatoes.

The gardens serve as outdoor classrooms where children learn to manage resources and discover the importance of food production. Some students have begun applying these skills at home by creating small gardens and using plastic bottles for drip irrigation. While these small-scale gardens may not solve the national hunger crisis alone, they improve dietary quality by providing vitamins and minerals to complement staple foods.

Coordinators note that unpredictable rainfall, pest outbreaks, and a lack of maintenance during school holidays remain challenges for these projects. To expand these efforts, the government and partners are working to provide consistent funding, water supplies, and technical assistance. Current national strategies aim to expand school meal programmes and strengthen links between schools and local food producers to reach more learners.