The STANLIB Institutional Distribution Team has adopted the King Zwelithini Primary School in the Emndeni Township of Soweto as part of its CSI initiatives. The needs of this school are many but the team chose to focus on sustainable and healthy nutrition. Many of the children at the school only get one meal a day through the school’s struggling feeding scheme.
Children cannot learn on an empty stomach and the goal of this particular initiative was therefore to source a sustainable system that could provide learners access to fresh, healthy and nutritious food. The Green Tunnel System provided the ideal solution as it is a hydroponic, nearly organic tunnel, in which vegetables such as spinach and peppers can be grown at a more rapid rate than if they were planted in the school’s less-than-suitable soil.
This particular initiative is in addition to the CSI run by STANLIB – it is our team’s project. The funding for this additional project was diverted from our corporate end-year gift budget, and we invited out clients to participate in the installation and planting of the first two Green Tunnels.
This video chronicles the fun had by all in building the tunnels and planting the first crop.
The tunnels not only benefit the learners with healthy food but also create a learning opportunity for new skills, as the learners themselves are responsible for the maintenance, watering and harvesting of the vegetables, after a period of assistance and training. In addition, any vegetables not utilized to feed the children can be sold to the surrounding communities.
In addition to the Green Tunnels already installed at the school, STANLIB’s donated books and book shelves, conducted savings workshops and handed out Lapdesks to new learners. We intend to engage further with the school throughout 2011 – watch this space for further developments!
, to read more about this and other initiatives.