Learning Farming at School: Important for Our Families’ Future

As we enter the dry season, Darmaji Hamlet is experiencing very dry conditions, with water sources becoming increasingly limited. It is difficult for many families to grow crops, and even our daily water needs must be managed carefully. For our community, water is precious, and every drop matters.

Despite these challenges, my family is very grateful that we can still enjoy fresh vegetables from our own home garden. This is possible because my friends and I have been learning at school how to make dryland farming more productive and sustainable.

In our school learning garden, we learn practical skills such as making and using organic compost, conserving soil moisture, caring for plants, and selecting crops that can survive with limited water. Before joining these lessons, I did not realise that simple techniques could make such a big difference. I have learned that healthy soil and organic compost can help plants stay productive for longer, even during the dry season.

Now I can take what I have learned at school and practise it with my family in our garden. We are very happy to harvest vegetables such as tomatoes, long beans, water spinach, and other nutritious crops. Our garden not only provides healthy food for our family but also helps reduce our household food expenses.

I sincerely thank EBPP and the PT Mitra Prodin CSR Programme for giving us the opportunity to learn these valuable agricultural skills. I hope more families in Darmaji will adopt these techniques, helping our community become more self-reliant, healthier, and better prepared for future dry seasons.

By Pastini, Grade 11, Darmaji School

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