Ngara, TZ – Students weed fields to help protect their future breakfast – 15 Nov 2019

Mukibogoye students are very involved in gardening and farming activities at their school. Currently, they are wrapping up their weeding efforts on the Mukibogoye farm.

Corn is a crop that is very susceptible to being strangled out by the competition of weeds in the field. Normally, this is mitigated by the drier farming conditions found in Tanzania. However, in Ngara, it rains, a lot. The rain and heat cycle of Ngara can cause the rapid growth of weeds to occur in the cornfields. Fortunately, due to the diligence of the school students, Mukibogoye was able to control the growth of weeds in their fields.

By completing the necessary weeding of the fields, the Mukibogoye students have contributed greatly to the potential success of this farming project. The success of this project will directly affect the availability of corn for next year’s school breakfast serving before they ask for community contributions.

While the weather has been on SODAT and Mukibogoye’s side this year, the schools of Ngara will always be challenged and at the mercy of the climate. Agriculture in Ngara relies predominately on rainwater to irrigate fields as pumping water is either impossible or too expensive.

Mukibogoye and SODAT are looking for more predictable and sustainable solutions for their breakfast serving schedule. They hope they can make better use of the available land at the school