Agriculture project in former PM’s name launched

One of the island’s leading service clubs has unveiled a schools’ garden project which members hope will contribute to feeding the families associated with the institutions and eventually, the surrounding communities starting with the initial four primary schools.

And Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw is urging principals and teachers to play their role in keeping unhealthy snacks and drinks out of schools and specifically getting children actively involved in the produce emerging from the gardens.

Speaking during the World Food Day launch of the Owen Arthur Agrokids Initiative for Primary Schools, at the West Terrace Primary School, in West Terrace, St James, Bradshaw said the management of schools has the overriding responsibility to ensure that when they are raising funds for their institutions, they refrain from

selling unhealthy snacks and sweet drinks to children.

“We have an overriding responsibility to ensure that when we are raising funds for the school we are not bringing in all the sugar snacks, and the sugary drinks and all of those things to make a little money on the side.

“We may now have to move towards pulling a few things from the garden, putting some of the money that the ministry sends to the schools into buying some bags and helping the children to package them and in turn to sell them so that we see these types of things emerging at our schools,” she said.

Bradshaw also noted that Government and other organisations cannot change behaviours on their own. She said it is not as simple as changing legislation to ban sugary products and expect that “all of a sudden we have changed the eating habits of an entire nation”.

“If it were so simple, many other countries across the world would not have the high levels of obesity, and neither would Barbados. So we appreciate and understand what we have to do as a Government, that it

is also a case of changing behavior.

“It isn’t so much of changing our diet to the point where we eradicate every single thing that contains sugar. What we have to also do is to be able to educate our young people and our country about using things in moderation,” Bradshaw said.

The overall aim of the project is to help to fight obesity in children before Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) develop later in life. To achieve this, the Rotary Club has developed an initiative aimed at introducing students to backyard farming to teach them about proper nutrition by using hands-on method, including educating children

about healthy dietary habits and exercise, strengthening the country’s food security and sustainability, and mentoring children to achieve their full potential.

Bradshaw, who applauded all stakeholders involved in getting the initiative off the ground, indicated that she sees it as an avenue for Barbadians to get back to their roots.

The minister said she believes that the late Prime Minister whose birthday is tomorrow, would have wanted his name to be associated with the project, considering that he not only had a great appreciation for gardening, but also had a deep understanding of the interconnectivity of agriculture to the people and to the sustainability of Barbados.

“This is a project that would have been very near and dear to his heart and one certainly that within the Ministry of Education we totally support, not just from the Rotary’s end, but in terms also of the preservation of his name and to ensure that this project is sustainable,” Bradshaw said.

She also called on the schools’ leaders where the garden projects have been introduced, to put a maintenance plan in place to keep them in good shape

She said that primary schools which do not have an agriculture project would be on the radar for affiliation with corporate Barbados and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to have similar programmes introduced at their institutions.

The former Prime Minister’s widow, Julie Arthur, thanked the clubs for creating the admirable and practical project in honour of her husband. Arthur died in hospital on July 27.

She said the gesture on the eve of his birth date, means that the distinguished clubs have become the first institution to honour Arthur by associating him by name with an activity that truly engaged him on a daily basis. Arthur said her husband was the personification of the phrase “man of the soil” as he loved his plants and knew all of them by name and often shared some of the contents of his garden.

The widow recalled that some years ago, the late Prime Minister encouraged Barbadians

to set up kitchen gardens at their homes. She acknowledged that recent events and the national concern over food security would have supported this foresight.

“What is quite interesting is that many of his thoughts and ideas while having to prepare his numerous speeches were birthed by him spending time in the garden in the early hours of the morning or on evenings.

“Let me during this launch of this Agrokids Initiative, encourage parents to make and spend quality time with your children and support their passion; be it gardening, cooking, or whatever activity makes

them happy and fulfilled. That nurturing of their dreams from a young age makes all the difference in their confidence and work ethics later on in life.

Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Initiative, Rotarian Rosaline Clarke, indicated that the four schools involved in the project are George Lamming Primary, Arthur Smith Primary. Hillaby Turners Hall Primary and West Terrace.

Clarke said phase one of the initiative is to last throughout the current school year, with the main support from the Rotary and Rotaract Club of Barbados South, along with support from principals and teachers of the schools.

She noted that the club is investing in the gardens hoping that the food produced can be sold to families associated with the schools, neighbouring shops, supermarkets and vendors.

“The money gained from this initiative can be fed back into the programme to provide funding for Phase 11 when more schools can be brought on board, or the funds can be used to buy things or equipment that can benefit all at the school. This will be discussed at our team meetings as the project continues,” Clarke said.

The chairperson said it is proposed that the project be expanded to all or more schools through the involvement of the Ministry of Education. She also indicated that several businesses and organisations,

including the Barbados Defence Force, would have played a key role in bringing the project to life. (AH)