It’s hard to reap a bountiful harvest with only poor, tired soil to grow in. The folks at Nakivale’s four greenhouse learning centers know this well. But lucky for us, the solution to depleted soil is easy and au naturel.
Today, we visited one of the greenhouse learning centers, where the space and its surrounding grounds have been used for months to grow fruits and vegetables that the residents can eat. But the greenhouse is good for more than just nutritious food — most importantly, it’s a learning center that teaches people how to cultivate their own gardens.
Unfortunately, all this learning and growing has taken a toll on the soil in and around the greenhouses. The land isn’t as lush as it once was — even during the wet season — and it needed some revitalization.
We decided to bring the team here a hefty pile of manure, produced by some local goats living in Nakivale! Not only were we able to help this greenhouse get the necessary nutrients it needed, but we were able to do it in an organic, sustainable way that supported other community members, too!
Innocent, one of the community workers helping train others at the greenhouses, was so appreciative:
“We will use the manure to plant seeds in our greenhouses and later invite community members to come select seedlings to plant in their backyard gardens. This will help improve the health of the children at the household level and improve general nutrition in the camp.” We can’t wait to see how the bountiful harvests nourish the bodies and minds of all in the community!
