The energy level as we start this new school year is very high, as are our expectations for the GATE Program! GATE has expanded so that 18 of the 50 primary schools in the Toledo District will be active with school gardens this year. Plenty is helping to make a very big difference not only in the lives of today’s school children, but in the very institutions of learning in this beautiful, tropical country.

The staff and parents from each of these schools have asked Plenty for assistance in setting up sustainable school gardens, and Plenty is continuing to take up this challenge. Working closely with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture and other Non-Governmental Organizations, Plenty is bringing organic agriculture into the primary schools. With it comes better nutrition, and increased environmental awareness, educational and economic opportunities.

After an extensive interview process, Plenty Belize recently hired two local young men to assist with the agricultural extension work to the schools on a regular basis. Mr. Ermain Requena is from the village of San Pedro Columbia, and Mr. Abib Palma is from the village of Forest Home. Both have good agricultural backgrounds, and have already proven themselves to be great additions to the Plenty team.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) recently assigned Mrs. Yvonne Codd to assist with bringing agriculture into the schools. Mrs. Codd works out of the Quality Assurance Division of the MOE in Belize City. During her visit on 12 September, Yvonne praised Plenty for our work. We look forward to working closely with MOE to make gardens a permanent part of the schools in Toledo.

Students show off seedlings for transplanting in the Conejo Village School garden. (photo by Ermain Requena)

At the time of this writing, we are starting our second week of school. Ermain, Abib, and myself visited the 17 schools that can be reached by land (the 18th, Punta Negra, can only be visited by sea) and talked with school staff about plans for this year. We now have a schedule so that 15 of these schools will receive regular weekly visits from one of the three of us. The other 2 schools at Laguna and Mafredi have successful gardens, and will continue their programs without regular support from Plenty.

During our recent visits, many of the children’s faces lit up as they saw us, and many asked “When are we going to start in the garden?” This is a great experience, for them, for us, and for the people of Toledo. Thanks to everyone for your continued support of Plenty’s GATE Program in Belize.