Gardening as a model for development

Research has shown that healthful behaviors, such as balanced and varied diets, can be addressed in gardening activities when included into schools’ curriculum (BCBG, 2005; NOFA, 2005). Zidenberg-Cherr (2002) reported that gardening programs have the potential to instill positive health behavior in youth. Teachers interviewed reported that through gardening activities, students will be able to exercise themselves and get rid of waste metabolic product that would have retarded healthy living through the physical activities involved in gardening.

People in rural societies live in a simple environment, yet the structure and the dynamics of their day-to-day’s life are complex (Barrios, 2008). Since gardening is a cycle of human Endeavour, it can be used as a tool to improve the life of rural people and their environment. Improving their lives mean informing them of what gardening offer to a community. It will be important for people in a community to understand that through gardening, healthy food is produced which ensures healthy eating that can bring about good health. Since people are concerned with the current obesity issue, they should be informed that gardening is the best cure to the increasing obesity through physical activities performed at the garden.

Gardening is an important means of overcoming problems caused by unemployment, inequality, poverty, falling real wages, malnutrition and nutrition-related degenerative diseases (Thaman, 1995). Through proper planning and management of gardening projects in schools, the possibility of generating more food is guaranteed for a sustainable development. Besides, through gardening activities, the possibility to escape cancer and other hearth diseases is guaranteed. In addition, gardening plays potential important effects on individuals as well as on the ecosystem (Clayton, 2007). Kaplan, (1973), Kaplan & Kaplan (1990) X-Rays that beyond gardening resonance for identity; it may be popular purely because of its benefits, which can include satisfaction from the garden

experience, tangible benefits like food production, or more indirect effects on personal well-being.

This study found that despite the benefit of gardening, the rate at which investors neglect its activities has resulted in the degeneration of the domain and interest of teachers. However, despite the increasing interest of gardening activities in different countries, teachers’ perceptions on investment in gardening projects has not been sufficient to meet the paste of the current demand for gardening produce.

Teachers interviewed found crops such as spinach, sugarcane, tomatoes, carrot, egg plants, onion, maize, okra, beans, peanuts, cabbage, pineapple, cucumber and many other edible foods cultivated at the school gardens very useful in an economy development and for the fight against food insecurity.

The research finding resulted to the development of seven useful dimensional model (Figure 5.5.2) for people who garden or intending to garden. This model was developed after the researcher’s series of literature review and the information garthered from both teachers and students. In his idea, he considered gadening as a source of cure for certain diseases through gardening excercises and through eating of the healthy food produced from the garden.

Figure 4.5.2: The importance of gardening in students’ welfare

The researcher mentioned that a wide array of plants used as food, handicrafts, fuel, medicines, fibre, dyes, ornamentation, perfumes and deodorants, livestock feed, shade, and construction materials (non food plants) can be produced at the school gardens. Students understanding of the importance of all these materials will enable them depend interest in choosing agriculture as a career.

To achieve the goal of school gardening, the researcher recommends gardening to be viewed as a culture that can be inherited from general to generation. He developed a transfer chain of gardening culture which he believes will help expand gardening culture. He posited that through the acquisition of gardening knowledge in schools, there will be the transfer of gardening knowledge from students to parents at home, which would in the end be transferred to children and great ground children. With the transfer of gardening practices, there will be meaningful increase of food availability for a sustainable development in the near future.

Figure 4.5.3: Transfer chain of gardening culture

Transfer chain of gardening acquired knowledge

Father Mother

Children inheritage

Grand children inheritance Grand children inheritance Grand childreninheritance

Great grand children inheritance

Great grand children inheritance

Great grand children inheritance Acquire gardening

knowledge Schools/institutions

Continuous increase of food availability

1 2

This transfer chain can be achieved only when parents’ and community members play roles in the encouragement of students. To promote gardening programs, parents and community members, local NGOs and government agencies need to participate in the project. The effort must not be left for teachers alone; all students need in school is to acquire the knowledge needed to develop the methodology of gardening cultivation culture

A teacher interviewed in Nigeria posited that some schools in the country grow Jatropha plant (Euphorbiaceae) as fencing materials (rural schools). It was further posited that recognizing Jatropha as a hearty multipurpose shrub type plant, which seeds are oil-rich suitable for biofuel production. Jatropha kernel consists of about 35% to 60% oil which can be transformed through esterification into biofuel (University of Ilorin, 2009). Jatropha plant can serve as a non-food plants which the intensification is very necessary due to its benefit in animal feed and biofuel production.

Biofuels are sources of renewable environmentally friendly fuel currently suitable for road transport without any negative traits associated with traditional biodiesel or other green energy alternatives. The combustion of petrol and diesel produces many different types of local air pollutants, but the use of biofuels may result in the reduction in emissions of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide up to 70% (Akinyemi &

Høgh-Jensen, 2008).

Figure 4.5.4: Diagram of Jatropha plant (Euphorbiaceae) Source: Modified after University of Ilorin (2009)

With the recent growth and the importance of renewable energy production, students can develop on the growing of Jatropha plants which may generate a lot of income for the schools. Besides, through donors’ intervention, processing materials can be provided in the schools where both teachers and students will be educated on how the produce can be converted into biofuels by a process of esterification. This could act as a hand on technology through gardening activities.