adminFairness Moyana, Hwange Correspondent
IN an effort to capacitate schools and communities in adapting to drought and climate change, Gwango Elephant Lodge in Hwange, which has been playing a pivotal role in supporting the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects (STEM) has initiated growth laboratories meant to improve food security.
Gwango Elephant Lodge, situated on the edge of Hwange National Park in Mabale area through its Gwango STEM Initiative (GSI) has been conducting trainings in nine secondary schools on how to grow plants without using the traditional soil which is arid and unyielding.
According to the project founder, Mrs Elisabeth Pasalk the project is a response strategy to drought and climate change affecting most rural communities and is meant to increase food security through the use of Hydroponics. Hydroponics is a process of growing plants in sand, gravel or liquid, with added nutrients but without soil.
“As a response to drought and climate change ravaging the district we have come up with a project that will not only create food security but also minimise human wildlife conflicts in areas that are close to the national park. As you may be aware GSI seeks to increase STEM learning for children attending secondary schools near Gwango with 18 pupils having been selected, a boy and a girl from each of the nine schools. Together with the GSI scholars we are building a model GSI Hydroponics lab which will house over 900 plants of various types. The students will study the conditions and other factors affecting the plants in these labs,” said Mrs Pasalk.
The schools that are already participating in the initiative are Dampa, Kamativi, Nechilibi-Detema, Lupote, Marist Brothers High, Makwandara, Kamativi, Songwa and Nembila. She said under the initiative, which would also spread to surrounding communities, schools must be able to grow various nutritious plants for use by children.
“Through the project, schools and communities will be fed at very low costs while most of our pupils though rural based, will be transformed into scientists and nutritionists through the practical demonstrations just like their counterparts in urban schools. We expect various types of food plants such as cereals, vegetables and grain to be produced by these labs at schools.
“Let me also mention that GSI seeks to achieve its goals by harnessing wildlife related programmes, a notion brought about following realisation that lack of STEM awareness within the local communities was contributing towards conservation challenges such as poaching,” she said.
Some of Gwango programmes on STEM include quarterly career pathways events, GSI Scholars and educator workshops and tourism linkages. Earlier this year GSI hosted the first annual Career Pathways event at Marist Brothers High School in Dete where about 900 pupils aged between 13 and 15 from nine schools together with their teachers participated.
Through the Hwange Stakeholder on Education Consultative Forum chaired by the district education officer, Mr Lovemore Ncube it was noted that most of the schools in the district did not have science laboratories, thereby stifling the take-off in implementing STEM in schools.
Online Reporter