School wins prize for impressive food garden

School principal Sedick du Toit and teacher Zukiswa Catayo, far back, showing the garden to Makholwa Xhoyteni, from the National School Nutrition Programme, and an unidentified woman.

A Gugulethu primary school has won R15 000 prize money for its food-gardening efforts.

Litha Primary, along with four other schools in the province, made it through to the final rounds of a competition run by the National School Nutrition Programme.

Litha came second in the province losing out to Khayelitsha’s Yomelela Primary School. Litha Primary’s principal, Sedick du Toit, said the school’s success in the competition had been a great motivator and it would continue entering.

Two teachers, a group of pupils and a Gugulethu resident run the school’s food gardening project, which grows spinach, cabbage, carrots and other produce.

The garden impressed the National School Nutrition Programme’s members, one of whom, Makholwa Xhotyeni, called it “very impressive”, especially its variety of vegetables.

The prize money will be ploughed back into improving the garden.

Garden co-ordinator Zukiswa Catazo was thrilled with the school’s achievement.

The garden, she said, had helped to feed the pupils.

“With the help of our community worker Nonkululeko Zweni and the dedicated pupils, we shall conquer again.

“I am adamant that if we are to be in another competition, we will do better this time.

“ We have learnt from the previous competition,” she said.