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while their husbands work in the fields can pursue
their own activity and income. The seed of this
dream began with the family integration workshops
held regarding what to plant and why it is worth
cultivating a vegetable plot. Now, with the results
of the school orchard in sight, the improvement in
eating habits is already a reality.
IMPROVEMENT IN FOOD
Local families say that nothing has been planted at
the school for many years. “You would say beetroot
and the kids didn’t know what it was, they ate very
few vegetables”, says de los Santos. Now, however,
with the school orchard they eat vegetables every
day. “When they come home they tell me what they
ate at lunchtime and now it’s always spinach pie,
soups, vegetable cannelloni”, she adds.
The head also said that the orchard“was a great
help to the cafeteria, there are always fresh and
healthy vegetables”. Lettuce, peas, Swiss chard,
beans, onions, red peppers, parsley, carrots,
beetroot, this great variety of vegetables makes up
the school menu. 20 species of fruit trees were also
planted.
The children themselves enjoy working outdoors.
“They were very enthused right from the start”, says
the head teacher. They tell me that they love planting,
watering and even weeding.
But they mainly want to reap the fruits of their
labour. “They saw that they were eating their own
vegetables, harvested with their own hands. You can
see how many vegetables they are eating now that
this food project is being implemented with the pupils
in Queguayar.
“The orchard provides new
life to the school. It helps
bringing people together, it
is a way of working for the
village”
, says María del Rosario de los
Santos, mother of Santiago and Gastón,
aged 10 and 11 years old.
REINFORCING COMMUNITY TIES
28
2014 ANNUAL REPORT