Zondoma: As part of the promotion of school fields initiated by the Ministry of Education, 121 hectares were sown by the province's schools during the current campaign. Corn, cowpeas, peanuts, and sesame are among the crops grown by most schools in the province during the current agricultural campaign through school fields. This activity, which mobilized teachers, students, and parents, is part of the innovations implemented by the Ministry of Education.
According to Burkina Information Agency, data from the Provincial Directorate of Preschool, Primary, and Non-Formal Education (DPEPPNF) of Zondoma indicate that 121 hectares were sown. In addition to the educational nature of the activity, the produce from the fields will be used to supply school canteens, especially since the local canteen is an alternative strongly encouraged by the authorities.
For Seydou Ouedraogo, principal of the Niessega "D" school located 11 kilometers from Gourcy, 3.5 hectares were cultivated by his school thanks to the mobilization of students and parents, but also to the support of the hierarchy. "We benefited from ploughing and inputs from the State, and with this year's good rainfall, we expect to have a good harvest," said the principal. "The entire harvest of corn, beans, and peanuts will be used for the school canteen," he added.
According to Adama Ouedraogo of the Parents' Association (APE), this initiative will allow students to enjoy working the land, which was once looked down upon. "We are ready to support our school to produce more in the years to come," he said. Like Niessega "D," at least 119 schools in the province are thus contributing to the agricultural offensive and thus the effectiveness of food self-sufficiency as desired by the highest authorities in the country.
As a reminder, many schools also produced significant quantities through school gardens during the past academic year.