Project:  School and Community Horticulture Enterprise: Extension

Introduction

In 2002 the Supreme Court of India decreed that free Primary education is a constitutional right. However, of the 200 million children in India in the age group 6-14, it is estimated that 59 million are out of school. (35 million girls and 24 million boys)

The National "Mid Day Meal Scheme" was launched in 1995, to improve school enrolment and child health. It is often the only nutritious meal that a primary school kid gets in rural India. The scheme has, however only been partially successful in achieving its objectives. Lack of adequate nutrition in the meal is one of the largest stumbling blocks in achieving the objectives.

About the Enterprise

The enterprise will use a participative implementation model in which it will facilitate an innovative process in which the school and community will ensure, in a self-sustainable manner, the provision of the required vegetable nutrition for the mid-day meal scheme with local horticulture in polyhouse (green house) and kitchen gardens.

Where will this project be implemented

The enterprise will be initiated in Karnataka State, where the mid day meal scheme has been operational since 2002. 

Key Features:

- The initial pilot project will be implemented in Bangalore district.

- The enterprise will target schools with enrolment of roughly 50-100 students which are currently implementing the mid-day meal scheme.

- The schools will be identified through a network of NGO's who have associations with primary schools and rural and peri-urban communities.  

Project objectives

- To ensure that the mid-day meal has 65-75 gms of vegetables/child/day for 200 days/year, thereby improving child health, increasing school attendance and enrolment in primary schools.

- To create environmental awareness and practice organic horticulture.

- To develop skills of mother and community groups and to increase economic opportunities.

Download the project brochure here

Project Extension:

TIDE is aiming to create a sustainable business model for polyhouse dissemination. In order to establish such a model we would like to have a pilot project to initiate 10 polyhouses in South-East Karnataka, which are all directly linked and governed by a local school. 

The long term aim is to establish 100 polyhouses throughout the state of Karnataka which will aid in providing nutritious mid-day meals to schoolchildren all over Karnataka.

Each polyhouse is equipped with a rainwater harvesting system to increase the efficiency and productivity of the crops. 

TIDE is aiming at 100 polyhouse sites to build a sustainable enterprise model. The pilot project consists of 10 polyhouse sites. Each site will need a sum of Rs 1.5 lakh = $ 3,535.

This includes the following costs:

     -         Real estate land for polyhouse, rented for 3 yrs plus 2 yrs extension

-         Construction cost and Material cost of the Polyhouse

-         Construction cost and Material cost of the Rain Water Harvesting System

-         Cost of training local individuals in agriculture

Total funds needed for this project will be 10* Rs 1.5 lakh = Rs 15 lakh = $35,350. Sponsors can either fund the whole project or one or multiple polyhouses.

If you would like to wholly/partially support this project, please contact us