School and Community Horticulture Enterprise, India
By helping primary schools to provide children with the required nutritive quantity and quality in the mid-day meal scheme, Brinda is developing a sustainable horticulture model through participative implementation and is improving the overall school enrolment and child health in India.
1. The new idea
Brinda sees a tremendous need to ensure universal primary schooling and improving child health in India. Her project, School and Community Horticulture Enterprise (SCHE), aims to support the mid-day meal programme in primary schools through community based horticulture. Besides, with low cost innovative technologies adapted to communities? needs, people will grow aware of environmental sustainability issues in India. This participative implementation model aims to foster lasting social value change and create an equitable society.
2. The problem
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 probability of getting any education sharply depends on gender, caste, and income. The school mid-day meal, which is often the only nutritious meal a child can get in a day, is one of the key driving factors that can contribute towards achieving social equity and justice through universal primary education and child health. According to Unicef, the average malnutrition rate in some densely populated Indian states such as Uttar Pradesh is 40 %. That is higher than sub-Saharan Africa where it is 30 %.
In 1995, the Indian government launched the national mid-day meal scheme to improve school enrolment and child health. However it has been only partially successful in achieving its objectives. It didn?t meet the children?s nutritional needs and failed in improving significant school attendance. Some non-governmental organisations are trying to enhance the meal scheme by providing cooked meals to children but this is an end in itself. Communities need to reduce their dependence on external factors and develop a self-sustaining solution.
3. The strategy
To achieve its objectives of school enrolment, social equality and improvement of children?s health, Brinda?s approach works by directly engaging the communities and mother groups, thus reducing their dependence on external market forces.
In terms of nutrition, SCHE ensures the mid-day meal has 65-75 gms of vegetables/child/day for 2000 days/year. To that end, SCHE proposes to develop low cost innovative technologies such as poly-houses, green houses made of polystyrene sheets with roof top rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation system where crops, vegetables and flowers can be grown in a controlled, pest free and scientifically monitored environment. In addition, SCHE offers capacity building and skills development for the communities. The Agricultural College in Bangalore is responsible for mentoring the training programs.
SCHE is using ICT to develop a scientific and replicable horticultural model and interactive operation and maintenance manuals. It will also enable the dissemination of technology and educative information on child health, water conservation and other topics related to SCHE?s activities.
The project is currently implemented in a school in Karnakata with 50 students. For this pilot project a 200m2 land is needed to build the poly-house. The availability of land within the school is an obstacle that SCHE is overcoming by building poly-houses on private lands, outside the school.
Eventually, exotic vegetables and fruits yielding in those poly-houses could be sold in other markets rendering the communities self-sufficient. By empowering local communities and developing its skills, SCHE is increasing economic and social opportunities.
4. The person
Brinda is an independent environmental/planner architect. She obtained a Masters Degree in Environmental Planning from the School of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi in 2002. She worked on several projects focused on vulnerable groups such as women, children and the economically disadvantaged. These experiences gave her insight into issues of social inequality and cemented her desire to empower communities to become self-sufficient in supporting the health and education rights of its children.
