RCE Lusaka - 2018

Sustainable Gardening; For Improved Students’ Health
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
Sustainable Gardening; For Improved Students’ Health
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Lusaka
Contributing organization(s) : 
Umodzi Network/ HIVOS
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Sopani R. Muzumara
Organizational Affiliation: 
Umodzi Network
E-mail: 
muzumararuth@gmail.com
Format of project: 
Oral/PowerPoint
Language of project: 
English
Date of submission:
Friday, June 1, 2018
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
Yes
National Education Policy, Educating our Future Policy1996, National School Health and Nutrition Policy 2006, National Food and Nutrition Policy 2006
At what level is the policy operating?: 
National
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Africa and Middle East
Country: 
Zambia
Location(s): 
Lusaka
Address of focal point institution for project: 
The University of Zambia. Great East Road Campus, P.O Box 32379, Lusaka
Ecosystem(s):
Agricultural, Dryland, Forest, Fresh water, Grassland, Mountain, Urban/Peri-urban, Wetlands
Target Audience:
Community, Higher, Primary, Secondary, Youth (Informal)
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
The University of Zambia is one of the higher learning institutions in Zambia which accommodates approximately 13,000 students at its Great East Road Campus. Apart from student’s hostels and the lecture halls, the space has a lecturers and staff compound. The University premises has different businesses facilities, which includes: banks, restaurants, a clinic, salons, tailoring shops and fast food places, a night club and so on.

The University was built on a marshland;therefore,most places are swampy. To counter the swampy areas, there are Eucalyptus and other evergreen trees that have been planted around. It has notable landmarks such as a water body known as the Goma Lakes.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
The project addresses the problem of poor consumption patterns which is leading to a number of food related non-communicable diseases such as obesity, and high blood pressure which is affecting the performance of students and staff members as well. This problem can be attributed to lack of vegetables and fruits in their diets and also on food preparation methods. The prices of vegetables and the distance to the market place are also very vital contributing factors to this problem. This is seen as a challenge to sustainable development as these young people who are becoming unhealthy by the day are the ones who are supposed to help achieve sustainable development for the community and the nation as a whole.
Contents
Period: 
July, 2018 to December, 2018
Rationale: 
The radio show will continue to be a means of educating because it is cheaper to use and we have a bigger audience of our project target population listening. The workshops will be the face to face interaction part of the project where we will be educating the students in groups. This is very important as this is where the students get to learn hands on, and how to tend the garden and all the necessary information.

The actual sustainable gardening and the monitoring of the project is very important because students need to be healthy in order to contribute meaningfully to the development of the country.
Objectives: 
Goals of Activities
- To improve the consumption patterns at the University of Zambia student by December 2018.
- To promote student’s vegetable accessibility
- To ensure a healthier lifestyle for students

Teaching or Learning Outcomes
- Learners should be able to explain sustainability.
- Learners should be able to practice sustainable consumption.
- Learners should be able to provide for their recommended daily nutrient requirement.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
The idea of this project began from the radio programs that are hosted every Monday on a local radio station (UNZA Radio) when the Hivos International Zambia Youth for Sustainable Foods coordinator highlighted the need to check consumption patterns in Lusaka. We as Umodzi Network began raising awareness on this issue and the project will continue using the radio station as it reaches out to a lot of students.
There will be workshops that will be conducted per hostels to educate on the importance of sustainable consumption in promoting healthy lives for the young generation.
We will give students necessary materials for gardening on their balconies and teach them how to organically produce more in a little space.
Size of academic audience: 
The project aims to reach approximately 9000 students who are accommodated on campus.
Results: 
During and after the project, it is expected that students will have learnt on sustainable consumption and will be practicing it. Thereby achieving SDG Goal 12 and other relatable goals such as 4,11 and 13. It is envisioned that the University of Zambia students will be more productive even in their academic work and this productivity will be reflected on the economy. We believe that a healthy society is a wealthy society. This gardening which will interpret into food independence will not only be practiced in school but should be able to instill a sense of proactiveness in the would be graduates. It’s hoped that student will continue to apply this skill even beyond university life.
Lessons learned: 
Although the project is still in the planning phase and awareness is being raised, the response is anticipated to be massive. This is because the students have been facing a challenge in the distance they have to cover to buy their vegetables. Additionally, the prices of certain staple vegetables have increased.
Key messages: 
The diet of University students is becoming more and unhealthier because of lack of essential nutrients that are found in vegetables. We are offering a solution to educate on sustainability and practice this by promoting access to vegetables through sustainable gardening on hostel balconies.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
This project is an actualization of the different strategies of the RCE Lusaka is doing. This is because it is more than just educating but actualizing what is being taught.
Funding: 
By beneficiaries

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Image icon photo1.jpg (887.05 KB) During the environmental awareness radio Programme E. Mpanga
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture 
Direct
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages 
Direct
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 6 - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 
Indirect
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all 
Indirect
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 
Indirect
SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 
Direct
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Indirect
SDG 14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 
Indirect
SDG 15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss 
Indirect
Theme
Disaster Risk Reduction 
Indirect
Traditional Knowledge  
Indirect
Agriculture 
Direct
Forests/Trees 
Indirect
Plants & Animals 
Direct
Waste 
Indirect
Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development – Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
Direct
Priority Action Area 3 - Building capacities of educators and trainers 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 4 - Empowering and mobilizing youth 
Direct
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
Direct
Update: 
No