The school gardens aim to develop a model for school feeding programs that promotes a circular economy. The feeding program aims to develop a greater demand for nutritious food and promote farmers to supply these foods. The garden serves as an education/demonstration site while providing nutritious food to students. The concept promotes nutrition, agricultural development and local sustainable economic growth.

School gardens are cultivated areas of about 0.25 – 0.5 ha, around or near to schools, tended at least partly by students. Garden focus on vegetable and fruit production

• The Mekelle School for the blinds is a boarding school located in the city of Mekelle, Tigray, in northern Ethiopia. The school was established in 1986 as a way-station for blind children between the ages of 6-17, and has around 100 students. In an effort to improve the dietary intake of children and to produce additional income for the school, an agricultural plot was established by CultivAid in 2014.
• The 0.5 hectare agricultural plots grow fresh vegetables year round providing the school with healthy nutritious food. The plots produce more food than can be used by the school and surplus is sold to the market, providing the school with additional income. Our work focuses on improving the agricultural methods and crop yields with emphasis on enabling better nutrition at the school. For the past 4 years, CultivAid provides ongoing support and training to the school’s agronomists and partners.