MANILA, Philippines – In the uplands of Porac, Floridablanca, Mabalacat and Angeles City, a multi-pronged innovative learning program for indigenous pupils of public elementary schools is currently in progress.

Pupils of public elementary schools in Sitio Target Sapangbato in Angeles City; Haduan Negrito in Marcos Village, Mabalacat ; Villa Maria in Porac; and Camachile in Nabuclod, Floridablanca have their minds, hands and stomach full, so to speak, with the implementation of the joint project of the Aweca Foundation, Incorporated and The UPS Foundation.

The project, dubbed School Caravan for Indigenous Peoples, has benefited some 665 indigenous pupils since its launching last August 15, according to Ma. Rollyn Palo, Executive Director of AWECA Foundation.

For the second time, AWECA Foundation received grant assistance from The UPS Foundation for the School Caravan project. The purpose is to create sustainable school-based vegetable gardens and plant nursery that will support nutritional program for pupils, develop level of learning and skills in farming using available inputs in school/community and increase awareness in nurturing the nature.

Palo said this endeavor is part of AWECA Foundation’s Commitment to Action to Clinton Global Initiative-Asia by bringing the technical and practical skills closer and accessible to marginalized communities and families.

“In 20 years of reaching out indigenous peoples, we have culled out various experiences and best practices that we may say, this School Caravan for Indigenous Peoples is one of the fruits of our efforts the idea of “going back to basics” Palo proudly cited.

“With this project, we make sure that all stakeholders in the community are involve– the teachers, parents, barangay leaders, existing non-government organization and pupils in the project. Since we are working with Aeta tribe, we also give high regard on their culture in order to seize their participation,” Palo explained.

She added that to achieve this, they utilize the three-pronged strategies of practical farming by educating pupils on vegetable production, propagation and maintenance of fast-growing seedlings; school feeding program and community literacy assistance.

“Initially, we turned over gardening tools, plant seedlings, vegetable seeds and tap farm technician for the establishment of school-based nursery and vegetable gardens,” Palo said as she added that they target to propagate and maintain 3,000 mahogany seedlings in each of the four recipient-schools.”

The Foundation even installed one water pump for nursery, vegetable gardening and feeding purposes particularly in Sitio Target Sapangbato Elementary School. The three other school recipient have not given water pump because of high cost of installation considering the hilly locations.

“The support and commitment of the school principal, the teachers, barangay leaders and most especially the pupils’ parents were likewise ensured as they play crucial roles in the implementation of the program.”

The pupils, explained Palo, are taught practical farming using indigenous or organic fertilizers like animal manure and dried leaves or grass.

More so, they are also encouraged to plant fast crop vegetables like pechay, radish, patola, okra, ampalaya from which they would source some of their supplies for the daily feeding program.

“Out of their produce from the gardens, parents take turns in cooking the vegetables to supplement the food for the feeding program of 66 pupils in Haduan Negrito, 110 in Sitio Target Sapangbato, 337 in Villa Maria Integrated School, and 152 in Camachile elementary schools.”

Vegetable gardening is introduced not only to support school-based nutrition program but more so, to encourage local residents to produce organically-grown vegetables and other crops for family’s food consumption or enterprise development of the community thus, reduction of children’s drop outs and malnutrition in the community” Palo explained.

She also stressed that the active participation of all concerned is one important ingredient of the program as they are all considered stakeholders.

“To ensure the success of the project, capability building activities and continuous monitoring is religiously conducted by our staff Maristrell Lugtu, Program Officer; Rey Lucinio De Leon, Project Officer and three Community Educators.

In addition, a literacy session on basic writing, reading and counting combined with mentoring on public hygiene and responsible parenting is being conducted among 91 adult learners which include 20 mothers and out-of-school-youth from Haduan Negrito, 11 from Sitio Target Sapangbato,12 from Villa Maria,16 from Inararo in Porac, and 31 from Camachile,Nabuclod Floridablanca, Pampanga.