With food prices on the rise the school has started growing their own maize to help feed the 120 children.
Maize is a staple in Uganda and can be eaten on the cobs which are either cooked or roasted. Maize flour is also used to prepare a local paste called posho. The children at the school often eat posho and beans.
The maize is grown in Gayaza, a 50 minute drive from Entebbe. The resident farmer cares for the crop and when the maize is mature the children come to the land to help harvest the crop. Maize matures very quickly and within 3-4 months the crop is ready to harvest enabling two harvests a year - each typically yielding around two tonnes. Once the maize has been harvested it is brought to the school ready to be dried in the sun before the kernels are removed from the stem by hand! This is a long time consuming process, but the children enjoy helping. Once the kernels have been separated they are put into sacks ready to be ground into the flour that is used to make the posho.
As well as feeding the children at the school, the posho is also provided to single mothers in the local community. A proportion is also sold to help provide finance for the school.
If the maize isn’t stored correctly it can become infested with insects and end up going to waste. Profits from Kickstart Coffee will enable the maize to be ground into flour and stored in a dry safe place away from insects. By growing their own food the children are learning important life skills as well as enabling them to have a sustainable food source.