This year, IGBS has embarked on an expansion of the school farm. One and a half hectares of land has been cleared so that each class can have a plot in the new area and together take responsibility for tending crops, with some friendly competition between the year groups to see whose plot produces the best harvest.
“We have planted maize and hope that the harvest will reduce the expenditure on food,” reports Head Teacher Rita Akelo. “After maize we intend to plant 400 trees of coffee seedlings and 56 seedling of oranges. This will help the school generate income in the near future.” Other crops include aubergine, spinach and tomatoes.
Mr Tabani John, the agriculture subject lead, and three senior students have written about the school farm expansion.
Wenepaida, Secondary 4 Student:
"The agricultural activities at IGBS are of great importance to us the learners and the school at large. We have been assigned equal plots of land where each class is responsible for growing the crops and taking care of them until harvest time. In these plots we have planted maize that will be inter-cropped with coffee and oranges as announced by our agriculture teacher. My experience in the garden during different activities has been marvellous because it was such moments we interacted and brought in different skills of doing garden work from our native homes and community. Not only that, I have also learnt how to work in a team and its benefits. Our class teachers also use such time to advise us on how we can pursue our dreams without forgetting that agriculture is the backbone of our country South Sudan. The Head Teacher has excited and encouraged us to work hard in order to get the best harvest."
Tabani John Micheal, Agriculture Teacher:
"I joined IGBS in 2024 and was appointed the teacher in charge of agriculture because of the interest I showed in agricultural work. As a school, one of the strategies we have adopted to move the school towards sustainability is to engage in commercial agriculture where cash crops like coffee can be planted to supplement the food crops being grown. Income from the garden can supplement the donations the school is receiving from FIGS. Approximately one-and-a-half hectares of land has been cleared and each class has planted maize in their respective plots. The maize will be inter-cropped with coffee and oranges. Each class also has a vegetable garden where a variety of vegetables like eggplants, local greens, tomatoes and spinach are planted."
Gumengba, Secondary 4 Student:
"IGBS is a centre of learning for all aspects of life. The school garden has made me develop new skills like planting of maize in raw, and planting vegetables like eggplants and tomatoes which I didn’t know. The garden has helped me to transform my theoretical knowledge of agriculture in class into practice. Our agriculture teacher is always reminding us that garden work is where we learn practically. We normally interact freely and jointly do work in the garden which has enhanced peaceful co-existence among ourselves. I personally was happy that this time we are going to eat maize flour that we have produced locally within our school. I would wish that crops of high monetary value like rice, sunflowers and soya beans should be planted too. This will make our school become self-reliant. However, if modern agriculture could be adopted, it would take us to greater heights."
Catherine, Secondary 4 Student:
"IGBS has a vast agricultural land with fertile soil that is very productive. We have grabbed this chance by planting maize, bananas and vegetables like okra, tomatoes, spinach and eggplant. This will help the school reduce the cost of food and instead use the money to facilitate other activities. The vegetables will help in balancing our diet here at school. The skills I have learnt from school have enabled me to teach my mother back at home. This has made my family to have enough vegetables like tomatoes and eggplants that are sold to buy other home essentials like salt and soap."
