SHILLONG: The villagers of Mulum in West Jaintia Hills have embarked upon a noble endeavor of getting their children “connected to nature”.
The students of three schools in the village, which has a population of just over 800, are being given gardening and agriculture lessons to make them aware of their source of food and inculcate that their well being depends upon the well being of nature.
The initiative, the villagers say, has also been taken to teach the students how to integrate the various subjects that they learn in school with their day to day activities.
The villagers along with the Bock Development Officer of the area, L. Tariang took the initiative of coming up with a school garden.
They also partnered with NESFAS to understand the importance of school gardens and the children were taught and guided by members of the village executive committee on how to cultivate vegetables.
The school garden was implemented at Lower Primary School, Mulum under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MGNREGS).
The school had no space for a garden and land was filled up to make space for one.
This initiative, says a VEC member, is bound to have a positive impact on student achievement and social behaviour.
