Burkina Faso/Hauts-Bassins - Education: Dafinso bilingual elementary school cultivates knowledge and vegetables
Located 18 kilometers from Bobo-Dioulasso, Dafinso's bilingual elementary school stands out on several levels. In addition to teaching in French and Dioula, the school uses endogenous solutions to improve the diet of its pupils. Thanks to a nutritious garden, the school canteen is supplied with locally grown vegetables and cereals.
This garden, set in an area enclosed by a metal fence, covers 900 m², divided into several rectangular plots of land separated by well-kept paths. In May, cucumbers are at their peak of ripeness. "Inside the garden, we grow a variety of crops: cucumbers, beans, peanuts, sorrel, spinach, a few moringa plants, as well as leaves called borombourou and win-win in the local language", explains Rachelle Traoré Kam, director of the establishment. She points out that the primary beneficiaries of this initiative are the students. "The aim is to improve the school canteen. And if the harvest allows, we sell the surplus at the local market to generate savings and acquire teaching materials. Everyone is involved, including the pupils, teachers and partners, in particular the Parents' Association (APE) and the Association of Teaching Mothers", she adds.
The garden plays more than just a food role. It becomes an educational tool. "During geometry classes, we come to observe the dimensions of rectangles. In science, when we study seedlings or plant parts, students learn in the field", continues the headmistress. The school, faced with insect attacks on its crops, is considering the use of natural insecticides for the coming school year. "The first two productions didn't have any problems. I'm very satisfied, especially with the cucumber harvest, because it's our first attempt and it was successful", she confides enthusiastically.
For Tahirou Sanou, president of the Parents' Association (APE), the garden has a tangible impact on the children's diet. "The APE actively supports the garden: we took part in cutting out the plots. The children are motivated to work there, and their meals are now more varied and richer", he explains. However, irrigation remains a challenge. "We're asking for help from people of good will to improve access to water, especially during the dry season. This will enable the children to garden all year round without worry," he appeals.
Bilingual teaching
Dafinso elementary school has a bilingual curriculum. Classes are held in Dioula and French, but teaching begins in the mother tongue. The primary cycle lasts five years, compared with six in conventional schools. "From the first to the third year, teaching is mainly in Dioula. French is gradually introduced from the third year onwards. This enables the pupils to better understand the concepts and express themselves easily. They manage to compete with those in classic French-speaking schools," explains 3ᵉ year teacher Seydou Teignan. This Dafinso bilingual supervisor points out that, for the 2023/2024 year, the school has achieved a 100% success rate in the CEP. Writing and reading are administered in the language during the exam. Despite these results, some families remain skeptical, believing that French should be learned earlier. A challenge that the teaching team continues to meet with pedagogy and conviction.
An educational model presented to journalists
It was as part of a press caravan organized by the Club des journalistes et communicateurs pour la nutrition et la sécurité alimentaire (CJCN-SA), with the support of the German development cooperation, that the children were presented to the media.support from the German Cooperation, some twenty journalists from various media visited the nutrition garden at Dafinso bilingual elementary school. This immersion enabled them to discover endogenous solutions for combating malnutrition, implemented within an educational framework.
Through this initiative, the school shows that it is possible to combine learning, food security and the valorization of local resources. Dafinso's experience was much admired by journalists who witnessed the harvesting of vegetables on site. According to them, this example could inspire other schools in rural areas to improve student nutrition.
Source: lefaso.net/
