Iron Rich Beans and School Gardens Project

Iron Rich Beans & School Gardens Project – Cultivating Nutrition, Education, and Opportunity

In Karamoja, poor soils, unpredictable weather, and limited access to nutritious food undermine children’s health and school performance. Many learners come to class hungry, their concentration dwindling before the day is over. The Iron Rich Beans & School Gardens Project, implemented by the Karamoja Peace and Development Agency (KAPDA) with support from the Stromme Foundation, is changing that narrative—one school at a time.

What We Do

We partner with primary schools to integrate nutrition-focused agriculture into the school environment, turning idle land into productive learning spaces. Through this project, pupils, teachers, and community members work together to:

Establish and maintain school gardens growing vegetables such as spinach, cowpeas, tomatoes, and onions.
Introduce iron-rich beans (Neroca 2), combating iron deficiency and improving children’s nutrition.
Train learners in sustainable farming, irrigation, and soil management techniques.
Use harvests to supplement school meals, improve pupil health, and reduce absenteeism.
Sell surplus produce to generate income for scholastic materials and garden expansion.

Our Impact

Improved school attendance and completion rates, especially among girls, due to better health and reduced hunger.
Increased dietary diversity, ensuring children receive vital nutrients for growth and learning.
Strengthened life skills as pupils learn farming, teamwork, and small-scale business management.
Greater parental involvement in education through community-supported garden activities.

Stories of Change

At Morukori Primary School, the Bonga Club transformed a small vegetable plot into a 2-hectare iron-rich bean farm. Despite poor soils and a late planting season, they harvested over four bags of beans—three were consumed in school meals, improving student energy and focus, while the rest was saved for replanting. Teachers report a visible drop in absenteeism, and girls now feel more motivated to stay in school.