Jamaica 4-H Clubs condemns ‘plundering’ of school garden

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs, Dr Ronald Blake, has reacted angrily to reports of thieves invading and stealing produce from the Wakefield Primary School garden in Trelawny.

“It is most unfortunate to learn of this, and the Jamaica 4-H Clubs strongly condemns this brazen act,” Blake said.

The garden, which stands out among the top 10 4-H Clubs school gardens in the parish, was also recently hailed as part of a campaign for the ‘Best School Garden Project’.

It is reported that thieves thrashed the garden by stealing most of its crops, including cabbage, callaloo, sweet pepper and string beans, which were earmarked to be reaped by the school to assist its students, particularly those on the PATH Programme. The school remains closed due to the effects of the COVID-19 crisis.

“Like all the other school gardens islandwide, this garden assists the school in so many ways. School gardens, in general, form the main component of the National School Feeding Programme, assist agricultural and entrepreneurial projects for students, as well as to complement the training and recruiting of youth farmers across the island,” he added.

Natanish Hines, 4-H Clubs parish manager for Trelawny, also lamented the raid on the garden. “They took everything from the garden, as most crops were at the mature stage and ready to be reaped,” she said.

Noting the irony of the act, Blake also revealed that the Jamaica 4-H Clubs is working on an islandwide initiative to assist some of its clubbites with care packages, which would include produce from some school gardens as well as its training and productivity centres, located in 12 parishes.

The organisation, in its response, has pledged its support and will be assisting with the rebuilding of the garden.

“Through the 4-H network in the parish, we have reached out to the school and we will be assessing the damage left in the wake of this unscrupulous act. We are committing to the rebuilding of the fencing for the garden, as well as to contribute some inputs. We will also be assessing the possible acts of praedial larceny on other gardens across the island,” he said.

“At a time when the island is struggling with the effects of the COVID-19 virus, school gardens and family backyard gardens are necessary to ensure that we continue to have food security, while we navigate these challenging times,” Blake said.