Malich school garden thrives amidst drought
Cooking is on the schedule and vegetables are grown in the garden. Thanks to the support from Erikshjälpen, the students at Karbururi Primary School can eat nutritious food despite the severe drought in northern Kenya.
Thirteen-year-old Malich Qalicha Tache is careful when she harvests cabbage from her school's vegetable patch. She knows the importance of eating nutritious food and has learned how best to grow it in the dry landscape. Knowledge that she shares with the other students at the school.
- We've always been taught to cook at school, but now we can do it with vegetables from our own vegetable garden - it's part of the curriculum," she says.
Malich harvests cabbage from the school's vegetable garden, which is then used in the school kitchen to provide the children with nutritious food. Photo: Teddy Alwala
Malich harvests cabbage from the school's vegetable garden, which is then used in the school kitchen to provide the children with nutritious food. Photo: Teddy Alwala
- We've always been taught to cook at school, but now we can do it with vegetables from our own vegetable garden - it's part of the curriculum
Climate change hits Marsabit hard
Marsabit is located in northern Kenya and about half a million people live in the district. Most of them make a living from livestock or agriculture and are used to droughts coming every year. However, due to climate change, droughts have become longer and more severe.
Livestock die. Crops fail. And families are left without income and food on the table. Right now, the food shortage in Marsabit is so severe that one in five children is suffering from acute malnutrition. In the midst of the worst drought in over 40 years, Malich has become a voice of hope and change at her school.
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More than just a nutritious school lunch
She takes the lead among her classmates when it's time for home economics and she spends many hours in the garden that the school has built with support from Erikshjälpen. It is with pride in her eyes that she looks out over all the vegetables grown there.
- In fact, students from other schools have visited us to look at it and people from the village have asked if they can buy spinach from us," says Malich.
Erikshjälpen works long-term in northern Kenya and an important part of the work is to help schools serve nutritious school lunches. By supporting the school garden at Karbururi Primary School, the students receive both vegetables for the food and training in cultivation techniques and nutrition.
School garden creates hope among students
The school garden also creates a more cohesive school community, with both boys and girls helping to keep it in order.
- We collect water and weed together and I also help to cook what we have grown," says Malich.
We need to eat healthy food in order to grow. If we also manage to grow a lot of vegetables, we might be able to sell some of them and buy school books.
Her plans for the future are big. Malich dreams of one day training as a nurse and continuing to spread knowledge about nutritious food.
- We need to eat healthy food in order to grow. If we also manage to grow a lot of vegetables, we might be able to sell some of them and buy school books.
Author: Johan Larsson
Photo: Teddy Alwala
Published: 10 November 2025
Listening