News
23 December 2021TİKA Built Training Greenhouses at Five High Schools in the South African Country of Lesotho
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) built training greenhouses with irrigation systems and provided the necessary equipment and consumables for five high schools in Lesotho.
The greenhouses built at Leribè High School, Boitelo High School, Ntloana Tsoana High School, Tsikoane High School, and Assumption High School, located in Leribè and Teyateyaneng, will provide income for these schools and contribute to the healthy diet of students. The greenhouses will have an important role in the achievement of Lesotho’s goal of adding agricultural training to the curriculum as a compulsory subject.
The greenhouses, which are expected to make a significant contribution to secondary education in Lesotho, were delivered with a ceremony held at Leribè High School. The ceremony was attended by the principals, teachers, and students of five high schools; 'Mamookho Phiri, Minister of Education of Lesotho; Abdulkadir Abukan, TİKA’s Program Coordinator in Pretoria; and local press members.
In their opening statements, the principals of high schools noted that the closing of borders compromised food security in the country and led many families to face hunger during the pandemic. They stated that in response to this situation, they attached importance to providing agricultural training at schools and ensuring food security. They added that the greenhouses provided an opportunity to give theoretical and applied training together and that the skills acquired there would make a significant contribution to the fight against poverty. They thanked Turkey, stating that more than 1500 students who had been going hungry to school due to the worsening economic situation of their families because of the pandemic would be able to eat better thanks to this School Nutrition Program.
'Mamookho Phiri, Minister of Education of Lesotho, also thanked TİKA. She stated that the problems faced during the pandemic helped them clarify their thoughts on adding agricultural training to the high school curriculum as a compulsory subject, and that they would implement this system in 2023. She said she was pleased with TİKA’s activities and hoped such activities would continue.
In his speech, Abdulkadir Abukan, TİKA’s Program Coordinator in Pretoria, noted that education is one of the most important sectors for the development of countries and that they would continue to develop education projects in line with the needs of countries.