December 2025
How school gardens and green schools promote smarter learning and healthier villages.
In the mountain villages of Haku, located in the lower Himalayas, communities face major challenges. Earthquakes and mudslides have severely affected these villages and disrupted the lives of their inhabitants. Many people moved away from the villages and those who remained struggled to make a living.
With BIKAS, we have already realised several projects in these remote mountain villages.
Shortly after the major earthquake of 2015, construction kits for earthquake-resistant homes were delivered, small schools with toilets were built in three villages, sewing machines were delivered, adapted school furniture was made, classrooms and a boarding school were refurbished, etc. All this was done in consultation with the local community and with their contribution.
For several years now, BIKAS has been working here with the local NGO CEPP, Centre for Educational Policies and Practices.
For CEPP, an organisation that initially focused exclusively on improving education in village schools, it became clear that tackling the ecological problems was essential.
CEPP decided it was time for something new.
It is not only important for young people to learn arithmetic and writing, but also to learn about nature, which is so vulnerable here.
This project, combining ecology and education, started four years ago in four Haku villages and was later expanded to six villages. The school became the central location for this practical approach. Collaboration with local authorities and the involvement of both teachers and parents were also important.
From blackboard to vegetable garden:
It started with a simple idea: if children learn to garden, they learn to understand how nature works and, at the same time, they start eating healthier.
A nursery was set up near the school, centrally located in the villages. Young plants were grown there and a vegetable garden was created where pupils from the nearby school could learn and practise gardening. They did so with great enthusiasm.
Because some of the neighbouring schools had little space and the nursery was a bit too far away, small experimental gardens were also created in the villages themselves, close to the schools.
The vegetable gardens full of fruit and vegetables became natural learning environments, while the children's nutrition improved.
The teachers received training and ideas on how to incorporate ecology into their lessons. It did not become an extra subject but was simply included in the daily teaching. In this way, environmental awareness became an integral part of their curriculum. Teachers became green guides. They took their students outside and taught them in nature.
The gardens quickly spread from schools to families. The central nursery garden served not only the schools but also the villagers, who could learn how to garden properly at home. Each village was assigned a pair of green volunteers who received regular training and who, in turn, spread the knowledge they had acquired throughout their village.
The number of gardens increased and now, after almost four years, more than 50% of families have their own vegetable garden. Fresh vegetables can be found in the villages in every season of the year.
Where people used to buy fruit and vegetables at the market, they now grow them themselves on a large scale. In addition, they now have a much greater variety than ever before. They grow carrots, beans, onions, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, cucumbers, turnips, kiwis, papayas, mangoes, apples, pears, apricots, and more. There is something tasty and healthy for everyone. A few parents did so well that they were able to sell part of their harvest at the market. Extra income and pride!
The impact of the project is remarkable.
The villages became greener and cleaner. The villagers regularly mobilise to clean the paths and weed the gardens together with the pupils and teachers. People have planted fruit trees and learned about new crops. Harvesting lots of fruit and vegetables has enriched their eating habits.
At the same time, the pupils' learning performance is improving because they are actively learning in an engaging way. In addition to traditional lessons, they are now also learning how to grow nutritious plants.
The entire project is bearing fruit, both literally and figuratively.
Although displacement continues, some households are returning to their villages.
The project shows that learning about nature is not only good for the mind, but also beneficial for the body and the community.
BIKAS therefore wants to continue this sustainable project together with CEPP.
Combining ecological practices with school education guarantees a double benefit. Not only does it improve education, but it also provides children with essential ecological knowledge from an early age. This approach is much more than just learning.
Focusing on nature and food production mobilises not only the school but the entire community.
Horticulture offers a different perspective than what people are used to working with in schools. In addition to the direct health benefits for the villagers, it also provides an opportunity for extra income. It also teaches people to take climate change into account and forces them to think in the longer term.
In the future, CEPP wants to provide even more training for teachers and villagers. The aim is to encourage greater involvement from parents and to teach even more outside the classroom.
If children learn from an early age how to live in harmony with nature, they will help build a resilient and sustainable future.
Every week, we receive an update with photos and explanations of what is happening in the Haku villages.
It is always impressive to see what they are doing.
From 24 to 27 November 2025, the international conference and workshops TARASA25 took place in Vientiane (Laos). The conference focused on the transition to agroecological and regenerative agriculture.
The event aimed to bring together thinkers and doers from across Asia and the Pacific Islands to work towards a future in which agriculture not only feeds but also restores.
Possible adjustments to food systems were discussed, as were increasing ecological problems.
Two CEPP employees were invited to participate in this conference. The Haku project was presented with images and explanations and was very well received. The fact that people are returning to the villages was seen as particularly positive.
It is good to know that this project, to which BIKAS contributes, was present at this major conference.
What started with seeds and small plants has now grown into bushes or trees bearing tasty and nutritious fruit. We have watched them grow, with the necessary care, and are now reaping the rewards.
If you support this project and would like to contribute, you can do so by transferring funds to the BIKAS account number BE32 2200 7878 0002, stating “HAKU”.
Betty Moureaux
Chairwoman of BIKAS