Unique Initiative of Kitchen Garden: Beldegi School Children Eating Vegetables They Grow in Mid-Day Meals

Raipur, Sept 2025 : Primary School Beldegi, located in Bagicha block of Jashpur district, has taken a unique initiative to bring fresh, nutritious, and healthy food to children’s plates. Now, the vegetables served in the mid-day meal come directly from the school’s kitchen garden, which is cultivated jointly by students and teachers.

Under the guidance of Head Teacher Alpha Kiran Minj and teacher Munu Ram, the school campus has been transformed into a vegetable garden. Here, crops like okra, tomatoes, brinjal, spinach, coriander, garlic, and peas are grown. Earlier, children also enjoyed fresh vegetables such as bottle gourd, pumpkin, bitter gourd, and ridge gourd from the same garden. The garden has been developed and maintained through the collective effort of teachers and students, while irrigation is supported by a submersible pump installed by the Panchayat.

Block Education Officer Sudarshan Patel said that Beldegi School has shown how determination and collective effort can make government schemes even more effective. Children are not only getting fresh, nutritious, and pure vegetables but are also learning the value of farming and labor. This initiative has now become a model for the entire block.

Through this effort, Beldegi School is setting an example not only in academics but also in promoting children’s health and self-reliance.