Kamil Muslim College in Yalalevu, Ba, is leading an initiative to support the local community with fresh leafy vegetables through the establishment of nurseries and the sale of produce.
Assistant mathematics and physics teacher Rinal Prasad explained that this initiative will also generate income for the school.
“Our vision is to make Kamil Muslim College a sustainability hub. We are planning to undertake various green projects. Previously, we have implemented a Bio duster and installed both on-grid and off-grid solar panels,” he said.
The school has already installed hydroponic systems, and Mr. Prasad mentioned that they have expanded their beehive farm and plan to use hydroponics to provide fresh leafy vegetables to students and nearby communities. With more than 5,000 people living nearby, the school aims to expand the hydroponics initiative further.
Long-term plans include scaling up to approximately 400 plants per month. “We intend to purchase the remaining seedlings from Go Global, where prices range from 15 to 20 cents per seedling. Once the lettuce or other vegetables are ready, we plan to sell them for $2 to $2.50 each, depending on size,” he said.
He outlined numerous advantages of the initiative. Despite the high initial setup cost, the process becomes easier and more beneficial over time. Using nutrient-based water and operating without soil, their hydroponics falls under horticulture, specifically a subset of hydroculture they are engaged in. The school has started with lettuce and plans to cultivate cabbage and other vegetables like coriander.