Kamil Muslim College in Yalalevu, Ba, is leading an initiative to assist the local community by growing and selling fresh leafy vegetables through established nurseries.
Assistant mathematics and physics teacher Rinal Prasad noted that this project will also generate income for the school.
“Our vision is to transform Kamil Muslim College into a sustainability hub. We aim to embark on 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.
“We have expanded our beehive farm and now plan to use hydroponics to provide fresh leafy vegetables to students and the surrounding communities. With more than 5000 nearby residents, we plan to expand this hydroponics initiative,” he said.
Long-term plans include scaling up to approximately 400 plants per month.
“We plan 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 aim to sell them for $2 to $2.50 each, depending on size,” he added.
“There are many advantages. Although the initial setup cost is high, it becomes more manageable and beneficial over time. We use nutrient-based water and operate without soil, utilizing hydroponics. This falls under horticulture and is a subset of hydroculture that we are involved in. We have started with lettuce and plan to cultivate cabbage and other vegetables like coriander.”
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