Garden maintenance

At the Saint-Paul School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Leribe, Lesotho, the children take part in the upkeep of the educational plots with the help of Tsephane, the school’s farm manager, and the 6 young students under … Read More

At St Paul’s School for the Deaf, in Leribe, Lesotho, 6 young people are training on the educational farm set up in 2016 by The Ivory Foundation.Under the guidance of Tsephane, educational manager and head of cultivation, they have been … Read More

To ensure efficient plant production in their greenhouse, The Ivory Foundation provided Dawady Farm with a system of bottomless trays to be positioned on the ground, in trenches previously dug to retain soil moisture. This system increases nursery yields, compared … Read More

In 2024, The Ivory Foundation added Village Pilote to its seed production program in Senegal by installing a 200 m² greenhouse dedicated to the production of reproducible peasant seeds. The aim is to support young people in vulnerable situations by … Read More

Young deaf and hard-of-hearing farmers from Levi’s Nek have harvested part of their potato field. These vegetables will be added to the tomatoes, peppers and spinach harvested to fill the parcels of fresh vegetables distributed to the most vulnerable HIV-positive … Read More

Young deaf and hard-of-hearing people at Levi’s Nek farm have been able to harvest a large crop of tomatoes and peppers grown in their greenhouse.As part of the long-term partnership between the Farming our Future farm and the Levi’s Nek … Read More

Every day, the four women in charge of the Garden of Skills vegetable garden maintain the crops grown on this one-hectare plot of land. Transplanting, weeding, watering, hoeing, sowing… the tasks are many and varied, so as to make the … Read More

In 2024, The Ivory Foundation integrated Village Pilote into its seed production program in Senegal, installing a 200 m² greenhouse dedicated to the production of reproducible peasant seeds. Village Pilote is a Franco-Senegalese association created in 1994, which works to … Read More

Once the beds had been prepared, and the soil refined and weeded, the women of Roosboom set about preparing a typical bed, sown with carrots in rows close together, according to permaculture principles.In fact, we try to maximize production on … Read More

While the greenhouse is still under construction by the Lesotho team, a team of 4 women and 2 men from Roosboom set about installing the growing beds in the greenhouse, under the guidance of Sphephile and Fezile, who had come … Read More

In order to have a vegetable garden full of vegetables throughout the seasons, it’s crucial to have a well-organized nursery that regularly produces the plants needed to line the garden beds, in addition to the species planted directly in the … Read More

Once the greenhouse’s wooden poles and metal frame were in place, the sunshade fabric, which had been hand-sewn with a nylon cord, was positioned on the structure. A perimeter trench was then dug all around the greenhouse to bury the … Read More

To complete the nursery, additional seedlings have been placed in traditional seed trays.Regular watering is important to prevent them drying out too quickly.The children at Halfway House take on this task every day! A project undertaken by Designing Hope with … Read More

Once the nursery frame and internal grid had been installed, all that remained to be done was to fit a protective frame with a number of purposes:– Reduce the intensity of the sun’s rays, which are particularly hot in southern … Read More

At Roosboom, young plants have a number of enemies: the sun, lack of water and attacks by locusts and grasshoppers, which love young shoots… So we designed a system of bottomless trellises that has the advantage of drying out less … Read More

With the water reservoir just in place to collect water pumped from the ground by the Halfway house borehole, the plumber laid a large-diameter line from the borehole along the length of the greenhouse to install the drip system. 4 … Read More

After preparing the growing beds inside the greenhouse, the Roosboom team started working on the new plot of land recently made available to Halfway House by Roosboom Town Council. The humid summer is the ideal time to prepare the soil, … Read More

Young farmers from Levi’s Nek farm in Lesotho came to Roosboom to share their know-how and build a 200 m² greenhouse on the Halfway House site, similar to those they have already built on their own farm.Pine poles are set … Read More

Summer, which corresponds to the rainy season in southern Africa, is the ideal time to set up a fertiliser tree nursery. These trees have been chosen for their ability to fertilise the soil by producing nitrogen nodules at their roots, … Read More

Today, the CLAJE children took part in an insect hotel activity. After learning which insects use these shelters to spend the winter, such as ladybugs and solitary bees, they had the opportunity to fill the insect hotel already present in … Read More

In Dawady, a small town 1.5 hours by track from Tambacounda in eastern Senegal, the community garden set up in 2018 by The Ivory Foundation next to the local health center fulfills two objectives:It hosts 150 women in a large … Read More

The young residents of Levi’s Nek farm have begun installing automatic watering systems in the greenhouses. An initial large-diameter tube was connected to the water tower running along the side of the 2 greenhouses. Pre-drilled pipes were then drawn from … Read More

If there’s one vegetable that amazes children in the Traversine Bercy vegetable garden, it’s the Blauhilde bean from our seed partner : Agrosemens.And yes, this pole bean, which looks so good on our pergola, isn’t green, it’s purple!Its long pods … Read More

Despite a gloomy summer, growing on a roof terrace has the great advantage of capturing 100% of the sun’s rays.So, even if the sun only shows its nose for an hour a day, or plays hide-and-seek with the clouds, its … Read More

The women in charge of the vegetable garden at the Garden of Skills in Malanti, Eswatini, work their beds according to the principle of crop associations.In this way, the beds are never empty, crops are harvested according to kitchen needs, … Read More

The “wintering” period is not the most favorable for seed production, with its heavy rains favoring the development of diseases such as mildew.Abdhouramane, the man in charge of the Bala garden, has nevertheless maintained a varied production during this period, … Read More

In Roosboom, the spring rains are a long time coming.The gardener at Halfway House had to fetch water from the river in cans to water the garden.Water shortages are frequent in the township, putting the garden at risk.

In Dawady, eastern Senegal, the community garden installed by The Ivory Foundation next to the health center is coming back to life after the well was overburdened.As the water level had dropped, the well had to be deepened by a … Read More

To enable schoolchildren to observe vegetables throughout their life cycle,we resist the pleasure of tasting them, to let them go to seed…The artichoke in the center of the vegetable garden’s large star-shaped tub revealed a magnificent blue flower, attracting bees … Read More

On the roof terrace of the Bercy school, space is limited… As a result, the planters are never empty!After removing the tomato plants, they were replaced by celery plants grown in the greenhouse.They will finish growing before winter arrives…

The women in charge of the garden and the gardener at Halfway House are preparing for the arrival of spring!The cold, dry southern winter will give way to the temperate, rainy summer season, ideal for planting new crops.The beds are … Read More

Every week, the children of Roosboom take part in the upkeep of the Roosboom vegetable garden, helping the women and the center’s gardener with watering, sowing, planting and harvesting the vegetables that will end up on their plates!A daily meal … Read More

The tomatoes sown by the children of the Bercy school before the arrival of spring have blossomed in the Traversine kitchen garden!Elongated tomatoes, beef hearts, cherry tomatoes – we chose a variety of varieties, and they all flourished during the … Read More

As the school year draws to a close, the children took part in a final harvest in the Traversine Bercy garden.Strawberries, radishes, turnips, the first cherry tomatoes and a sprig of lavender…The children were delighted to see their efforts in … Read More

It’s Friday, the last day of the week before the weekend! So it’s time for some special care for the garden, which will spend the weekend on its own. The children from the Bercy school helped us to water and … Read More

The tomatoes sown with the children from the Bercy elementary and nursery schools were able to be transplanted into the greenhouse and benefit from the ideal sunshine of the school’s roof terrace. Since they were placed in the tubs, they … Read More

This Wednesday, exceptionally, we only had one pupil from Bercy elementary school, as the children were on a field trip. She was very committed and helped us water, weed and take care of the garden. We’re particularly pleased with the … Read More

To reduce the weight of the planters, dead leaves from the schoolyard were collected and composted over a period of 2 years and placed at the bottom of the planter to create a rich, light substrate before planting the soil. … Read More

A new stage in the construction of the garden at the Traversine Bercy, with the installation of the herb garden. The little gardeners from the Bercy nursery helped to fill the containers, and had the pleasure of transplanting sage, chives, … Read More

In anticipation of the Traversine’s return to the school’s roof terrace, seedlings were sown in class with the children from the Bercy nursery school.This gave them a heated space in which to grow. To ensure that they continue to grow, … Read More

This Wednesday afternoon, the children from the Paris Anim centre (CLAJE) came to the Traversine de Villiot garden for a sowing activity. We provided them with mini greenhouses, composed of a equipped with a water reserve, a seedling tray and … Read More

The children at Bercy primary schools planted tomatoes, okra, cowpeas and kale. They have completed four mini greenhouses, each with two different varieties to diversify the planting. Their mission is not just a one-off one, but a recurring one, as … Read More

This December, despite the cold, the kindergarten children planted broad bean and pea seeds, which are particularly suited to the winter season.These seeds are ideal for very young children, as they are easy to handle, given their size.After planting the … Read More

Broad beans are one of the few crops that have to be sown in late autumn.Their large seeds are easy for the children to plant, and in a few days they will be able to see the shoots emerge…Another advantage … Read More

To carry out a test protocol on seeds to ensure that they have retained their germinative germinative properties, you can work on twenty seeds, sown in pots. The seed packets and plates are identified. All the seeds with a good germination rate can then be sown immediately on a … Read More

Gardeners at the Yagma school have set up a nursery using seeds supplied by Agrosemens. The seeds are intended for seed production, according to a protocol developed during regional training organised by The Ivory Foundation with its seed partner Agrosemens in Senegal. The seedlings were … Read More

The women at the Garden of Skills love strawberries, and strawberries really thrive in Eswatini…The small plot dedicated to this crop has been considerably enlarged, thanks to the collection of runners and their transplanting onto new plots. These strawberries are … Read More

Nomvula, head of cultivation at the Garden of Skills in Malanti, harvests carrots to unthicken her beds, entrusting part of the harvest to a disadvantaged young person from the community of Malanti, who receives regular help from the association with donations of … Read More

The mandala in the Garden of Skills is located at the entrance to the garden, near the kitchen. It includes a sample of the crops grown in the kitchen garden: shallots, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, etc.

The strawberries love the Garden of Skills just as much as the women in the garden love the strawberries…Just the thing… The plants have produced a huge number of runners, which the women have taken care to transplant onto new … Read More

As part of the seed production project launched in West Africa by The Ivory Foundation in collaboration with Agrosemens, Abdourahmane, the gardener at the Bala seed farm, is currently transplanting courgettes into beds in the seed greenhouse. Courgettes are preferred … Read More

At Bala, Abdourahmane has set up a variety of crops. Two varieties of basil are grown for seed production. One is in flower and will soon be producing seeds. Okra will also be harvested once the fruit has ripened for … Read More

At Bala, gardener Abdourahmane has planted a variety of local crops, including okra, chilli peppers and cassava.

Twice a week, children from the Villiot nursery help to maintain the garden. After enriching the compost with peelings from their canteen, they help to water the vegetable garden.

The Yagma garden team prepared courgette and maize beds before the onset of the rainy season. Maize requires a lot of water, so this season is ideal for planting and growing it. Its rapid growth will enable it to be … Read More

The women in charge of the Garden of Skills at Malanti in Eswatini are preparing the selection of seeds that they will put into pots in the greenhouse. It’s a painstaking task, so as not to waste this precious resource … Read More

This Friday, the children of the elementary school of Bercy planted strawberry plants on the vertical wall of the garden of the Traversine of Bercy. They particularly enjoyed this activity which signs the return of spring!

Sweet potatoes at the Garden of Skills, Malanti, Eswatini The sweet potato is very popular in Eswatini, and is also suitable for sloping ground as it produces abundant creeping foliage. After each harvest, the women take cuttings from the harvested … Read More

Every day, the children of the inclusive school of the Petits Princes in Rufisque, accompanied by their teachers and Joseph,  the person in charge of the garden, take part in the watering and maintenance of the planters.

 Every Wednesday and Friday morning, children from the Villiot collective crèche spend an hour in the Traversine-Villiot garden. The children come with some vegetable waste from the crèche kitchen and put it in our compost, along with dead leaves collected … Read More

During the seed training course organised by The Ivory Foundation and Agrosemence, the women from the Dawady vegetable garden were given advice on maintaining their collective garden: watering, hoeing the plots, treating diseases with natural treatments such as neem oil. … Read More

The Nobadane seed farm is one of three seed production sites operated by Apaf in collaboration with The Ivory Foundation and Agrosemence. It includes a greenhouse and outdoor section where onions are grown for seed production. The greenhouse has been … Read More

As part of the seed project involving Agrosemens, APAF and The Ivory Foundation, a new greenhouse has been set up at Sandiara to complete the production system, giving priority to one variety per species at each site, in order to limit … Read More

The Ivory Foundation, in partnership with the French seed company Agrosemensand APAF Senegal to encourage the production of reproducible organic seeds adapted to both climatic conditions and the local market, while developing, with the expertise of Agrosemens, accessible tutorials adapted to … Read More

With the children of the center Paris Anim’ (CLAJE), we collected the topinamburs (or Jerusalem artichokes) of the garden of Traversine-Villiot. They were each able to leave with a bag of several topinamburs that they had collected themselves. We prepared … Read More

Every day, the women in charge of the vegetable garden harvest fresh vegetables in order to make balanced meals for the women in training at the Garden of Skills. Designing Hope takes advantage of these training moments to promote balanced … Read More

To mark the end of autumn and to brighten up the garden, the children of the elementary schools of Bercy helped the team of Dessine l’Espoir to collect the leaves of the garden of Traversine-Bercy in Paris.  They put them … Read More

In the agroforestry garden of the Yagma school, located on the outskirts of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, the students are involved in the daily maintenance of the vegetable garden.  This garden, set up on a real wasteland with the support … Read More

The sweet potato is very popular in Eswatini, and is also suitable for sloping ground as it produces abundant creeping foliage. After each harvest, the women take cuttings from the harvested sweet potato stalks and transplant them to new beds. 

Peppers are particularly popular in Eswatini in the local cuisine.  The harvested fruits are small but very flavourful, and will enhance the meal served daily at the Garden of Knowledge. 

In the vegetable garden of the Garden of Skills, nothing is lost!  When the women thin the carrots to encourage their growth, the young shoots are collected and cooked for the daily meal offered to the women in training.  The … Read More

Deaf and hard-of-hearing youngsters from St Monica’s farm water the keyhole. The Keyhole is a traditional garden from Lesotho. So it was very important that the garden at St Monica’s should also have this high circular vegetable garden. The perimeter … Read More

With the children of the nursery of Villiot, we planted bulbs of tulip all around the kiosk of the garden of the Traversine Villiot. The children put the bulb in each hole and then covered it with soil before watering … Read More

At St Monica’s farm, the youngsters look after the crops, chickens and sheep.

The harvest of vegetables realized at the beginning of November in the garden allowed us to organize a meal in the garden of the residence Villiot-Râpée, in the presence of all the actors who interact regularly with the garden. The … Read More

Even in November, it is still time to sow some seeds… and it is what the children of the nursery school of Bercy did!  Hoping that the first sprouts will survive the cold winter, the children sowed yellow turnips, lettuce, … Read More

Every day, the children look after the vegetable garden at Roosboom, helping the women in particular with watering and tending the beds. The cabbages and spinach are harvested to accompany the meals served daily at Half Way House.

The children of the primary schools of Bercy helped us to transplant in the playground’s garden the spinach which proliferated in the Garden of the Traversine-Villiot.  After digging holes in the enriched soil trays, the children planted the spinach plants … Read More

In October, it is still time to sow parsley, it is what we made with the children of the primary schools of Bercy.  In the school’s containers, which had been prepared with fertile soil, the children delicately sowed parsley seeds. The … Read More

On the roof terrace of the inclusive school of the Petits Princes in Rufisque, the garden developed by Designing Hope welcomes the children every week for a moment of active recreation, dedicated to the maintenance of the garden.Watering is essential … Read More

In the garden of the Traversine Villiot, our cauliflower, after having formed a compact vegetable, continued its growth. To the astonishment of the children, it has grown new stems. This is what we call the process of going to seed … Read More

The seedlings prepared by Abdourhamane, the head gardener of the Bala garden, are a success! The shoots of the different varieties of tomatoes and aubergines have emerged from the plates with a very satisfactory germination rate. As part of the … Read More

It is autumn, it is time to enrich and to refill the tubs of the mandala and the Keyhole of the garden of the Traversine Bercy in order to prepare the tubs to welcome new cultures. The bins have been … Read More

Set up in 2021 with the children and young people of the St Paul’s School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Leribe, Lesotho, the Palesa garden (Palesa means flower in Sotho, the language of Lesotho) is providing a … Read More

The Ivory Foundation has developed a reproductive seed production project in Senegal with the organic seed company Agrosemens. The Bala medical centre in eastern Senegal, near Tambacounda, is one of the pilot sites associated with this initiative. Abdourhamane, head of … Read More

A large 10-cubic-meter tank has been installed in the garden, fed by water from a nearby river. While waiting for the installation of a drip irrigation system, the women take care of watering the plots every morning, especially during the … Read More

For its first summer, the garden of the Traversine Villiot is blooming and gave many vegetables. Potatoes, leeks, cauliflower, spinach, celery, Jerusalem artichokes, squash, beets, cucumbers and different varieties of tomatoes are growing and ripening in this garden in the … Read More

The Malanti garden was built on the principle of permaculture with 80 cm wide plots on which the women grow vegetables in association in fairly dense plots. Densifying the crops allows them to limit water consumption. To prepare and maintain … Read More

When preparing the beds with the “Campagnole”, the soil is enriched by sprinkling a mixture of biochar and compost on the surface. The Campagnole will then mix this input deep into the cultivated plots. Biochar is a natural fertilizer produced … Read More

The vegetable garden at St. Monica’s Farm was built on the principle of permaculture, with 80 cm wide raised beds on which the young deaf and hard-of-hearing gardeners grow vegetables quite densely, combining varieties that are compatible in terms of … Read More

The women use natural fertilizers such as compost, manure and biochar produced locally with the support of The Ivory Foundation to enrich the crop beds in the Garden of Skills. Grass, previously cut on the ground and then dried, is … Read More

Today, the women of the Garden of Skills planted peppers, beets, lettuce and spinach on the beds of the “Teenji” (Teen G for youth garden), the garden in front of the workshop, half of which is used for educational activities … Read More

The women of the Garden of Skills harvested Jugo Beans which they then prepared with a traditional recipe. Jugo beans are beans grown in Eswatini and have a taste similar to peanuts. Once cooked in water they are ready to … Read More

The women in charge of the maintenance of the Garden of Skills have begun harvesting the sweet potatoes planted a few months earlier on one of the first plots of land set up on the new Malanti site.

After having followed the training in agroecological techniques at the Yagma garden, the women started their own vegetable garden, either in the open ground or above ground, depending on the size of their plot. One and a half months later, … Read More

Six young people maintain the Palesa Garden, the circular vegetable garden created for the children of the St Paul’s School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The garden is divided into four sections, each of which is available to … Read More

A system of interlocking trays developed by Designing Hope was entrusted to the women of Malanti to optimize their plant production. This durable and resistant system avoids the use of disposable cups, which are difficult to find locally.

The children from the nursery were introduced to gardening at the Villiot garden by planting onion and oca bulbs on the earth beds that form the mandala. In the holes dug with their little shovels, they put potting soil to … Read More

For the women who have a large enough plot of land to start production in the open ground, the fourth day of training was devoted to the creation of growing beds. 19 women attended this session. Using the Yagma garden … Read More

In the bioclimatic greenhouse of the Grand Potager (Domaine de Fontenille), the Lauris preschool children realized seedlings. They filled their little cardboard pot with potting soil, then packed the soil. When the soil is almost at the top of the … Read More

Thanks to the maintenance of the Yagma garden by the gardener and the young volunteers, the production of crops is regular and allows a rotation of the cultivated species. Indeed, the tomato, the local aubergine and the cabbage have come … Read More

In order to facilitate the maintenance of the garden and to limit to the maximum the return of the weeds, we applied the technique of the vegetable ground cover to the garden of Villiot. Along the path surrounding the circular … Read More

The development of the Malanti field is ongoing and the plantations begin with sweet potatoes! This species is particularly well adapted to the landscape of small mountains and hills with rocks in Eswatini, as well as its tropical climate. The … Read More

In this video, Emile shows us an example of a beneficial crop combination in the Grand Potager de Fontenille, in the Luberon. Here, the cultivation mound is composed of white onions associated with savoy cabbage. This combination of alliums and … Read More

Little demonstration of sowing at the Grand Potager of Fontenille, in the Luberon. On prepared ridges of 80cm wide, Mael , the head of cultivation in the vegetable garden, uses the single-row precision seed drill for a new row of … Read More

The 6 young deaf and hard of hearing people manage the Saint Monica Educational Farm in Leribe, Lesotho, funded by The Ivory Foundation in 2019. Within a year they have structured a wasteland into a fertile and productive plot of … Read More

The last tomatoes have been harvested in the Grand Potager while the autumn vegetable plants make their appearance on the growing beds. Chard and young mustard shoots develop well. During this season, it is also the occasion to harvest the … Read More

Between flowers and vegetables, the harvest was fruitful and colorful at the Grand Potager de Fontenille! We have squashes, eggplants, peppers of all sizes and shapes. Enough to prepare good meals for the coming weeks.

Summer has arrived at the Traversine! It is manifested by the strong presence of the sun and its warmth. A perfect setting for the growth of plants grown in the garden, as long as they are watered properly. It is … Read More

In the agroforestry garden at the Yagma school on the outskirts of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, students are involved in its maintenance. Indeed, they prepare cultivation beds that will contribute to the improvement of their daily meals. This garden, set … Read More

Every morning and every evening, Yagma students take part in watering the garden. Since the well installed by The Ivory Foundation and Energies sans Frontières is in operation, the water problems have been greatly reduced and the garden is in … Read More

This winter, La Traversine harvests seasonal vegetables … The “Jerusalem artichokes” gave us the idea of an animation with kindergarten students … After the harvest, we organize a tasting in class, without forgetting to recover the peelings to try with … Read More

The first harvest of peppers from the Macambeni Garden was offered to the Macambeni day care center in charge of the neighborhood orphans. Designing Hope and Fundzisa Live started the Macambeni garden with 2 objectives: – Provide vegetable for the … Read More

In order to quickly produce vegetables in the garden, a nursery has been set up in the office of Fundzisa Live Association, located near Macambeni. The plants can be grown with better control of the watering needs, and with better … Read More

Small tour of the garden with the children of the halfway house in Roosboom. The children water the plots and harvest spinach that will complement the lunch that will be served to them.

On the occasion of the agroforestry training given by APAF in May 2017, a visit was organized to Ladysmith. The children of the Halfway House of Roosboom have set up a nursery and sowed the seeds of fertilizer trees given … Read More

Today, the children take care of the chicken coop. The chickens have started laying this week ! The manure and straw are used for incorporation into the compost and enrich the garden.

Several strawberry varieties have been planted on the Grand Potager, as well as berries (raspberries, blackcurrants, currants, blackberries …)

Chaya is a plant of Central America similar to spinach. Chaya is easy to grow in temperate climate. It is tolerant to heavy rain and drought. Propagation can be done easily by cutting 20cm of the stems and planting them … Read More

Following the training given in 2016, the garden of Leribe is flourishing. With the help of the youth, the gardener Leepa, has multiplied the plots of cultivation, and the harvests are here.

The seeds of fertilizer trees are covered with a natural coat which protects them but which also slows down the germination process. Some seeds require a scarification, which breaks this protective envelope. The seeds of moringa or gliricidia require only … Read More

Preparation of winter seedlings in plastic buckets. The seedlings will then be placed on the garden beds.

Fundzisa Live’s garden now hosts the nursery that supplies the various gardens around Piggs Peak Macambeni Garden, Piggs Peak Hospital Garden, and the school gardens, in addition to the local nurseries allready in place in each school. The seedlings are … Read More

The children of the Half Way House take regularly care of the garden, watering the plants, and ensuring the maintenance of the beds, the management of the weeds etc … It is an opportunity for them to acquire the practical … Read More

The children harvested the seeds of chard ribs which they let grow seeds in the garden. These non-hybrid biological seeds can be reproduced.

In Piggs Peak, at Fundzisa Live’s garden, the women in charge of Designing Hope’s Garden Project harvest seeds after each season. They keep the best lettuces for instance, let them grow and then move them out of the garden bed … Read More

Children can enjoy every day a hot meal that uses some fresh vegetables they grow in the pilot garden.

During the few hours they spend daily at the Roosboom halfway House, the children work in groups in the garden and are in charge of its maintenance. During the winter season, crops are limited, and cabbage is the plant that … Read More