Community Cultivates Change Through Urban Farming at Brook Hills

by Marc Francis, Middle School Teacher & Project Coordinator 

Last Saturday marked the completion of the final stage of the Urban Farming program at Brook Hills—a year-long initiative that began last summer and has involved every part of our school community.

Thanks to the Iftar group and last year’s Primary Years Program Exhibition, the community is benefitting from a new 10,000-litre water tank , providing free water each week for the children at Brook Hills. Originally used for showers, this resource has also enabled the creation of a thriving vegetable garden, which was established with Grade 6 students during this year’s Week Without Walls. The garden has flourished, already providing food for the 84 children on seven occasions.

Building on this success, generous staff members from the High School and Middle School donated materials to construct a chicken coop. Last Saturday, a group of teachers and staff spent the day at Brook Hills, working tirelessly to bring this project to life. Some engaged with the children, while others took on the physically demanding task of building the coop.

ICS staff volunteers worked with Ethiopia’s notoriously tough timber, corrugated iron sheets for the walls and roof for the night area, and metal grates and chicken wire for the day area. Construction proved to be a challenging task, requiring innovative techniques, teamwork, and perseverance. The team successfully assembled a sturdy and spacious coop, ensuring the chickens would have a safe and comfortable home.

Today, 20 chickens now call Brook Hills home, laying between 15–20 eggs a day. Previously, eggs were a rare treat for these children, reserved for special occasions like Easter or Christmas. Now, they are part of their daily diet. To sustain this initiative, Middle School students who run the fizzy drinks stall at the PTO’s Community Market have committed to using a percentage of their profits to cover the cost of specialized chicken feed each month, ensuring Brook Hills doesn’t bear the financial burden.

While this phase of the project is complete, our Brook Hills Wellness Program is just beginning. On 10 April, all 84 children will visit ICS for a health and nutrition session led by the ICS Health Office. They will also receive the first of two doses of anti-parasite and deworming medication to maximize the nutritional benefits of the farming program.

Additionally, thanks to generous donations from teachers and the wider school community, each child will receive an Easter Eagles gift—including new shoes, coats, and small essentials to prepare them for the rainy season.

This project is a testament to the power of the ICS community, from parents, teachers, ES, MS, HS and our employees, who all have played a crucial part in making this the success it has been.