Parkside Primary School recently received a green facelift with the help of garden enthusiast Renay Kelly Smith, who belongs to the gardening club, Anything Garden.
Smith spent a month and a half working on the garden, with the hopes that this space of greenery will bring hope and joy to the school amid its challenging surroundings within one of the most financially constrained communities in the city.
Gardens provide pupils with educational tools, teaching sustainability, agriculture, environmental stewardship, and foster a sense of responsibility and teamwork, while also enhancing the school’s aesthetic environment.
By creating a space where pupils can grow their own food or learn about flora, these gardens can help combat food insecurity, promote healthy eating habits, and empower pupils with life skills that extend beyond the classroom.
“I have lived in Pefferville my whole life. I was the head girl in 1982. I spent time driving around the township and I saw the scene in front of the school was not pleasing, so I decided to do something about it. I approached the principal and as soon as I got the go ahead, I got started,” Smith said.
The talented gardener included blocks, cement and various low maintenance succulent plants, including snake plants, aloes, bromeliaceae and crab-apples.
“I am happy with how the garden turned out. Even when I was busy building it, people in the community who were passing by would comment and say that they would pay to have their wedding pictures taken in the garden. People need positivity and I hope and it will lift their spirits,” Smith said.
School principal Lizelle Abrahams said the garden had not only made the school more beautiful, but it had also created a place of peace.
“The garden will teach our pupils that no matter where you live, a simple garden can give you so much hope and can make a change in the community.
“We also see pupils taking care of the garden, watering the plants and taking out the weeds without anyone telling them to do so.
“Smith has created a calming space for our pupils, teachers and support staff. We cannot wait to see what she has planned next,” Abrahams said.
