Piles of white stones dot carefully terraced hillsides. Each stone pile protects a tiny sapling. In three to five years, the saplings will grow into trees, eventually improving the condition of the soil, so that farmers can plant crops productively. As part of the project, the children are also maintaining greenhouses at their schools and planting gardens to provide vegetables for their community. Children Taking the Lead In Marquerivi, a unique community planning workshop also is taking place.
Children are the key participants while adults look on with curiosity.
While one boy carefully places little cut-out trees along a playground, another strings bits of wire representing electrical power from miniature rooftop to rooftop. Other children are working on paintings on the floor, drawing school buildings, parks, houses, latrines, playgrounds, and soccer areas. English, play in a park, have trees in my community, get to know other countries. At the end of the day, children prioritize the projects that they feel are most important and then present their model and action plan to the rest of the community. Ask PLAN and township Parents and other adults listen to the children, perhaps for the first time.