Easier access to various micronutrients needed to meet Nutritionists recommended proper nutrition standards for healthy child growth is story of the past at Pokane Lesotho Evangelical of Southern Africa (LECSA) primary school following suspension of the school vegetable production project.

In an interview with the Agency, the Acting Principal at Pokane LECSA primary school Mrs. Makeketso Ntho said suspension of the vegetable project follows blown-off and destroyed school greenhouse by strong winds that also left many households homeless in Pokane area.

She stated that the greenhouse played a vital role in production of various vegetables that were cooked for the children on some days of the week to change pulses that provide protein, thus children were able to get starch, protein and micronutrients from different vegetables needed by their bodies from school feeding. Mrs. Ntho further said the project also generated income from sale of the vegetables to undertake other school businesses such as procurement of sanitary pads for girls and school shoes and uniforms for some vulnerable children including toiletry.

The Acting school principal said to repair the torn green house when it was blown-off by strong winds, the school has bought a thread for sowing the destroyed greenhouse and has planned to convene parents ‘meeting to plan how they could rotate on different dates by their respective villages and repair the greenhouse.

She further said the greenhouse donated by World Vision –Lesotho in 2019 played a vital role in production of that played an important role production of vegetable despite different challenges posed by weather change such as hail storms, heavy rain and extreme heat from the sun. The Vegetables produced from a greenhouse included, rape, spinach, beetroot, carrots.

The school also has fruit trees for production of fruits that include apples and peaches to the school children.  The school has a roll of more than 150 pupils comprising boys and girls. This LECSA Church school was established in 1935. Pokane area has more than 10 villages that include Ha-Boke, Lits;eng, Ha-Kabi, Ha- Masunyane, Ha-Tamanyane, Teraeng.