Winners Announced for Annual School Garden Competition

Dilulu is delighted to announce the winners of the Third Annual School Garden Competition, which drew entries from 78 schools across five African countries. The competition, launched in 2022, celebrates school gardens that demonstrate excellence in sustainability, student engagement, community involvement, and innovation.

"These gardens are not just patches of vegetables — they are living classrooms where students learn science, nutrition, teamwork, and environmental stewardship all at once." — Fatou Ndiaye, Dilulu Senegal

Overall Winner: St. Catherine's Primary School, Kisumu, Kenya

St. Catherine's Primary School claimed the top prize with a garden programme that has transformed both the school and its surrounding community. What began three years ago as a small vegetable patch has grown into a comprehensive garden-to-table programme that supplies the school's lunch programme while teaching students practical agriculture, nutrition, and business skills.

The garden features raised beds with integrated drip irrigation, a composting system that processes all school food waste, a medicinal plant section maintained by the school's health club, and a small tree nursery that has distributed over 2,000 seedlings to students' families. Students manage a weekly produce stall, learning basic accounting and marketing alongside agriculture.

"The garden has changed how our students see food," said Head Teacher Mary Akinyi. "They understand where it comes from, they respect the work that goes into growing it, and they are excited to eat the vegetables they have grown themselves."

Category Winners

Sustainability Award — École Primaire de Nzeng-Ayong, Libreville, Gabon: Recognised for a closed-loop garden system where all inputs come from within the school — compost from food waste, water from a rainwater harvesting system, seeds saved from previous harvests, and natural pest control using companion planting and neem leaf spray.

Community Engagement Award — Mbagathi Secondary School, Nairobi, Kenya: The school's garden programme extends beyond its walls, with students conducting home garden visits to help families establish their own vegetable plots. Over the past year, students have helped 45 families start home gardens, and a monthly "Garden Day" brings parents and community members to the school for shared work and learning.

Innovation Award — Lycée de Thiaroye, Dakar, Senegal: Students at Thiaroye developed a mobile phone-based irrigation controller using basic electronic components and a recycled mobile phone, allowing the school garden to be watered during holidays when the school is empty. The system cost less than €15 to build and has kept the garden alive through two dry seasons.

Nutrition Education Award — Busi Primary School, Kampala, Uganda: This school integrated its garden into every subject on the curriculum — mathematics lessons calculate planting densities and yields, science classes study soil biology, and language classes write garden journals. The school's "Eat a Rainbow" campaign encourages students to grow and eat vegetables of every colour.

Growing Across the Continent

This year's competition saw a 40% increase in entries compared to 2023, reflecting the growing momentum of Dilulu's school garden movement. Each participating school receives a small grant for garden supplies, regardless of competition outcome, ensuring that every school that enters benefits from participation.

Inspiration for your school? The 2025 School Garden Competition opens for entries in January. Learn more about school partnerships or contact us to register your school's interest.