The pupils harvesting their crops at SJK(T) Sungai Ara in Bayan Lepas, Penang. The produce sold can bring in up to RM1,600 a month for the school. — Courtesy photos
REPTILES like snakes and monitor lizards encroaching into a school is not uncommon in rural areas.
The pupils of SJK(T) Sungai Ara in Bayan Lepas, Penang, have had to cope with such incidents.
Cobras, vipers and huge monitor lizards have been slinking into classrooms, storerooms and other nooks in their school.
“We decided that something should be done as the pupils’ safety was paramount,” said SJK(T) Sungai Ara board of governors chairman Richard Elias.
The reptiles were not the only issue, as a piece of land behind the school had become a mini jungle and rubbish dumpsite.
That was before the All Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia (APPGM) for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) teamed up with the school to provide RM40,000 to clear the overgrowth and start a farm for the pupils to manage.
The APPGM for SDG was set up in October 2019 to create cooperation between parliamentarians and members of civil society, academics and grassroots organisations with the aim of enabling locals to achieve the SDGs.
Today, the school “backyard” is a flourishing vegetable farm growing a variety of produce such as red spinach, corn, sweet potato, okra, cucumber, lemon, kangkung, eggplant and luffa.
Parents helping to sell the harvest to raise funds.
“This organic farm, which was set up upon condition that it would directly involve the school’s teachers and pupils, is believed to be a first for a Tamil school in the country.
“Acquiring funding for the project was not easy. Our initial proposal submitted in July 2023 was rejected four times; it took another five months before our proposal was approved in November last year,” said Elias.
Headmaster Vinod Thulukannam, who was involved in coordinating the project, explained that the first and second payments of RM12,000 each were received last year and in April this year.
“Pupils in Year Four, Five and Six are involved in the project and today, we harvest 10kg of vegetables a day.
Elias says getting funding for the project was not easy.“From this, we earned RM800 in April and RM1,600 in May, which goes directly into the school’s Parent-Teacher Association account.
“Parents help to sell the vegetables seven days a week outside the school compound, which is just behind the Sungai Ara market,” he said.
Vinod said the aim was to increase the yield and sell 20kg a day over the next few months.
“We found a gardener to help upkeep the place, while our pupils take turns helping to tend the farm during school hours.
“There was a major challenge during the water supply disruption a few months ago after a main water pipe burst.
“We were not able to plant any vegetables as the soil dried up and became hard.
“That was when we to decided to instal a pump to source water from the river that runs between the farm and adjacent land nearby, and this gave us better yields,” said Vinod.
He added that the school engaged the Land and Mines Department, who own the land, and assured them that the farm project was solely to benefit SJK(T) Sungai Ara.
