Successes, challenges and growth rates at the three sites.

The number of saplings that have been planted at the three locations is as follows:

• Ngangani School: 411

• Maanzoni School: 421

• Learning centre: 737

Despite being planted simultaneously, the moringa growth rate has not been uniform in the three locations. This has been attributed to several factors.

• Type of water being used

• Water availability

• Insects

• Soil type

The ground team noticed that in the Moringa at Ngangani, where the water has a lot of calcium, the growth rate has been low compared to other locations where water has less calcium, even though the water is salty. Upon realizing this, the school administration offered some fresh drinking water from a tank for watering Moringa to establish whether there would be changes.

Applying more organic manure from compost toilets will provide more nutrients to the most infertile soils within the farms. The big trees close to the moringa groves have also affected the growth rate through shading, and the school administration is making arrangements to prune the trees to allow moringa trees to thrive freely.

The ground team also noticed that some insects were chopping the tip of the moringa tree since the plant is the only green plant around since the dry season is approaching, and most trees are shedding leaves gradually. Therefore, measures to use a natural or organic concoction are underway to control the spread of the insects.

Although some challenges affect the plant, it is still thriving with the available resources, and some leaves are ready for harvesting.