The Micro Farming Project is slowly taking shape, and we have now laid out the first garden bed. The corn seeds planted by the children four days ago have literally exploded—the warm, humid climate in Accra plays a major role in helping the seeds sprout in a very short time.

The 4- to 6-year-old children eagerly measured the length of the shoots and recorded the result—an impressive 12 cm—in the chart. Over the next few days, the teachers will continue updating the growth chart with the children, and I’m sure the shoots will quickly exceed 50 cm.

With the teachers’ help, we prepared the soil, focusing especially on removing weeds and snails. The children then brought their corn seedlings and carefully planted them in the soil. Since I found a few sunflower seeds in my bag, we sowed them right into the garden bed.

Just like gaining real-life experiences, creativity and art are also key components of the project. To that end, we’ve started with a garden display that depicts the world of insects and plants both above and below ground. The 2-year-olds have already made small, colorful worms for the display. Snails, butterflies, flowers, and other plants will follow.