12 Days of Christmas: OKE Charity spreads the joy of gardening to schools

Caleb Myers, Esther Toa and Lorenzo Tereapii Pavai from Manurewa South Primary work in their school garden, installed by OKE Charity. Photo / Greg Bowker

The Herald is profiling 12 charities awarded $8333 grants from Auckland Airport's Twelve Days of Christmas programme – now in its 13th year. The $100,000 funding comes from generous travellers who donate money at the airport.

Now that these three kids have got gardening sussed, they're teaching everyone else at their school.

The Manurewa South Primary students have been selected to put their leadership skills to use in a new school garden installed by OKE Charity this year.

Esther Toa has expanded on her existing knowledge learnt in her poppa's garden.

"Learning in the garden is really fun because you can pass it on to the next generation. What I show the younger children when we're planting is to put it in gently and pat around it really nicely," the 10-year-old says.

Caleb Myers also gardens at home with his mum. He reckons it's much better than sitting in class.

"You have to look after the garden really well and keep a close eye on it," he says.

The 11-year-old waters the garden each morning before school and recently held a session teaching junior students how to plant seeds.

"We sow the seeds in the greenhouse and, after they sprout, we plant them in the garden," he says.

Lorenzo Tereapii Pavai, 11, says all schools should have a garden. "It's good because you can grow your own food instead of wasting your money buying it at the shop," he says.

The school's senior manager, Kelly Wong, and a staff member from the daycare across the road got in touch with OKE Charity after seeing one of the 14 gardens the charity has so far built in south Auckland schools. OKE fundraises the cost of around $10,000 per garden and organises the working bee to build it with a team of community volunteers.

Wong says the garden provides an outdoor avenue for learning.

"We're all about hands-on, tactile learning. The science aspect of gardening flows into other curriculum areas. For example, our new entrant teacher held a creative writing class here last week responding to some footprints we found. The students wrote imaginative stories about what kind of creature might have come and eaten our lettuces," she says.

"Another teacher had her whole class out here doing garden-to-table during our first harvest. The kids were literally taking food from the garden and cooking it on the table right next to it. We had everything from edible flowers dipped in chocolate to spinach puffs. They loved it. I'm surprised how many kids will eat their greens when they've cooked them here."

Wong says not many of the students at the decile-1 school have gardens at home, so it gives them a new experience to draw from. Any produce left over from the harvest is packed into bags and handed out to parents at the school gate.

OKE Charity also provided a small greenhouse, a fully stocked tool shed and an ongoing supply of seedlings and advice.

"They're also creating an app to support teachers in the classroom with resources and activities that link to the garden. They're just awesome. Schools don't have money for these sorts of things. Without them, it just wouldn't happen," she says.

To donate or volunteer for a working bee: www.oke.org.nz