The Food Forest Project brings sustainable food production directly into schools and other public institutions across Karatu District. Guided by the principle “A hungry mind cannot study,” the project creates productive green spaces where children can learn about agriculture, nutrition, and the environment while helping schools grow nutritious food for their communities.

At participating schools, JSFoundation and its local partners establish food forests and vegetable gardens with crops adapted to local conditions, including Moringa, vegetables, fruit trees, and other nutritious plants. Students and teachers take an active role in planting, caring for, and harvesting the gardens, turning the school grounds into practical learning environments.

Water management is essential to making these gardens sustainable. Rainwater harvesting systems and water-storage tanks help schools collect and conserve water during the rainy season for use when rainfall is scarce. Tree planting and appropriate growing practices further help protect the soil, improve the local environment, and make the gardens more resilient to changing weather conditions.

The project goes beyond producing food. Through hands-on education, students learn where food comes from, how plants grow, why nutritious diets matter, and how water and natural resources can be managed responsibly. What children learn at school can also travel home, helping knowledge and practical skills spread to their families and wider communities.

The Food Forest Project has grown through close cooperation with schools, local communities, KSDI, and Tunza Africa. By combining food production, water management, nutrition, and practical education, the aim is to create school gardens that can continue to grow and develop locally—providing food today while giving young people knowledge and skills they can carry into the future.