Help expand "Young Smart Farmers" organic gardens

The PM2.5 levels are in the red zones every day.  The children are on their summer break before school starts in mid-May and most have headed for mountain villages with cleaner air.  Our staff and a small group of students are here helping to keep the vegetables watered, repairing the dorms, and getting the gutters in for water collection when the rains start.

Before they left, the children cleaned out the dorms and collected mounds of dried leaves for mulch and compost (photo below)

The Rainwater Catchment system is almost finished.  The catchment basins have been painted with sealant, the safety fencing has been completed, and netting has been put over the gutters to keep the leaves out.  The underground pipes are in place,  The final step is repairing the old gutters and adding new ones to channel the rain off the roofs.

Relatives came down from the mountain for a day to catch up with our staff and set expectations for the next school year.  They pitched in to help build the drying shed for the boys' clothes.  Once the rains come, drying clothes requires a well-covered area to let in the sun and keep out the rain. We finished the girls' renovation last year, but waited for the dry weather and funds to finish the boys'.

Thank you for your enduring support.  This program is feeding the children and teaching them sustainable farming methods that they can share in their communities.

Best wishes for a wonderful spring season!

Evelind, Dana, Michaela, and the Warm Heart Family.