Raipur. The school's Garden to Plate initiative is a unique initiative in which students consume fresh, organic vegetables grown on the school campus directly in their mid-day meals. This not only ensures a nutritious diet but also gives students practical knowledge of nature, labor, and farming, making them self-reliant.

A unique kitchen garden initiative in the schools of Ramanujnagar in Surajpur district of Chhattisgarh is giving a new direction to both the nutrition and practical education of the children. Under the direction of the District Education Officer and the guidance of the Block Education Officer, the kitchen garden of the Secondary School, Patrapali, has emerged as an inspiring example of nutrition strengthening. Developed under the guidance of teachers in the school premises, this garden regularly provides fresh and nutritious vegetables, which are being included in the mid-day meal to provide additional nutrition to the students. In this connection, today the students enthusiastically plucked about 4 kilograms of fresh sem (pods) from the kitchen garden.

The children themselves took active part in activities like caring for the plants, irrigation, weeding and plucking, through which they not only understood the importance of labour but also gained practical knowledge about agriculture and environment. School teacher Yogesh Sahu said that the main objective of this scheme is to provide nutritious food to the students, spread awareness about organic farming and connect them with practical education. The use of fresh vegetables has significantly increased both the quality and nutrition of the mid-day meal, which is clearly having a positive impact on the health of the children.

The school family believes that such activities develop a love for nature, a sense of responsibility and self-reliance in children. Present on the occasion were school teachers Krishnakumar Yadav, Anita Singh, Yogesh Sahu, Raghunath Jaiswal, parents and members of the local community. Parents praised the school management and teachers for this initiative, saying such schemes are extremely beneficial for both the health and future of the children. The school administration has pledged to continue cultivating various seasonal vegetables in the kitchen garden, so that children continue to receive both nutrition and knowledge.