Students of Carmelita Government School Engage in Tilapia Farming

Carmelita Government School introduced its student body to a Tilapia farming project seven years ago, as part of an income-generating and money-saving venture for its feeding program. But the school and the Ministry of Agriculture today held a workshop to pass on the intricacies involved to more people. News Five’s Marion Ali stopped by to find out about it and filed this report.

Keith Augustine

Keith Augustine, Administrator, Carmelita Government School
“What you’re seeing here is a life skill being harnessed that we are trying to implement and instill in the kids that they can grow their own food.”

Marion Ali, Reporting
Tilapia is one of those food items that the Carmelita Government School plans to keep as a staple in the diets of its student population. The school introduced Tilapia farming seven years ago as a means of livelihood after it became evident that a significant percentage of its enrolment was not advancing to secondary education, according to Keith Augustine, the school’s administrator. And so far, the concept has been well-received among students, their parents and teachers.

Keith Augustine
“A large population weren’t going to high school and didn’t have that financial aspect of attending a high school so we looked at a way of equipping the kids with certain life skills and this is one of them. We have students attending the workshop, we have teachers attending the workshop, we have parents attending the workshop. The workshop is to remind us and update us with the latest technologies and techniques that have from then to now.”

The project is conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, headed by Orange Walk District’s Agricultural Extension Officer, Miguel Huertas.

Miguel Huertas

Miguel Huertas, Extension Officer, Ministry of Agriculture
“In this school in particular we have aquaponics in which it is a Tilapia pond and that same water is fed to the plants. And it is just a cycle. Here we have Tilapia and we have seen the need in the school to have more training to have more good and quality Tilapias. We have seen the difference now that the students are more interested by doing this in their basic primary school, getting involved.”

The self-sustainable projects are all part of the Ministry of Agriculture’s broader effort to assist people with becoming self-sufficient. And teaching fish farming to students from an early age helps a developing country like Belize to diversify in areas that are increasingly necessary as our population grows.  Joe Saravia is the Ministry’s Acting Aquaculture Coordinator.

Joe Saravia

Joe Saravia, Acting Aquaculture Coordinator, Ministry of Agriculture

“We already have a lot of students pursuing business, science and all the different courses. But aquaculture, we don’t really have a lot of people pursuing that. So we’re in need of aquaculturists in Belize, like nurses, right.”

The fish farm is maintained by the students, who feed the tilapia, harvest them, and clean them for the kitchen. It’s all part of a bigger agricultural program that the school engages in to sustain its feeding program for the neediest students. With the vegetables they grow and poultry they raise, Augustine says they save quite a few dollars every semester.

Keith Augustine
“We’re not counting the protein and the chicken.”

Marion Ali
“Ok, so for the month how much would you save?”

Keith Augustine
“It would be like two hundred and fifty dollars savings per month.”

Marion Ali
“For the term?”

Keith Augustine
“Times that by three, just for the vegetables.”

Altogether, there are six schools in the Orange Walk District alone that engage in Tilapia farming and other types of agriculture-based activity to benefit their students. Marion Ali for News Five.