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P'thitta tribal school sets up first-of-its-kind terrace farming for midday meals
The New Indian Express Kottayam
|March 22, 2025
AT a time when farmers suffer huge losses due to wildlife menace, a school aimed at uplifting the tribal children near the Sabarimala forests, is experimenting with large-scale terrace farming, one of the several initiatives it has taken towards self-sustenance in the hilly hamlet.
The first-of-its-kind initiative in a school in the state, the idea of terrace farming to produce vegetables for the school's midday meals struck headmaster Biju Thomas Amboori as there was a lot of space on the rooftop of the two-storey building of the school.
Along with teachers—B Abhilash, K M Subeesh, Asha Nandhan, and Amitha S, he started agricultural work during free hours.
Not merely an educational institution, the Government Tribal School, Attathodu, is also a lifesaver for the children living in poverty and poor social circumstances in their tribal settlements bordering the jungle. A total of 55 pupils from pre-primary to 4th standard are studying in the centre of learning, situated around 45 km from Pathanamthitta town.
This story is from the March 22, 2025 edition of The New Indian Express Kottayam.
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