Planting Seeds for the Future

Grade 7 Individuals & Societies and Language & Literature Interdisciplinary Field Trip

This week the Grade 7 students visited a local Leopard’s Hill treasure, Hakuna Matata Farms on the Musikili Road. Brain-child of Cameron Miladinovic and his father Milo, this research facility is Zambia’s first aeroponics farm, where all of the herbs, vegetables and fruit are being grown in the air! The greenhouse, which is approximately 540 square metres, is able to produce just over 5,000 heads of lettuce a week, a staggering 25% of all lettuce eaten in Lusaka, using the skills and labour of only six people and 8% of the water a farm with a similar output would consume.

Embodying the IB Learner Profile (Inquirer, Knowledgeable, Thinker, Communicator, Principled, Risk-taker, Caring, Open-minded, Balanced, Reflective), Cameron has spent four years researching, trialing, failing and trialing again the incredible mechanical, chemical and computer systems that support this initiative. This method of farming is entirely green, as it uses no soil; recycles what little water is consumed; and relies on no pesticides or fertilisers. Nothing is wasted; everything is recycled, right down to the rubber rings and coconut husk in which the seeds are initially sowed. Moreover, the entire greenhouse is automated and can be controlled via his mobile phone. But where did he acquire such sophisticated technology? Why, he designed and built it himself. From scratch. And the tube and bucket systems in which the plants are grown? Also created himself. And did he ever want to give up? On some days, but his passion for understanding problems and developing solutions supported him through the most frustrating challenges.

With a goal to expand his design to more rural areas, Cameron will continue to inspire people around him and will help to up-skill the communities touched by this project. Through sharing his experiences and dreams with the Grade 7 students, he has shown us all what it means to persevere and follow your dream so that you can plant a more hopeful seed for the future.

Thank you Clare Cullen for the Leopard's Tale contribution. Grade 7 Individuals and Societies and Language and Literature are studying an interdisciplinary unit exploring the statement of inquiry: Systems in successful communities have processes and structures and purpose in order to not only survive but thrive. Visiting this wonderful initiative aligned directly with this inquiry.