Monrovia – HILA (Heritage International Leadership Academy) launched the first functional aquaponics project in the country on Wednesday, December 15th. Aquaponics is a combination of hydroponics (growing plants in water) and fish farming that produces year-round crops at a much faster rate than regular farming. A sustainable mode of farming, it uses no pesticides eliminating carbon emissions which positively affects climate change.
HILA selected tilapia, a fish enjoyed by millions around the world and conventional nutritious vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, and pepper for the aquaponics project. Mr. Divine Anderson, a fish farmer and winner of the Liberia Development 2021 Farmer of the Year collaborated with the school to design and train the students and administrators on managing the system. He explained that the tilapia should be market ready within 6 months and the vegetables in 30 days to 3 months.
He expressed his passion for fish farming stating “It is a dream come true for me as well as the country. By God’s grace and the resources made available by HILA, this is the first functional aquaponics system that has succeeded. He strongly believes that the country will not be independent until “we Liberians can feed ourselves.”
HILAs CEO Mrs. Michelle Dennis – Wento said introducing aquaponics into HILAs curriculum was a natural manifestation. All the projects we undertake are intentional. We hope by informing and engaging our students in real world issues such as climate change, food insecurity and water management, they can be better citizens and find ingenious means to solve some of the challenges that exist right here in our country.
Principal, Mrs. Andrea Morris is the lead and champion of the aquaponics projects. Her focus is to continuously identify alternative approaches to learning so children are more receptive to different subjects. She explained that the project has been underway for well over a year with a break in between due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her excitement, she says, comes from the children’s questions, “How does the system work, how is it different from the community garden from the previous year, and how they will contribute to taking care of the fish ect.” She says, “The aquaponics system will not only teach them a new technology but strengthen and improve their understanding of math and biology, and provide more in depth knowledge of agriculture science.” She said, “Our students are excited and we hope the project will impart skills they can use in their careers to combat the serious malnutrition and hunger issues many children face daily in Liberia.
The esteemed Minister of Agriculture, Honorable Jeanine M. Cooper was present to lend her support to the children at HILA and the staff. She commented on the project and the enthusiasm of the students, “Aquaponics is not a difficult system but some of us old farmers can’t adapt so it is good the children are learning to do it at an early age and spreading the word. This is how innovation starts.”
The students and administrators of HILA would like to extend thanks and appreciation to the Minister of Agriculture, Ms. Princess Uduak Ekanem, agriculture teacher, Mr. Devine Anderson of “Garden Farm”, and visiting students from Berea Christian School for their participation in the day’s activities.
