The Tierra Programme empowers rural communities through school and family gardens: fresh, healthy food that doubles as a living school of agricultural and sustainable skills.
The idea behind it is simple and powerful: the school garden becomes a home garden. Children carry the seed — and the knowledge — back home, and food security becomes autonomy for the whole family.
As of May 2026, 560 children take part in 14 school gardens across the rural campuses of the La Mariela and Pijao schools. The programme is part of the municipality’s School Environmental Project (PRAE), and the harvest projection for 2026 is around 750 kg of food.
Born in 2020 as a gardens initiative (the “Orchards Program”), it was renamed the Tierra Programme: it is one single journey, from seed to table.
“Thank you for dreaming our dreams. Today we sow hope, cultivate dignity and harvest a fairer, more sustainable future.” — Hugo Murcia, head teacher of the La Mariela school
