A resident of Rose Garden participates in the planting of the vegetable garden at Pentab High School.
In the Kingston Central community of Rose Gardens, a vibrant intergenerational initiative came to life on Labour Day, as Project STAR joined hands with members of the community to plant a vegetable garden.
The initiative, developed and led by community members, saw the transformation of a green space at Pentab High School into a budding vegetable garden.
The project, a collaboration between the school’s Environmental Club and the local Seniors Club, attracted the participation of nearly 30 children and six seniors from the area.
Chanalee Wright, community project officer at Project STAR, shared that the idea behind the project was not only to create a sustainable food source but also to foster meaningful connections between generations.
“We look at it as bridging the generational gap, where the young and the young at heart can come together and work on something that will eventually blossom and benefit everyone,” she said.
Explaining why the project was chosen for Labour Day, Wright added, “Project STAR believes in sustainability. Through working with the clubs in the community, we realised that, especially for the seniors, having a meal was sometimes a challenge. We believed that if we created this vegetable garden, it would offer a long-term solution. It’s something that can be maintained and used by the community, where persons can grow what they eat and eat what they grow.”
This initiative also aligns with one of the goals outlined in Rose Gardens’ Community Transformation Action Plan.
The goal, titled ‘Pretty Like a Rose’, identifies the beautification and improvement of public spaces and infrastructure, particularly on occasions such as Labour Day, as a key initiative for long-term sustainability.
The garden is now home to a variety of fruits and vegetables, including callaloo, watermelon, celery, mango, guava, apple, breadfruit, and neem, planted with guidance from the more experienced hands of the seniors, aged up to 73, and eager learners between ages seven and 17.
“It was beautiful to watch the older ones saying, ‘Dig it a little deeper,’ or, ‘Water here so’. They were passing down knowledge, and the children were learning, adapting, and just having fun working together,” said Wright.
Among the young participants was 17-year-old Ebony Tracey, a student of Merl Grove High School, who shared her excitement about being part of the project.
“It was okay because this is the first time we’re having the seniors and the kids actually coming together and participating in planting and having fun,” said Tracey.
“I think the garden will be good, especially for the elderly because they’re up in age now, so they can’t really manage to go to the town market. They’ll have their little garden around here, so they can just come at weekend time and pick whatever they need to cook their Sunday dinner,” added Tracey.
One of the seniors who participated, Valerie Williams from Rum Lane, described the day as fulfilling.
“It was a joy to be out here with the children,” she said. “We shared what we know about planting, and they were eager to learn. It made me feel young again and proud to give back in this way. This garden will help many of us, especially those who can’t go far to buy food,” said Williams.