On 17 March 2017, the School Gardens project was launched at the initiative of Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder of IDEA Public Union and Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). 

Within the project, IDEA, jointly with FAO and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, will be planting fruit trees in schoolyards in eight regions of Azerbaijan (Goychay, Shamkir, Hajigabul, Guba, Masalli, Oghuz, Garadagh, Zaqatala).

As the first stage of the project, with participation of Leyla Aliyeva, children from school No. 234 of the Garadagh district planted 500 almond, pomegranate and plum trees on March 17.

The project’s goal is to improve school nutrition by enabling children to build healthy food-related practices, behaviors and attitudes as well as to contribute to the greening of school surroundings.

It should be noted that Leyla Aliyeva was conferred with the title of FAO Goodwill Ambassador in 2015 for her profound commitment to the goals of the organization, which are to combat world hunger, achieve food security and nutrition for all, and develop sustainable food systems.

Environmental education and awareness-raising are priority targets for IDEA’s activities. For this reason, IDEA has implemented a number of projects in collaboration with the Ministry of Education to engage youth in environmental protection, enhance their knowledge about the environment and, at the same time, have a positive impact on the environment of schools.

The first event within the School Gardens project will be followed by tree-planting in schools of other districts of Azerbaijan, and activities will last until the end of April 2017. In accordance with each region’s climate and soil, around 5,000 fruit trees (apple, pear, cherry, plum, walnut, hazelnut, pomegranate, date palm, almond, quince and etc.) will be planted in more than 40 schools in the course of the project.