This November, Humane Society International/Africa (HSI/Africa) launched its Green Monday SA Plant-Based Solutions program in two rural schools in the Genadendal Valley: LR Schmidt Primary School, the oldest primary school in South Africa, and Emil Weder Secondary School, the only secondary school in the Valley of Grace, which includes the communities of Genadendal, Greyton, Bereaville, Voorstekraal, Boschmanskloof, and Heuwelkroon. These schools are now offering meals packed with fresh, nutritious vegetables grown right in their own school gardens.
The pilot program aims to enhance the nutritional quality of the meals, funded by the Western Cape Education Department, by adding a large variety of vibrant, plant-based options with produce sourced directly from the schools’ gardens. Currently, LR Schmidt Primary serves around 360 of its 500 students daily, while Emil Weder Secondary feeds 200 of its 550 students. Some of the delicious plant-based meals include protein-rich soy curry, with cauliflower, spinach, spring onion, turnips, brown onion, butternut and fresh herbs; fresh cabbage, carrot, raisins and beetroot salad with a homemade mayo dressing; and healthy sweet potato chocolate brownies.



LR Schmidt Primary School, which has secured additional funding for a thriving school garden, grows an array of produce, including spinach, spring onions, fresh herbs, pumpkins, garlic, cauliflower, turnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, leeks, beetroot, cabbage, and brown onions. Sixty percent of this harvest is used to enrich school meals with added nutrition, while the remaining forty percent is sold within the local community. Proceeds from sales help purchase essential pantry items like vinegar and spices, used to preserve vegetables for additional sides in school meals.
To implement the Green Monday SA program, HSI/Africa, with the support of Valley Food Gardens, collaborated closely with the school’s cooks to evaluate their menus and adjust meal items. Changes are made to integrate more nutrient-dense, plant-based ingredients and to reduce animal-based products overall by twenty percent. As part of a humane education component, students receive Eating Green at School is Cool booklets, explaining the benefits of plant-based eating and the health advantages of each vegetable grown in their gardens.
Norah Hudson, Green Monday SA campaign consultant for HSI/Africa, says, “We are thrilled to launch this pilot program at two initial schools, with hopes to expand it across the Western Cape and eventually throughout South Africa. Consuming more plant-based meals will not only improve our health, but also reduce the environmental impact of animal agriculture, where welfare issues often arise as well. Eating ‘green’ can also improve food security in under-resourced communities. It’s incredibly rewarding to see students enjoy the fruits of their own efforts, knowing they are benefiting from their homegrown produce.”
In 2025, the program will introduce an exciting new component encouraging students to join a feeding scheme. Students who collect meals daily for at least a month will receive a seedling tin to nurture under the guidance of the school gardener. When their vegetables or fruits are ready to harvest, students can sell them to the school kitchen, receiving a small stipend—a luxury very few children in the rural communities enjoy.
Green Monday is a global initiative supported by Humane Society International (HSI), one of the largest animal protection organizations in the world. The program encourages people to make a positive difference to their health, the environment and animals by swapping meat, milk and eggs for entirely plant-based meals at least one day a week. For more information about the program visit www.greenmondayza.org.