'Our farms, our futures' is a joint project run by two charities, Send A Cow and Envolve, to educate children about farming and sustainability.
Funded by the Department for International Development, the project runs in 15 schools in the south-west of England.
Children learn about farming and where their food comes from in the UK, with the help of farmer Nick Baker, and gain a global perspective on Fairtrade and the impact of food air miles on the environment.
Kirstine Dunhill, communications officer for Send A Cow, said, 'Children learn how difficult it is in Africa to feed families. It's about building awareness of where food comes from.'
Helen Kongai, the agricultural development officer for eastern Uganda, visited schools in England for two weeks teaching children about organic farming and her life in Africa.
She said, 'The children were very interested in finding out about what food we eat and how we grow our own food. They were really surprised that most of our food is grown by ourselves.'
She showed children how to use one of the most effective Send A Cow techniques, a 'bag garden', which is used in Africa during the dry season to grow crops with a minimum of water and soil.
By growing vegetables such as onions, cabbages and tomatoes in a sack, families are able to eat two meals a day at times when there is no rain for up to three months.
In Uganda, Ms Kongai works with groups of women to teach them sustainable farming methods to increase the yields of their crops. Eighty per cent of the Ugandan population grow their own food.
Early years settings can go to www.sendacow.org.uk or call 01225 874 222 to request a 'bag garden' starter kit costing 10, and find details of how up to 9 July they can also enter the African Gardens competition which is showcased at the Amateur Gardening Show.
