University of Cape Coast’s Hostel Garden Project: Growing Food, Skills, and Businesses

The Hostel Garden Project at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) is an initiative led by Dr. Frank Kwekucher Ackah under the Garden For All (G4A) project, a non-profit organization he heads. This initiative encourages students to cultivate their own vegetables using readily available materials such as sacks, broken containers, buckets, and boxes.

Launched in 2021 with an initial 79 students, the project has grown significantly, with more participants engaging in sustainable urban farming. Students cultivate a variety of vegetables, including lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, garden eggs, carrots, beetroot, radish, and African spinach. The initiative has received widespread media attention, and students involved have become home gardening ambassadors in their communities.

Beyond promoting sustainable agriculture, the project has also created economic opportunities, with some students turning their hostel gardens into small businesses by selling fresh produce to the university community.

As part of the Garden For All (G4A) initiative, this project continues to empower students by enhancing food security, promoting self-sufficiency, and reducing waste. Dr. Ackah’s vision for sustainable urban farming is transforming student hostels into productive green spaces, serving as a model for other institutions to follow.