Our school is located in Bors, Romania, near the Hungarian border. The school has students of all ages, from young children to teenagers studying agriculture and electronics, as well as adults attending evening classes.
Among the students are those specializing in horticulture who represented Romania at the Agrochallenge 2023 competition in Slovakia, enjoying wonderful days there.
Unfortunately, our school has a very small land area, so students do their practical training at companies. However, the limited space is always planted with vegetables, which are then sold at the local farmers’ market. This way, students not only learn about cultivation but also the challenges of selling.
This year, we grew and nurtured purple potatoes and pumpkins. In our school, there is a very kind student named Erik, who has been battling a severe musculoskeletal disease for years. The extensive medical treatments pose a significant financial burden on his family. Both students and teachers try to provide all the help he needs to continue attending school and stay within the community.
When we harvested the beautiful pumpkin crop this year, the idea was born to use it to help Erik. Two classes collaborated with agricultural teachers to make a superb apple-cinnamon pumpkin jam using a special recipe. Three batches of this delicious treat were made. The students who were good at drawing created posters, and the very young children wrote and drew small colorful positive messages for each jar. Everyone was very enthusiastic.
Then came the day when we took our jam to the market. Many people came to buy, praising the initiative. The money collected was then received by Erik’s father, who tearfully expressed gratitude for this noble act. It was a touching moment. In three days, these students experienced a special miracle: the miracle of helping others.
This is how the pumpkin turned into magic.
(Text and pics by Ing prof Krizsan Tünde)
