At the LifeLink School in Nicaragua, we’ve installed the area’s first experimental aquaponics system in hopes of providing students and the community with an alternative food source.

Aquaponics is a food production system that combines aquaculture, or fish farming, with hydroponics—the soil-less growing of plants—together in one integrated system. Waste from the fish provides fertilizer for the plants, and the plants clean the water for the fish.

So, how can aquaponics benefit a poverty-stricken community?

• Providing Food – Our aquaponics system will help provide food for our students’ daily lunches. By producing food through an aquaponic system, students will enjoy organically-grown vegetables and Tilapia via a healthy and sustainable food source.

• Community Involvement – Through vocational training programs, we will teach people in the community how to start and maintain aquaponic systems. They will also be able to receive hands-on training with our system at the school.

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