Agriculture
Food and Trees For Africa’s objectives are:
- To contribute to greening, sustainable natural resource management and food security;
- To create an awareness of the benefits of environmental upliftment activities amongst all communities of southern Africa; and
- To contribute to poverty alleviation, improved environments, capacity building and skills development, and in particular for people living with Aids.
This project not only assists the schools to supplement their feeding schemes and gain a supplementary income stream but also provides both teachers and learners with additional skills training. Furthermore, the permaculture program fits very well with the school’s learning areas.
The sponsorships received from Old Mutual together with the Urban Greening Fund has made it possible for us to partner with Food and Trees for Africa who have implemented this project. The newest garden is located at Mdluli High school in Hluvukani. It has been revealed that 5% of learners at the school are orphans. They are, amongst others, now actively involved in the garden project. The school is not distributing food to all the learners at the school, only to orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs) and to members of the community who are terminally ill. These individuals are also assisted with implementing similar gardens in their homes, thus facilitating the transfer of skills to other members of the community.
The Aims and Objectives of food gardening projects are:
- To provide training in how to develop sustainable organic food gardens;
- To provide training in basic business skills;
- To provide training in the use of natural medicines and better nutrition;
- To contribute to the development of more sustainable human settlements;
- To contribute to improved food security;
- To promote sustainable land use;
- To contribute to income generation - savings and reallocation of income in the household budget and improved levels of income through the sale of surplus production;
- To improve water access and infrastructure; and
- To provide garden tools, garden and plant materials.
Permaculture skills training was done according to a schedule and the program included theory as well as practical work. The areas covered in the program included permaculture ethics, principles, zones and sectors, designing for vegetable planting, organic soil improvement, plant propagation, making of swales, mulching and manual plant irrigation. Other topics included succession planting, inter-planting, planting of anti pest plants, scouting for pests, attraction of predators, control measures like use of non-poisonous pest repellant sprays like garlic, chillies, green pepper and sunlight soap.
The teachers, learners and community members became increasingly encouraged and enthusiastic throughout the process and further appreciate the need to take care of the earth and look after the environment.
The project has been selling vegetables to the local community members and educators to raise income for the school. Sales could have been higher if prices were set in accordance with market rates. However the community has people who are impoverished and unemployment is high, hence the vegetables are made affordable. This process promotes entrepreneurship and affords community members with affordable produce, thereby improving nutritian.
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