Growing smiles: Lubanzi Mpumela is excited to water his vegetables each day (Pic: Anna Lusty for Our Legacy, partner to ForAfrika in SA)
Young children in a gang-infested area are being taught how to plant their own vegetable gardens and grow a different future
Leizl Eykelhof
Mfuleni, an informal settlement in Cape Town, has been ranked one of the poorest and one of the most dangerous areas to live in. Gangs roam the territory and houses, made of little more than scraps, are squashed up next to each other. Nevertheless, hope sprouts in unlikely corners.
ForAfrika moved into the area and started a feeding programme at the Young Minds Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre, providing the children there with a daily meal of highly nutritious porridge.
Earlier this year, in partnership with Avbob, the centre was given a “makeover”. A new kitchen and toilet block were built and a rainwater-harvesting tank installed.
Principal Thomokazi Maduna was overjoyed: “To have the passion to look after children is one thing, but it also takes resources that are difficult to get. Seeing my centre looking this beautiful has renewed my passion. I feel like a small car that is driving; nothing can stop me now.”
Additionally, the centre was encouraged to start a school garden and given the necessary training and resources. Since space is at a premium, ForAfrika partnered with the local company Reel Gardening and used their pod system. The pod is a special sack which can be filled with soil and compost and used as a plant bed in small spaces or where soil quality is poor. It retains moisture so you do not have to water it too often and it comes with a weed guard which prevents weeds and also acts as mulch.
“Their Learn and Grow kits come with seeds, a pod, watering spouts and a little booklet that we use to teach the children about gardening,” says Community Development Officer Adel Terblanche.
“The children love it – and especially now that their efforts are being harvested. Some have even started their own gardens in other containers.”
Variety of vegetables
The children have planted onions, tomatoes, spinach and lettuce and the centre has been using some of these ingredients to make healthy sandwiches for the children’s lunches.
“We also make soup,” says Thomokazi, who is thrilled with the produce.
“We want to host a market to sell bunches of vegetables,” says Adel who will provide some training to staff and parents on how to do so.
“ForAfrika is all about sustainability. In order for us to get people to sustainably provide for themselves, we have to do it from a young age. We need to teach children the value of gardening, not only for food, but also for income generation.”
“It has been an eye-opener for me,” says Adel. “The gardening keeps the children in school and keeps them motivated. Some of these children do not have the best circumstances so it is wonderful to see them flourishing in this simple activity.”
Five-year-old Lubanzi Mpumela, who has been involved in the garden project from the very beginning, says: “I love the vegetables, MY vegetables!” while watering his patch.
“Having my own small garden, getting food from my own small garden, seeing my children excited every day to water the garden… that is already telling others we’ll never go hungry,” says Thomokazi.
Leizl Eykelhof is Communications and Content Manager
