Community gardens help feed the poor
Unemployed and disabled residents from Kopano Disabled Movement are feeding the residents through food gardens.
KwaThema – The five-year-old initiative was formed to feed the poor and NGOs in the area.
Founder Goodman Nhlapo says they are happy to make a positive contribution to their community.
“We identified there are many child-headed households and unemployed parents.
“To improve their economic background we invited those interested to join us in working in the gardens.
“We used some of the unused pieces of land to get the project off the ground and raised funds to buy our first batch of seeds.
“We made fertiliser from dirt collected from dumping sites, grass and cow dung because we could not afford modern fertilisers,” he says.
Also read: Elders’ gardens feed the poor
Goodman says they are able to sustain the project through the sales they make from selling the vegetables within the community.
“Residents love our fresh vegetables and support us through buying our produce.
“We use the money to buy seeds and donate the rest to the disability centre for their daily general running because they don’t have any sponsors at the moment,” he says.
Mamkgatla Mdukulwana says they are inviting the unemployed youth to join their project.
Also read: Food garden puts food on the table
“We will share with them the skills in agriculture.
“This will keep them from committing crime and taking drugs.
“Many unemployed people have a lot of free time on their hands and end up taking part in activities that will hamper their future.
“But by keeping busy and helping out in some of the community initiatives, they will learn a skill or two,” she says.
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