THINASONKE – Members of a farm located at Thinasonke Ext 3, near the old Vereeniging Road, pleaded for assistance from any individuals or organisations wishing to extend a helping hand to their positive project.
The farm was founded in 2008 by a group of 15 volunteers before eight of them threw in the towel when the venture required more patience than they bargained for. Today it is run by a group of seven unemployed residents from the nearby Thinasonke community.
Although the farm has shown great progress in terms of livestock and produce, initially it struggled due to a lack of resources. However, that did not prevent the farmers from pursuing their dream. They have built two rooms to cage chickens without using any cement or material as you would expect them to have used.
They applied for ownership of the land where their farm is situated since 2009 and they have not yet received any deed. But that did not hold them down either. “We didn’t wait for the municipality to respond, we continued to work to show them that we can do this,” said Pretty Mayisela, one of the founders.
“We went to a lot of training and companies asking them to help us with the fencing. There was no fence, and in winter the animals owned by the neighbours came and ate all our produce. Today Rand Water has provided them with a fence.
“The challenge we have now is water, we use water on a broken meter, but it is too little. Private companies want to invest in this project but they first need a letter of consent (proof of ownership).
“Our main focus is to get a prominent market so that we will be able to hire people; which means to put more food on the table for other people. In this way we will reduce the crime statistics in the area because people commit crime when they are hungry. We are desperately in need of a prominent market. People can help us by buying from us,” she added.
Nonetheless, their struggle has brought rewards and benefits. They were the runners-up in the binannual Mma Tshepo Khumbane competition hosted by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment, receiving a prize of R20 000. Today their livestock is thriving and they produce 100 per cent organic vegetables, and they welcome any individuals or organisations who wish to help.
