Company promotes food security in Alex

Food insecurity could be a thing of the past for Alex residents – if they can take advantage of an agricultural initiative which is on their doorstep.

The initiative, a partnership of the Department of Social Development and Creative Business Solutions (Crebus), provides communities an opportunity to enhance their food security through food gardens for household consumption, and also for commercial purposes.

The company relocated from Orange Farm to Alexandra this year to work with other interested groups in the whole of Region E.

According to Ferdie Mocke of Crebus, some beneficiaries in Orange Farm have profitable gardens; their produce earning up to R4 000 per month.

The initiative starts with door-to-door campaigns to assess potential beneficiaries’ commitment and also to determine the availability of land at their disposal.

The process also involves visiting schools and other interested institutions.

Tebogo Mashale, also of Crebus, added that they were already working with Carter and Emfundisweni primary schools, Eastbank Clinic and Rasta Village, and have received requests for support from other institutions in Marlboro, Limbro Park and Lombardy.

“Institutions tend to be better off as they have more land available and accept innovative ideas quicker […]. If successful, the city would register them as preferred vendors for the food bank and its vegetable markets,” he added.

The partnership wants to work with households, especially those that are child- or elderly-headed.

Mashale stated that although their backyards may be small, Alex residents can still produce enough by using receptacles on roof tops and window edges, as well as disused cans and tyres to grow a variety of vegetables all year round.

The company is concerned by the community’s low level of interest, which it says tends to regard agriculture and gardening as hard labour. “We hope to change this attitude through exhibitions at high traffic areas – schools, community centres, clinics, taxi ranks, and also use posters to create awareness about this opportunity, which will only be for a year as we will have to move on to other areas,” he concluded.

Details: Crebus, 012 664 1590.