AN exciting partnership, established between a food gardening project, Brettonwood High School and the Queensmead Mall, is not only growing skills and creating jobs, but providing produce for the community to purchase.
Bonisiwe Chonco, entrepreneur and leader of The Perfect Rock farming project which stared as a cooperative and is now a registered NPO, teamed up with Trevor White of the Umbilo Business Forum and counsellor at Brettonwood, in 2017 to develop land at the school for food gardening. The project has grown and gained the support of Queensmead Mall.
“I met Siwe when she was exhibiting at the Sustainable Living Exhibition and she shared with me the dream of involving young people in the work of the cooperative to provide them with training and skills development in agriculture. I was working as a counsellor at the school and when I saw the land at the back of the school property, with resources and a river close by, I knew we could work together,” said Trevor.
Siwe said the purpose of the project was to develop skills in the area and that this was a golden opportunity to change lives. There are currently four men working with Siwe on the project at the school, where crops such as spinach, beetroot, red and green cabbages and green peppers are grown.
Robyn Renzow from Queensmead Mall met with Siwe and Trevor as the centre wanted to get involved with the community. “A project such as this needs support to be sustainable and we saw the potential of this big project. Siwe provides Spar at the centre with vegetables. It is a wonderful initiative and we will try do all we can to keep it going, as it needs support,” she said.
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She said what struck her was the One Home One Garden initiative which she learnt from Siwe, where people learn how to grow their own vegetables at home to feed their families.
“Young people need to be shown how they can used agriculture to put food on the table and generate an income. They need to see how agriculture can be a viable and sustainable career option,” said Siwe.
Trevor said the garden worked well with the school syllabus which included agricultural science for learners from Grade 10 to 12. He said learners in Grade 11 were taught practical steps on how to sow and nurture seeds and about cropping and harvesting through workingwith the project.
The team appeals to the community to help sustain this project through any business advice or transport to get produce to the shops early in the morning. Siwe has also appealed for any funds to purchase more sprinklers for the crops.
If anyone can help get involved in the project, they should contact Siwe on 082 636 9550, Robyn on 082 665 0410 or Trevor on 082 789 1778.
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