The community members who are part of an innovative employment and food security project have clocked an astounding 9 100 volunteer days, assisting their communities, since September 2022.
“The teams have gone above and beyond with volunteering and are leading the pack with the days they have given the community. They collected litter, did road repairs, and cleaned up school properties, pension points, crèches and old age homes. This shows the exemplary attitude of the teams, with inspired leadership from Isaac Hlatshwayo and Justice Tshabalala,” said Francois du Toit, chief executive officer of the African Conservation Trust (ACT).
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ACT approached the Sabi Sands Pfunanani Trust (SSPT) with an opportunity to partner with the national government. The aim was to employ 500 people organised into 30 teams, tasked with creating food gardens in 12 communities within the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality. According to Du Toit, conservation economy is where a region’s natural resources are used to benefit community needs, and the project focus was designed to align with both trusts’ conservation economy goals.
“The Mpumalanga node of the Social Employment Fund (SEF) project has a food security focus through the implementation of 23 000 food gardens and thinning of invasive species from 12ha of communal grazing lands. Two critical issues are being addressed – the more than 50% unemployment rate in the area and food scarcity. The newly created 46ha of food gardens should generate Bushbuckridge communities R4.6m monthly in food value,” he explained
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In Metsi village, volunteers have cleared overgrowth from a busy pathway used by schoolchildren and residents, to deter criminal behaviour. Utah volunteers are assisting elderly neighbours with cooking, cleaning and household chores, and are inspiring other residents to follow their example.
According to Du Toit, SEF participants stepped up after flooding in the region.
The community liaison manager of SSPT, Isaac Hlatshwayo, said, “After two weeks of non-stop rain in most parts of Mpumalanga, all communities adjacent to the Sabi Sands Game Reserve were affected by floods, and their roads were badly damaged. Deliveries to the community and public transport were not possible. The Ehlanzeni District Department of Education had to suspend school activities due to the floods.”
He added that the projects’ milestones to date are 250 people trained in agroecological training practices, 46ha of homestead and community food gardens implemented (equating to 23 000 gardens of 20m2), 13ha of invasive vegetation cleared, 6 200m2 of erosion control work completed, and 9 100 volunteer days undertaken.
