Positive change with green fingers

The children of the Slovo Centre of Excellence recently unveiled their first organic vegetable garden at the centre’s grounds, This unveiling was facilitated by non profit-organisation Postive Cycle . Through sponsorships from outside organisations, Positive Cycle has set out to provide sustainable training to the managing staff of the Slovo Centre of Excellence.

Founder and owner of Positive Cycle Jacques Damhuis pointed out how the organisation got involved with the centre. “I started my relationship with Slovo Centre of Excellence last year. The American Aid Embassy has been supporting them for their work with Aids orphans and has provided sponsorship for this garden project. We eventually got the go-ahead in November last year and have been working toward this opening ever since,” he said.

Instead of just having a garden installed and moving on to the next project, Positive Cycle provided a three-phase plan in which the organisation intends to train members of the centre to effectively utilise the soil for future usage.“I believe that your soil is your starting point to healthy living. Most people don’t realise that healthy soil equals healthy plants, equals healthy people,” Damnhuis said.

Member of Positive Cycle Amy de Breyn pointed out that this training will be hugely beneficial to the members of the centre in the long run. “We are all about sustainability. We prefer to get sponsorship for three years, to help train people to nurture the gardens. Because by then the people running the garden really get to know their soil and weather. What a better way of getting rid of poverty and hunger than installing gardens, teaching them how to use it. Teaching them how to then harvest it, use what they need, ” she said.

Founder and director of the Slovo Centre of Excellence Loirraine Cockrell was overjoyed. “We are happy about our involvement with Postive Cycle, We will be teaching the children of the centre exactly how organic gardening is done as part of their after-school lessons. The children are excited to see what our planting efforts will be like in three to six months’ time, ” she said.

Cockrell went on to explain that centre was established as a resource centre for the surrounding communities. Some of its main objectives have been to provide an aftercare programme, a health and wellness programme, addressing HIV/Aids and other diseases. “We are always in need of more volunteers from the community,” she concluded.

Details: The Slovo Centre of Excellence 011 021 7189;

Positive Cycle 078 732 4405