GALLERY: Vegetable patch for the community
ZANDSPRUIT – One man's passion feeds a community, by means of a farming project and soup kitchen.
Community members of Zandspruit have an organic vegetable supply – thanks to the green fingers of a man who is solely invested in the betterment of the community he lives in.
Alpheos Mashile, is a man seeking the improvement of the neighbourhood he feels so much hope for. About 14 years ago, he started a farming project on an open stretch of land where he plants organic vegetables, a skill he said was passed down to him by his father who was an avid farmer in Mpumalanga. In the early stages of starting the farm, Mashile said that he would spend all day on the land ploughing and going back and forth collecting water form the nearby river stream.
He believes that through farming he is able to help people, especially those who need it the most. His motivation for sustaining the farm are the elderly and sick people he sees every day.
“Once the farm started producing vegetables, I would make sure that I give the grannies some of it, but then I saw that they were frail and needed someone to help cook for them,” he recalled.
It was then that Mashile started a soup kitchen that would help the community even more. On his farm, Mashile has tomatoes, corn, carrots, spinach, garlic, lettuce, beetroot, potatoes, onions, pumpkin and peppers – all of which he works tirelessly to maintain and personally cooks for the elderly in his community.
“I farm because this is my passion, helping people is what I love doing. It’s not just about feeding people – it is also about caring for them and wanting the best for them,” said Mashile.
Along with the soup kitchen and the vegetable farm he developed, Mashile and his friend, Johnny Banda, opened a small library for the children and the community of Zandspruit who wish to educate themselves further. There are also computers in the library. However, because there is no electricity, they are not being utilised as yet.
Next year, Mashile plans to launch his community farm project called Best of Mapulaneng.
Details: Best of Mapulaneng, 071 302 6131.
Related Stories:
Food waste used to grow vegetables
