Ukhamba Development Project (UDP) based in Rockville at the Enos Mafokate Equestrian Club of Soweto was started in 2009.
The project focuses on environmental education, school holiday programmes and team building for other NGO’s and companies.
Eco-Guide Mzwakhe Nhlapo said: “This project currently consists of 10 people and we work at the centre and additionally as Eco- Guides (people who do environmental education, awareness campaigns, go to schools, do exhibitions and take children to nature spots) for the City of Johannesburg.
“After years of just dealing with education, last year we started developing a food garden at the centre due to the national, provincial and local government programme of food security.”
Furthermore, the team now takes pupils from schools in the area to their centre to teach them more about the environment and gardening.
And to bring variety to the service they provide, UDP are creating and starting a nursery as they say Soweto has no place where people can buy seedlings, plants and trees.
“We currently take seedlings from the centre and just donate them to the community and assist community with their gardens.
“This however, will soon change as we need to start generating money for the project to be sustainable,” he said.
