The As-U-R Community Empowerment and Development Foundation successfully hosted their first annually Garden of the Year competition in Eldorado Park.
The event was held at Missouri Secondary School and was supported by City Parks and Zoo, CCBSA, Edufund, Grdaard Green Army and various other stakeholders.
The purpose of the competition was to ignite hope in the community while celebrating those who volunteer their time to take care of the environment through cleaning open spaces and having gardens at their homes.
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It attracted contestants from as far as Orange farm with participants displaying their beautiful home gardens where they plant their vegetables in support of food security.
Mirriam Heyes from As-U-R Community Empowerment and Development said the aim of the event was more than just showcasing home gardens.
“The core objective was to introduce the entrants to the opportunities available within the City Of Johannesburg and its departments and to share them with everyone,” explained Heyes.
The event was also in line with the celebrations of World Soil Day (WSD) celebrated annually on December 5. It is a day dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of having healthy and sustainable soil in communities.
The As-U-R team made a commitment to work tirelessly all year to make sure that the garden of the year competition happens annually as part of promoting sustainability in the community.
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Heyes said, “With the support of our partners and stakeholders, we are confident to say that it’s possible for us to continue empowering those who serve the environment and spark the need and will for others to join this movement.”
Hanif Manjoowill made a presentation on self-sustenance and development of organic vegetables through the distribution of free seeds.
After all was said and done, two new environmental heroes were crowned after the judges went through ten entries.
