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Gardening project
Coordinators: Rose Moyane and Judith ShongweIn response to the poverty and hunger situations which care-workers face on a daily basis, the garden project was initiated to alleviate hunger and to provide a source of income for those families affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis. Thembalethu along with Transvaal Suiker Beperk (TSB), GTZ and the Department of Agriculture agreed that by encouraging orphans, poverty cases, and the elderly to grow gardens, it would empower them to take control of their difficult circumstances.
The project stated in October 2002 when 30 careworkers were trained by TSB in home-gardening methods including innovative watering systems in areas with scarce water supply. These careworkers then went out and trained the families of their patients. Syiapamphila Trust donated a seed tunnel which has accelerated the development of the project and is used to promulgate seeds which are distributed along with organic fertilizer.
By 2007 over 900 gardens were established. The project has had a positive impact with an estimated direct and indirect 10,000 beneficiaries.
THBC’s gardens are kept by careworkers, the Youth in Action, orphans, vulnerable children, and families affected by HIV/AIDS. The vegetables grown by the careworkers are used to feed their own families along with their patients and orphans. Extra produce is sold in local markets. Some of the gardens have achieved profits in excess of R1000 per year.
Towards the end of the year all successful gardens are entered in the annual competition. The aim of the contest is to motivate the gardeners to grow healthy produce.
GARDEN SUCCESS STORIES
THBC assists over 350 “orphan headed households”. These homes are made up of orphans without family or another place to live. It is common to find children in their mid to late teens looking after 2 -3 siblings. The psycho-social problems emanating from these situations are serious and have a long term negative impact on the community. The South African Department of Social Welfare prefers children to stay in their own environment rather than be relocated into children’s homes (orphanages).Most of the homes have gardens and children are supervised by careworkers.
Success Story Gardens
Priscilla Mkhwanazi, a careworker from a village Milddleplaas gains her dignity
Priscilla Mkhwanazi, a careworker from a village Milddleplaas, was one of the first careworkers to become involved in the garden project. She attended training but became despondent when she realized the amount of work required to make a successful garden. Hens, goats and cows roam freely in the village; her home lacked proper fencing; on top of this, there is no running water on her property so she had to fetch water from a communal tap. At first, these problems seemed insurmountable, and Priscilla allowed her garden to deteriorate. She was duly embarrassed when she saw her garden on screen at the annual competition.
During the competition ceremony, when all the gardens are presented, she realized that others in the community had shared similar circumstances, yet they managed to erect fences out of whatever they could find and overcame their water problems. At this event, the other careworkers gave her water-drums and encouraged her to try again.
The next year, Priscilla Mkhwanazi made a speech at the competition, and said that she was ‘sorry for not putting enough effort into her garden in the first year, and for not cooperating with the trainers’. She said that she is now grateful to Thembalethu Home Based Care for supporting her and assisting in her success as a vegetable gardener.
Priscilla also acknowledged that her garden had benefited her greatly. She is now able to feed her family, and to assist people in the community who need food, and best of all, she has a surplus to sell.
This has given her dignity in her community.
Success Story Gardens 2
Orphan headed household now feeds themselves
James Sibiya, the eldest sibling and head of his orphaned family of 5 from Schulzendal village is proud to be able to feed his siblings.
Faced with starvation in one of the poorest villages in the area, he started a home garden but was experiencing difficulty with livestock. The family created their own fencing out of grass, sticks and thorn branches which has kept the livestock out.
In spite of all the challenges that they have faced, they still manage to produce adequate food to support the family.
FOOD SECURITY AT A GLANCE
- The program is managed by two coordinators and 4 helpers. Careworkers assist families, including orphan headed homes, to establish gardens.
- By the end of 2006, 800 gardens were operating and by June 2007, the number reached 873.
- An estimated 2,500 orphans are fed from the gardens.
- A tunnel was donated to THBC by Syiapamphila Trust. It is used to promulgate seeds for the gardens which are supplied with organic fertilizer.
- The gardens produce food for the immediate family to share with neighbors. Many are able to sell the surplus in the markets.
- In 11 villages THBC offer after school programs are running a garden programs (total 660 orphans benefit from the program)
