Twenty-six more Heideveld residents have been trained to grow their own food.
The training was made possible by the South African Institute for Entrepreneurship, the Nurul Islam Mosque and a non-profit organisation, Humanitarian Outreach Forum, and it follows the launch of a food garden at the mosque in late July (“Heideveld mosque launches food garden,” Athlone News, August 3)
On Saturday, the institute awarded the residents certificates for completing the training and gave them compost and seedlings to start their own food gardens.
Ernest Boateng, from the South African Institute for Entrepreneurship, said his organisation offered ongoing support for all of those who completed the training over four Saturdays.
“We decided to train the community as a group, so that they can share ideas and help one another, should challenges arise. The expectation is that everybody should start backyard food gardens. Some do not have a big space, but there are alternatives, like growing it in two-litre bottles. There is always a way. The idea is that all the crops will be used for household consumption and that, over time, community food gardens will be established.”
The Covid-19 pandemic had demonstrated the need for people to start growing their own food, he said.
Asa Alexander, 66, is among those who completed the training. She said as a pensioner, it is was hard to make ends meet.
“I went around to different shops this week to find cheaper onions. One retailer sold a 7 kg pocket of onions for R100, and R45 for a small bag. We can’t afford to pay prices like that. If we can grow our own vegetables, we will never be without it, and we would even be able to share it with others. This training was such a benefit for us. My husband cooks 100-litre pots of food for charity, and if we can grow our own vegetables, it will definitely help.”
Zelda Demas, another participant, said: “Covid taught us a lot. We had to learn how to cope and what you can create in difficult times. Things are still hectic out there, and I had to learn. I am grateful for this opportunity and looking forward to all the vegetables I will be growing.”
Joyleen Melton-Gordon said she and a friend, Bonita Williams, had already implemented what they had learned by transforming an illegal dump into a garden.
Anwar Ebrahim, the coordinator of Nurul Islam’s food garden, said at the launch that the crops would support the mosque’s 10 satellite feeding projects, and that the space would be used for teaching and learning.
Thabiet Davids, from Humanitarian Outreach Forum, said the training had been “such a blessing, as it gives people an opportunity to feed themselves, which is empowering”.