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“The story of Thando is one such small fire
that will expand and promote urban farming to ensure
food security in the urban areas. The fruits and benefits
of the Household Food Security Programme are already
being seen and felt yet the programme is still at pilot
phase.” – Artwell Chivhinge (HFS Promoter,
Kwelerha)
Despite being in its early stages, implementation of
the Unisa-SAIDE Programme in Household Food Security
reports from promoters and student indicate that already
the course is bearing fruit in the impoverished urban
and rural communities where they live and work. The
following short story (received from Artwell Chivhinge,
one of the promoters on the programme) relates some
of the things happening as a result of the programme:
Thando Delihlazo comes from Zozo location and is one
of the students on the Unisa Household Food Security
Programme. One of the days he was in East London for
a contact session and he was waiting for taxi to go
home when a female vendor at the taxi rank requested
a glimpse of the study guide that Thando was holding
in his hands. Whilst browsing through the book, the
vendor was surprised by one of the diagrams in the book
that showed vegetables planted in a plastic bag and
asked Thando if that was possible to grow vegetables
in this manner. Thando convinced her to try the method
out at home.
After a month Thando went to see the vendor to check
on her progress. She was very happy to inform Thando
that she had planted spinach and onions in old buckets,
dishes and plastic bags that they were growing very
well and that she was already eating them. She also
told him that when there was no one at home, they put
the vegetables in the house to make sure no one could
tamper with or steal their vegetables.
This experience excited and motivated Thando who is
now planning to work with many households in urban townships
such as Duncan Village and Spunzana to encourage them
to use what ever small space they have to grow vegetables
and improve their nutrition.
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