The Umthambeka Drop-In Centre in Thembisa is strengthening food security and creating income-generating opportunities for vulnerable households through its community food garden programme.
Project Manager Cardiala Pilusa says the initiative was established to respond to food insecurity in the area while equipping beneficiaries with practical agricultural skills.
“The food garden has been an initiative of the Drop-In Centre, where the need for food security was identified in order to assist vulnerable households,” Pilusa said. “We recognised that the level of unemployment is high and that many people are living in poverty. The garden helps to provide skills development and creates job opportunities.”
She explained that Thembisa was selected as the focus area due to the organisation’s footprint in the township and the scale of socio-economic challenges faced by residents.
“Our organisation wanted to respond to the challenges identified in the community where we operate. Should an opportunity for land present itself, we would look into expanding the programme, as access to land is essential for farming.”
The project currently supports five households, providing them with a modest income from harvested produce as well as fresh vegetables for home consumption.
“Our garden supports five households, who receive a small income from harvesting as well as fresh vegetables for their homes.The school feeding scheme is supported when there is surplus produce during harvesting.”
She further highlights that in addition to food production, the programme incorporates nutrition education and backyard gardening training for learners as part of its support group activities.
“We teach learners about nutrition and how to plant vegetables in their backyards to help reduce malnutrition through our support groups,” she said.
The food garden forms part of Umthambeka’s broader psychosocial support services, which aim to strengthen families and improve children’s wellbeing.
“The Umthambeka garden supports children and their families by strengthening food security,” Pilusa said. “The organisation also assists in linking them with other stakeholders for further intervention. In addition, we provide preventative programmes such as awareness campaigns.”
She reveals that the programme is also supported by the Shoprite Group through its Act for Change initiative, which backs school-linked food gardens nationwide.
“When learners are nourished, they are better able to engage in the classroom, schools function more effectively and communities are more resilient,” said Sanjeev Raghubir, Chief Sustainability Officer at the Shoprite Group.
“Beyond the plate, community gardens can provide learners with a tangible connection to where food comes from, reinforcing basic concepts of nutrition, sustainability and environmental care,” Raghubir added. “Even when learners are not directly involved in maintaining the gardens, exposure to food growing on or near school grounds can influence long-term attitudes towards healthy eating and the environment.”
The impact of the programme extends beyond Thembisa. Another school-linked garden supported through the Act for Change initiative operates at Modulaqhowa Primary Co-operative Limited in the Free State, where a group of local women cultivate vegetable seedlings and fruit trees while supplying fresh produce to the surrounding community.
Saturday Star