Ms Molefe feeds the nation healthy foods

“When you have a garden you will never go to bed on an empty stomach.”

“The community will always be fed by this garden,” said Ms Refiloe Molefe. Ms Molefe is the mother of urban gardening and she finds joy in seeing her plants grow in the bustle of Bertrams.

“I have always loved gardening from a young age. When you live off the land, you can never go hungry and that is what Bambanani Food and Herb cooperative is all about – feeding the nation,” said Ms Molefe.

Also known to the community as Bertrams Inner City Farm, the farm is all about feeding the community healthy foods and helping those less fortunate.

Ms Molefe said she came to Bambanani by chance and found it to be a home. She never left.

“I got involved with Bambanani which was a project to feed crèche children healthy food. At the time we were 11 people.

“But 10 of them eventually gave up. I stayed because I love gardening and I felt at home,” said Ms Molefe.

The farm was started by the City of Joburg as a means to help the largely unemployed community gain access to a more nutritious and inexpensive diet in 2006.

The 4 800 square metres of land is a small heaven for Ms Molefe and she says she can stay in the garden working the land the whole day.

“When I found this place I found a home because feeding the hungry is something that is dear to my heart. I have tried to do feeding schemes and going around asking shops for donations to feeds the less fortunate. But I got tired of asking and told myself I wanted something that will give me food without having to ask, and farming was my answer.

“I plant and take from the same garden to feed the less fortunate and that is feeding the nation,” said Ms Molofe.

Ms Molefe is very passionate about the garden and said it has created jobs for the volunteers because the farm also sells to the public and that generates money for the farm.

“We are self sustaining and I’m happy to see my baby feeding families. We sell all that we plant. People can come in and buy fresh from the garden and be able to pick for themselves from the garden. We also sell to restaurants,” said Ms Molefe.

“I love working on the farm because I have learnt a lot and I’m studying with Wits in order for me to become a better farmer.

“I want to teach more young people to learn how to live off the land. My children work with me on the farm and I am happy that they are supporting me in my love for farming,” said Ms Molefe.

Ms Molefe said women should believe in themselves. The sky’s the limit, she said.

She has big dreams for the farm and she said she is willing to work hard and touch people’s lives through farming.

“I started farming because I wanted to help others from a young age. I have always wanted to serve the community and now I’m able to do that through farming and also make a living while I’m doing what I love the most,” said Ms Molefe.