Sisonke Durban Garden is a permaculture garden behind the Durban Jewish Club which supplies fresh veg and herbs to local restaurants and the Elangeni Hotel.

It was started by homeless men during Covid. The garden has been continued by many and currently three people earn livelihoods from the growing of fresh produce.

Sarah Alsen, director of Sisonke Compost and ex-director of Bioregional SA, has rendered support for the last four years.

“The garden is an exemplar in eThekwini of what an urban farm can look like in achieving many of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) as well as providing microenterprise opportunity and demonstrating a new paradigm in ‘local production for local needs’. It also composts Bokashi treated food waste from four nearby commercial kitchens and uses local garden waste to make compost for use in the gardens,” Alsen shared.

“The garden now needs help. The main grower has fallen ill and the two ladies who work there have no training in food growing or have not been there long, and only work part-time. It could really do with a dynamic garden manager with ideally organic food growing experience to help, and / or volunteers, to assist.”

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Currently the garden reportedly runs at about 50% capacity, which means insufficient earnings for the growers. “But it could be a real opportunity for an enthusiastic entrepreneur with experience in the food growing space, to make this their own market garden space, and get it back up to 100% optimal yield from the growing,” Alsen said.

For more information, interested parties can contact Sarah Alsen on sarah@sisonkedurban.co.za or 084 497 1661, or Sicelo Maphanga on 065 905 1381.

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