Earth Owl assists local soup kitchen
Earth Owl helps local soup kitchen plant their own garden.
Earth Owl is a local company with the global mission of tackling food security, job creation, skills development and community upliftment.
Aside from teaching local children and teenagers about sustainable farming, the company has recently taken on a few new projects, including the setting up of a garden for a soup kitchen in Alrapark.
Earth Owl was assisted by various children and teenagers in the community to help them construct the garden.
Old tyres were used to create the garden.
“We started with the gardening project about a month ago, although we only started with the soup kitchen’s vegetable garden about two weeks ago,” said Roché Pepler, one of the co-founders of the group.
The main goal for this project is to help with skills development and community upliftment for The Wayside Feeding Scheme so they can become more self-sustainable in growing fresh, organic produce for their soup kitchen.
The soup kitchen is located at the Wayside Feeding Scheme in Alrapark and the newly constructed gardens are located at the Happiness Primary School and next to the Wayside Feeding Scheme in Alrapark.
“The soup kitchen feeds over 20 adults and children daily when they have the resources to prepare warm meals,” Pepler continued.
“This is the reason why helping them to become more self-sustainable is vital for their survival and continuity. “The soup kitchen also takes into consideration that children who suffer from malnutrition also suffer from learning difficulties.
“Through this initiative, we aim to enhance the healthy food intake for children so they have the opportunity and advantage of a proper education.”
To date, Earth Owl has donated seeds, spinach seedlings, bales for mulching as well as manure to the soup kitchen.
“The aim is to assist in this project until the soup kitchen can stand on its own feet so they can provide the assistance to the community they are so desperately trying to achieve,” Pepler concluded.
Limited funds and resources due to the pandemic have made it nearly impossible for management to continue with the soup kitchen.
The soup kitchen welcomes any help or assistance from the community in helping to provide a warm meal to a hungry child and adult.
For any information about the soup kitchen or how to get involved in the gardening project, contact Pepler on 060 482 1280.
