SEEING that obesity is one of the biggest issues presented by patients at the Westville Clinic and the subsequent need to encourage a healthy diet, a nutrition advisor at the clinic pushed to start a vegetable garden at the front of the facility.

Nutrition advisor Mbali Gumede shared her onerous journey after starting the modest garden in the beginning of the year, which has involved setbacks due to insects and worms destroying planted vegetables.

“I realised that people do not know much about the importance of vegetable gardens, and that is when I spoke to the head of the clinic about starting one,” said Gumede.

With the help of the general worker at the clinic, Belina Sefatsa, and seeds supplied by the municipality, Gumede got to the dirty work of starting the garden, but the challenge of damaging insects and worms persisted until an idea blossomed – to make use of polystyrene boxes which are used to deliver medication to the health centre.

These boxes are used by Carol Lovemore from the Coffee and Compost community, who had also extended a helping hand to Gumede’s initiative, to put soil and compost in them so that seeds can grow and be mulched.

“The use of the boxes is a lovely example of up-cycling,” said Lovemore.

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Gumede said the idea is to educate patients about the importance of a healthy diet, promote “one home, one garden”, and to encourage them to imitate similar gardening methods like the use of the boxes, with whatever materials they may have at home.

Gumede said in the near future she will get more training from Lovemore and she hopes to grow the initiative so that the available space at the clinic is put to good use.

“[It would be good] if we could get assistance with having the trees at the back of the clinic cleared and the soil there tested to see if we can start a garden in that area,” said Gumede.

Gumede added that for now beetroot and spinach have been planted, and that some of the garden’s produce has been shared with two patients.

Lovemore hoped that Gumed’’s initiative will grow and inspire others.

“We are really hoping that this can take off,” said Lovemore.

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