Now, as an adult, she has started a family garden with her mother-in-law, Mosibudi Rakgoale, in Hlohlokwe village outside Hoedspruit. After struggling to get jobs as qualified civil engineers, Maaphefo together with her husband, Reshokilwe decided to turn to farming. Since March last year the family has been producing cabbages, spinach, onions, chillies and tomatoes to feed themselves and sell the surplus to the local community.

“Although it was our first harvest, we also managed to donate some of the produce to local crèches. “Ours is not a big operation, in a way it is a family garden to ward off the wolf from the door,” said Maaphefo. One of their biggest challenges to keep the garden going, is the shortage of water.

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She told the Herald that another challenge is the lack of working tools and fertilisers. A reliable market is another challenge. They recently harvested chillies and although a portion of it was sold to a client, they were unable to sell the rest of their chillie harvest. “We try our best to engage with local shops for business, but sometimes it doesn’t always go our way,” she said. For more information, contact Maaphefo Mayisa on 079 243 0771 or Mosibudi Rakgoale on 072 733 0343.