Community food gardens plant the seeds of sustainability in Louisiana

The Green Net has begun distributing vegetable seedlings to local townships to help these communities look after their own food needs down the line. The organisation’s recent community garden intervention at the Living Word church in Tweni was a resounding success.

Founder, Helen Dodge, said the initiative encourages families to create their own community food garden that will hopefully sustain them in the future. One of the most frightening aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic so far, says Helen, has been the sheer number of people needing to be fed.

“The one way to help people ensure their own food security in the long term, rather than relying on ‘lockdown’ food parcels, is to re-ignite a culture of home food gardening.” she adds. Already, some families from Louisiana have started a food garden at a crèche, and according to Helen, there is ‘massive scope’ to extend this initiative throughout the Ugu region.

The Green Net now has 18 groups of four households/families involved in the initiative, all of whom are provided with new seeds each week.

We intend to keep growing the project after lockdown, as many of the women are really embracing the idea and making wonderful gardens. The residents are also coming to the party, taking good care of their seedlings, and the hildren are very excited to be planting veggies, – Helen Dodge

Helen singles out Matt Kroll, who travels from Port Edward to bring seedlings for donation in Louisiana, and Dianne Hayter for her invaluable contributions, for a special word of thanks.

If anyone is able to help by way of propagating seedlings, making compost, donating seeds, or donating cash to support any of these activities (or related costs like deliveries), call or WhatsApp Helen at 084 9872018, Dianne at 081 0492435 or Lekky Ngcobo at 083 3205371.

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