Mams children learn to plant their own vegetable gardens
The children helped Manti Maifadi of Naledi Farm to plant seeds for onions, spinach, tomatoes and sunflowers.
Children from the Bophelong Children’s home in Mamelodi East got their hands dirty by creating a vegetable garden last week Saturday.
This as the Ke Dinaledi empowerment programme ran a greening project in Mamelodi in celebration of Arbor Month aimed at contributing towards food security and environmental consciousness in Mamelodi.
This year’s theme for Arbor Month was “Trees in our Lives” and the mandate was to bring more trees into the community’s personal space: their homes.
The children helped Manti Maifadi of Naledi Farm to plant seeds for onions, spinach, tomatoes and sunflowers.
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Maifadi prepared three green patches for beetroot, spinach, tomato, onion and flowers.
The children were taught about how to maintain the garden, dead leaves and earthworms.
She encouraged children not to remove them (worms) as they assist in the growth of the plants.
One of the children was nominated as the caretaker of the garden. His responsibilities will include to water the garden every day for the first three days and thereafter three times a week early in the morning or in the evening.
Lehlogonolo Mashego Founder of KE Dinaledi and current Miss Earth South Africa semi-finalist said Mamelodi was one of five sites in which they reached out in fulfilling the objective of the project. Other areas included Daveyton, Polokwane and Tembisa.
Mashego said KE Dinaledi partnered with Myezo Growth and Development Institute (MGDI), a non-profit organisation that focuses on the empowerment of communities in areas such as indigenous knowledge custodianship as part of facilitating active citizenship.
MGDI took interest in this project as the Miss Earth semi-finalist is a former employee of them and also the NPO ambassador of greening the environment.
Managing Director of MGDI Babalwa Fatyi said Naledi Farm was born out of their first book Tshimong Ya Meroho Le Naledi (In the Vegetable Garden with Naledi).
Maifadi said, “One aspect that was even more important for the project was not only to plant trees but to plant items which will serve the receiving beneficiaries”.
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Project administrator Penelope Sibanda further said Bophelong Children’s Home fosters children in need and like any other NGO, they needed funding and additional support.
The home focuses on addressing development, social aspects and mental wellness for an impactful outcome for all children.
Maifadi challenged the public to start a greening patch in their local community.
The social worker at Bophelong children’s home, Lillian Malehase, encouraged the public to donate to them.
The children’s home and Mama Dudu entertained the guests by doing the Jerusalema challenge.
For donations to the children’s, social worker Lilian Malehase can be contacted at 072-174-7218.
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