Local organisations start Pretoria community vegetable garden
Youth from the local church cultivate the gardens and plan to spread the effort throughout the west.
An initiative by Hercules Clinic Committee and the Pretoria West Community Care Forum and relevant stakeholders wants to teach residents micro-farming.
Rising food costs have affected the pockets of many residents and the forum believes that it’s high time people take matters into their own hands.
“We want to instil a sense of food security within our communities,” says the chairman of the community forum, and vice-chair of the Hercules clinic community, Johan Cloete.
“We want to start training people to practice micro-farming in their own homes, that way people can save money and have fresh veggies regularly,” Cloete states.
The inspiration behind the effort came from two former clinic community members that have passed away, Marika de Klerk and Annetjie van Schalkwyk.
According to Cloete, the ladies had a vision of growing vegetable gardens for the poorest of the poor, to give families and communities affected by poverty a sense of independence and to cover a basic need.
Along with the community forum and clinic community other stakeholders involved in the effort include, Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk Wesmoot, Holy Cross Home, The Angel Network and Uncle Ben’s Den.
Uncle Ben’s Den located on Botha St in Hermanstad donated a plot of land, some tyres and seedlings as well as other farming equipment to the stakeholders to get started.
Youth from the local church cultivate the gardens and plan to spread the effort throughout the west.
The stakeholders are calling for any parties interested in joining the effort by helping in whatever they can to get in contact.
*Please note this article has been amended
For more information visit the Pretoria West community care forum on Facebook.
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