Youth plant the seeds for a better future
Five youth from Sephaku village outside Groblersdal, refuse to jump on the bandwagon of those continually blaming government for unemployment
LIMPOPO – These young people started a vegetable garden initiative in August last year to try to put food on the table and keep themselves off the streets.
Members of the Tlareboneng Sephaku Project say they got the idea from their now aged parents. They make a living by selling the produce to people in their community.
The group’s passion and determination for the project continues despite the many challenges they face.
Group member, Lazarus Rampedi (36) says one of the challenges they constantly face is water shortage. He says they need funding to build a fence around the garden and to buy more seeds.
“We use water from a nearby wetland. Sometimes we have to use buckets to fetch water which is a tiresome activity. Livestock gets easy access to the garden because it is not properly fenced.
“We depend on donations from one of our employed members to buy seeds. Last year, we did not sell enough produce to make a decent profit because of the drought,” explains Rampedi.
Rampedi says the setback has not deterred members from their mission and says they are very passionate about making the vegetable garden a success.
“Our team remains committed to the project. We hope government will provide assistance,” he says.
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Senzeni Zokwana, visited the garden site two weeks ago, in line with the department’s youth outreach programme, and promised that government would intervene and help the group grow the project.
