The Harvest of Hope community garden has reached an exciting stage, bringing joy to the members who took hands to make the project come to life.

The project is a joint effort between Willowbrook, Ruimsig, Amorosa, Poortview (WRAP) Residents Association, The Toolbox Empowerment Hub and CFAO Mobility.

On March 15, the ground was prepared, paving the way for the first vegetables to be planted. This followed ground preparation and clean-up efforts that were carried out by the team in February. The project has been in the works for more than two years and recently received all the necessary approvals to go ahead.

Andrew Holdsworth, the manager at the Toolbox, explained what has been done on site.

“We had to break the ground up to take out the impurities, like stones and rocks. We put our fertiliser down and mixed it into the soil, and the project is now at the planting phase,” he said.

Once it is up and running, the garden will provide fresh vegetables to more than 60 schools and organisations nearby. Beyond providing fresh vegetables, the project aims to also teach residents how to grow their own food and care for a small garden in a sustainable way.

The Bethany House Trust is one of the first organisations that will benefit from the harvest. Operations manager Gerrit-Maritz Jonker previously expressed that they are excited to be beneficiaries and to take part in this project. Adding that it will make a real difference for the children and staff of the home.

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Residents have shown a positive attitude and support for the project, with most of them eagerly awaiting a time when the vegetables are ready for harvest.