Tourism greening in the spotlight

Siyavuna Abalimi Development Centre (SDC), based in the enchanting village of Ramsgate, is a registered, non-profit organisation whose primary purpose is to assist in the social and economic empowerment of rural smallholding farmers.

Founded in 2008, it originally started as a food security programme linked to its sister organisation, Give a Child a Family (GCF).

As demands for food security programmes grew, so did the organisation, growing far beyond the needs of GCF.

Siyavuna Abalimi Development Centre (NPO) was officially registered on 21 November 2011.

The programme provides an avenue for all to become economically active and successfully self-employed in the field of organic agriculture.

Rural farmers are trained to grow organic fruit and vegetables, as well as organised into farmers’ associations and co-operatives.

Siyavuna and co-operatives buy produce from farmers on a weekly basis, paying them cash upfront for their produce and then selling it in urban areas under the Kumnandi brand.

One of the greatest challenges facing local farmers is in marketing their own produce.

Because of the efforts of SDC, farmers now have a market in close proximity to their homes.

Siyavuna employs a team of mentors who work one-on-one with the farmers, helping them develop their skills, increase production and advance sales.

Over the last nine years, 2000 families have participated in the programmes that involve growing organic produce and selling it for the Kumnandi brand.

Their efforts have been successful in improving the livelihoods of our local community and mitigating food insecurity.

SDC has been involved in research projects to scale up the economic rewards of top producing farmers, allowing them to transition into the next stage of agriculture.

This enabled the start-up of the Dried Vegetable Project, for participating small holding farmers to grow vegetables for drying at a central location in Ramsgate, where fresh produce will be sliced, diced, blanched, dried and packaged to be sold.

For more info, contact Oxolo Mofokeng (Executive Director) at oxolo@siyavuna.org.za or 039 3120543.

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