Food tunnels to help feed the hungry

FOOD tunnels were provided to local communities in a project headed by the South Durban Basin (SDB) Area Based Management (ABM) office to allow residents to grow food for their families and for profit.

Several tunnels have already been set up, including one at Collingwood Primary School in Wentworth with the aid of partners, Talisman Hire Durban South and Amanzimtoti Community Upliftment Projects (Amcup).

“Tunnel farming assists communities to become self-sufficient and it is also water friendly,” said SDB ABM social development co-ordinator, Anitha Govender.

Talisman CEO, Ernest Jonk added: “Only 10% of the water used in an open garden is used in the tunnel. The turnover from the tunnel is about eight times that of an open garden.

Ganges School in Merebank also received a food tunnel as a prize for naming the safety boards to be set up at local schools. The pupils competed against 20 others in the SDB to win with their suggested name, ‘Wall of Safety’.

“The prize is equally important for teaching the pupils how to farm and cultivate vegetables as well as to show pupils the role farmers play in the supply chain of the country,” said Jonck.

The produce harvested from the tunnel will either be sold to raise funds for the school, or used to provide for underprivileged pupils.