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THABILE GASA’S (VOLUNTEER) GREEN ROUTE HABILE Gasa volunteers for different NGOs in Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal, including Mother of Peace, Amanzimtoti Community Upliftment Project and Durban Botanical Gardens Permaculture Centre.

“My green route starts at home in my permaculture organic vegetable garden and a small fruit forest. We have grapes, granadillas, litchi, avo, pomegranate and mango trees.

“Mother of Peace is an NGO in Illovo that gives abandoned, abused and orphaned children a home. Gerhard van Rooyen and I decided to give back to our community so we started a food forest and raised beds using permaculture ethics and principles. We invited Toti Saints and the Amanzimtoti community to donate seeds and fruit trees to make this project a success. From the harvest the home feeds the children and sells to the community.

“Amanzimtoti Upliftment Project in Lower Illovo runs several projects, including a feeding scheme that feeds the community in and around Amanzimtoti. It also acts as a rehab centre and runs courses teaching the community about their nonGMO vegetable tunnel.

“The Birches Pre-Primary School in Pinetown is a proud International Ecoschool. It has a large recycling station on its car park, a herb spiral, and they make their own compost.

“My route ends with Ntombenhle Mtambo, who has a flourishing food forest in her own back yard. She is an amazing woman, leading by example in Mpophomeni community near Howick. She turns dump sites into productive gardens and almost every home has a small organic garden.” LS