Walmer garden project keeps hunger at bay
● Community initiative comes into its own as families stay home
A community garden started seven years ago for the benefit of the Walmer community is playing a vital role in the fight against hunger as many struggle to feed themselves during the national lockdown aimed at curbing the transmission of Covid-19.
When Walmer resident Xolani Siwa, 43, started the garden in 2013, his aim was to empower the community by creating employment, spreading knowledge about farming and promoting healthy eating, among other community benefits.
Now, the Lim’uphile project has taken centre stage in feeding a community in need during the lockdown.
Siwa has partnered with Walmer nonprofit organisation Masifunde Learner Development to assemble and donate care packages for 250 families in need.
The packages include vegetables from Siwa’s garden and other food, as well as educational activity booklets for pupils of different age groups.
The Walmer Township NPO, which runs development programmes for children and the youth in Nelson Mandela Bay, buys the vegetables from Siwa, who uses the money to compensate workers from the Walmer community.
Siwa was also a participant in Masifunde’s out-of-school youth programme and started working with the organisation in 2018.
“When I started working on this garden years ago, it was for the benefit of the community and it still is.
“Being able to provide families with healthy vegetables during this time is rewarding proof that we are on the right track.
“However, I would love to see more sponsors come on board so we can grow this and make a bigger community impact,” Siwa said.
With Walmer township being notorious for crime, a community garden brought some positivity to the community, Siwa said, and partnering with Masifunde had helped rope in more youngsters while also keeping them occupied.
“The people of Walmer do have the energy needed to invest in positive community projects but they don’t always use it for such, especially the youth.
“Partnering with Masifunde helped involve the youth in the project because the NPO already had a footprint in the community’s youth-related activities,” he said.
Siwa said he also used the garden to teach Walmer residents about the importance of farming and eating organic vegetables.
“It’s so important to know the benefits of farming your own vegetables, even in the little space you have, because you are able to control what goes into your body.
“We buy and eat a lot of processed foods which are not good for our bodies whereas we could be saving ourselves from that if we planted our own organic vegetables.
“I want the people of Walmer to learn all they can about farming using what they have.
“You don’t necessarily need a big plot of land to start growing your own vegetables,” Siwa said.
Over the years, Siwa’s garden has become the community’s immediate stop for fresh vegetables, with customers coming from different parts of Walmer.
He also supplies other NPOs with vegetables.
“Though the stipends are not much, I try to rotate groups of five community members to work in the garden and also give them some vegetables to feed their families.
“We also identify some struggling families and donate vegetables to them from time to time,” he said.
Masifunde Learner Development donates the packages bi-weekly.