Organic food garden training for the youth

IN keeping with its philosophy of helping people to help themselves, Amangwe Village recently held a food garden training workshop at which 40 youth from rural areas learnt how to start their own organic food garden.

Bongani Mthethwa, Amangwe’s Organic Food Garden Co-ordinator, conducted the training which was held at Phoziphozi Primary School in Ezidonini and at Thandakhupila Crèche in eNseleni. The project was funded by the uThungulu Community Foundation.

The aim of the workshop was to help the youth have better access to fresh fruit and vegetables, and to instil in them the love of gardening and farming.

Each of the five-day workshops included three days’ theoretical training and one day of practicals.

The theory component included inter-cropping, types of manure, pest control in the garden, how to prepare plots, the use of mulch and soil types.

The final day was utilised by Amose Mtshali, Amangwe Village’s Home-based Care Co-ordinator, to teach the trainees the value of medicinal herbs and plants, and how they can be used to treat minor ailments.

He also spoke about the prevention and management of HIV/Aids and its risks among the youth.

At the end of the workshop, each trainee received a starter kit, which included a watering can, rake, hand shovel and fork.

‘These tools and the recently gained knowledge will assist the youth to make their own food gardens, but also to use it as a way to generate an income for themselves,’ said Amangwe Village Manager, Erna Steynberg.

‘They will be able to sell the produce of their gardens to other community members or form cooperatives which will expose them to a bigger market.’