Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems Vol 1

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems

Volume 2: Resource Material

for Facilitators and Food Gardeners

Part 1:

Introduction, Chapters 1-3

Report to the

Water Research Commission

CM Stimie, E Kruger, M de Lange & CT Crosby

WRC Report No. TT 431/1/09

January 2010

Obtainable from

Water Research Commission

Private Bag X03

Gezina 0031

The publication of this reportemanates from a project entitled: “Participatory

Development of Training Material for Agricultural Water Use in Homestead Farming

Systems for Improved Livelihoods” (WRC Project number K5/1575/4).

This report forms part of a series of reports. The other report is entitled “Agricultural

Water Use in Homestead Gardening Systems – Main Report” (WRC report no.

TT 430/09).

DISCLAIMER

This report has been reviewed by the Water Research Commission (WRC) and

approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily

reflect the views and policies of the WRC, nor does mention of trade names or

commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

ISBN 978-1-77005-918-4

Set No. 978-1-77005-919-1

Printed in the Republic of South Africa

Acknowledgements

WRC Research Project Reference Group:

Sanewe, AJ (Dr) Chairman (Water Research Commission)

Backeberg, GR (Dr) Water Research Commission

Crosby, CT (Mr) Private Consultant

Dladla, WR (Mr) Zakhe Training Institute

Ferreira, F (Ms) UNISA

Gabriel, MJM (Ms) DoA: WUID

Van Averbeke, W (Prof) Tshwane University of Technology

Williams, JHL (Mr) Independent Consultant

Sally, H (Dr) International Water Management Institute

Moabelo, KE (Mr) Tompi Seleka Agricultural College

Mariga, IK (Prof) University of Limpopo

Monde, N (Dr) Human Sciences Research Council

Engelbrecht, J (Mr) Agriseta

WRC Research Project Team:

CM Stimie (Mr) Project Leader –Rural Integrated Engineering

M de Lange (Ms) Coordinator – Socio-Technical Interfacing

E Kruger (Ms) Principal Researcher – Mahlatini Organics

M Botha (Mr) Layout and Sketches – Tribal Zone

W van Averbeke (Prof)Urban agriculture –Tshwane University of

Technology

J van Heerden (Mr) Engineering – Rural Integrated Engineering

CT Crosby (Mr) Advisor – Private consultant

The dedication and passion of Erna Kruger, Marna de Lange and Charles Crosby for

this project and its outcomes are acknowledged with gratitude.

Special recognition and acknowledgements to:

LIRAPA– Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Nutrition and Home

Economics, Horticulture Division, PO Box 14915, Maseru 100, Lesotho.

Department of Crop Services, Horticulture Division, PO Box 7260, Maseru 100,

Lesotho

MaTshepo Kumbane and the Water for Food Movement

Collaborated with:

The Smallholder Systems Innovation (SSI) Programme from UKZN in Potshini,

The Farmer Support Group

School of Bio-resource Engineering, UKZN

Specific thanks to Michael Malinga and Monique Salomon (FSG), Prof

Graham Jewitt, Victor Kongo, Jody Sturdy (SSI).

DWAF pilot programme for Homestead Rainwater Harvesting

World Vision; Okahlamba Area Development Programme – specific thanks to

Jamie Wright and Monica Holtz

ARC (ISCW); Eco-Technologies Programme in Hlabisa – specific thanks to

Hendrik Smith and the local DAEA extension office

Pegasus, Mpumalanga

LIMA Rural Development Foundation – Eastern Cape

AWARD – Limpopo

Bush Resources – Bushbuckridge

Border Rural Committee – Eastern Cape.

Centre for Adult Education (UKZN) – specific thanks to Zamo Hlela and Kathy

Arbuckle.

Umbumbulu – thanks to the Ezemvelo Farmers Association and assistance by

Dr Albert Modi, Crop Science Department, UKZN

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems

Resource Material

for

Facilitators and Food Gardeners

Introduction to the

Resource Material

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

iii

Chapters: Resource Material

Introduction to the Learning Material (TT 431/1/09)

Chapter 1 Rural realities and homestead food gardening options (TT 431/2/09)

Chapter 2 - Facilitation of homestead food gardening (TT 431/2/09)

- Handouts: Chapter 2 – Homestead Food Gardener’s Resource Packs

Chapter 3 - Living and eating well (TT 431/2/09)

- Handouts: Chapter 3 – Homestead Food Gardener’s Resource Packs

Chapter 4 - Diversifying production in homestead food gardening (TT 431/3/09)

- Handouts: Chapter 4 – Homestead Food Gardener’s Resource Packs

Chapter 5 - Garden and homestead water management for food gardening

(TT 431/3/09)

- Handouts: Chapter 5 – Homestead Food Gardener’s Resource Packs

Chapter 6 - Soil fertility management: Optimising the productivity of soil and water

(TT 431/4/09)

- Handouts: Chapter 6 – Homestead Food Gardener’s Resource Packs

Chapter 7 Income opportunities from homestead food gardening (TT 431/4/09)

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Introduction to the Resource Material

Table of Contents:

Introduction to the Resource Material

Table of Contents: Introduction to the Resource Material................................ v

List of Figures ........................................................................................................... vi

List of Tables ............................................................................................................ vi

List of Activities ........................................................................................................ vi

List of Case Studies & Research ............................................................................ vi

The use of icons in the material ........................................................................... vii

Rationale for this work............................................................................................. 1

How this resource material responds to rural realities ....................................... 2

Objectives of the research.................................................................................... 4

Overall objective .................................................................................................... 4

Specific objectives ................................................................................................. 4

Deliverables through the research process ........................................................ 4

Products of this research process (available documents) ................................ 5

Cyclic, interactive learning processes: Look, learn, do ..................................... 9

Sensible approach to training needs assessments ............................................ 9

Defining ‘most promising’ methods and technologies ................................... 11

Development and testing of the Resource Material ....................................... 12

Impact of the use of the material ...................................................................... 12

Stakeholder consultation ..................................................................................... 13

Incentives for homestead farming ..................................................................... 15

Different incentives for different people ........................................................... 16

Tools to help us differentiate between incentives ............................................ 22

Get growing! Mobilising people into production ............................................. 32

Keep on growing your garden: Motivators and disruptors ............................. 35

Purpose and targeting of mobilisation .............................................................. 39

The ‘first brick’: Food security and resilience through diversification ............. 39

Spin-off benefits: Healthy eating for all .............................................................. 39

Second-phase: Income opportunities ............................................................... 40

Emotional healing as a foundation for food security ...................................... 41

Psychological effects of hunger ......................................................................... 41

Hunger as the ultimate symbol of powerlessness ............................................. 42

The need for harmonious and supportive relationships................................... 44

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

The role of support groups in healing and overcoming powerlessness ........ 45

The role of joy, fun and laughter in healing ...................................................... 46

List of Figures

Figure 1: Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs................................................ 17

List of Tables

Table 1: Description of interactive learning processes used ........................... 9

Table 2: Alternative process for effective Training Needs Assessment ........ 10

Table 3: The ten human capabilities ................................................................. 20

Table 4: Linking household typologies to livelihoods and appropriate

interventions ........................................................................................................... 30

List of Activities

Activity 1: ‘Pull factors’ for homestead production ........................................ 21

Activity 2: Identifying incentives and disincentives within the different

household typologies............................................................................................ 31

Activity 3: The effects of hunger ....................................................................... 42

Activity 4: Universal feelings experienced by the hungry ............................ 44

List of Case Studies & Research

Case study 1: Ms Beauty Mbhele (Mantshalolo Village) ............................... 23

Case study 2: Mr Michel Mbhele (Kayeka Village) ........................................ 25

Case study 3: Mr Phelemon Mnguni (Ziqalabeni Village) ............................ 28

Introduction to the Resource Material

vii

The use of icons in the material

You will find that several different icons are used throughout the Learning Material.

These icons should assist you with navigation through the Chapter and orientation

within the material. This is what these icons mean:

Facilitation tools

Processes that you can use in workshop situations,

to support your work in the field.

Research /Case study

The results of research or case studies that

illustrate the ideas presented.

Looking at research, facts and figures

to help contextualise things.

Activity

This indicates an exercise that you should do

– either on your own (individual) or in a group.

Copy and handouts

These sections can be copied and used

as handouts to learners / participants.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

viii

Introduction to the Resource Material

1. Introduction

Rationale for this work

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition among development

practitioners in South Africa of the central importance of household food security.

Particularly, greater appreciation developed of the impact of food insecurity and

malnutrition – especially among preschoolers – on the individual, the family, and the

wider economy. Focus started to shift to the potential role of the homestead yard in

food production for improved family diets, and government started to realise that

lack of water had prevented many people from growing crops in their backyards.

This Resource Material for Facilitators and Food Gardeners on Agricultural Water

Management in Homestead Farming Systems was developed with funding by the

Water Research Commission (WRC) of South Africa, and is the output of a research

project entitled: “Participatory development of training material for agricultural

water use in homestead farming systems for improved livelihoods”.

The process of ‘participatory development’ of the material entailed two main

aspects:

Drawing widely on the material and know-how of practitioners in the fields of

household food security, homestead farming, farmer training, rainwater

harvesting and homestead water management, thereby achieving a collation of

existing expertise and material; and

Field testing and refinement of the collated material with food secure and

insecure households in rural villages.

The material built particularly on existing material of the Food and Agriculture

Organisation of the United Nations (FAO, 1997), the LIRAPA manual (Kruger, 2007)

and various South African resources. Through this WRC research project, it has been

integrated with the practical experience of practitioners and then field tested – in its

integrated form – for local circumstances.

The following aspects of the resource

materials can be viewed as innovations or

useful adaptations of existing practices:

Well-known Ma Tshepo Khumbane

devoted forty working years to

household food security facilitation,

and had countless successes in

mobilising households for food security.

One of the more difficult challenges for

facilitators who wanted to learn from

her, is to use her ‘present situation

analysis’ in the Mind Mobilisation

process, because this can be very traumatic for participants, and thus for

facilitators. (See Chapter 2 for more details). It is however, a very effective

mobilisation tool… A breakthrough came when the research team developed

the Nutrition Workshop as an alternative mobilisation tool to be used within the

This resource material is aimed at

facilitators and tutors-of-

facilitators in household food

security, homestead farming and

rainwater harvesting.

It also contains handout materials

for food

ardeners.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

overall Mind Mobilisation process. The Nutrition Workshop, measured effects of its

use, and later refinements of the process are described in Chapter 3.

This resource material draws, practically, on ways to understand and deal with

the psychological aspects that typically affect food insecure households. When

these are overcome, the journey to food security and wellbeing becomes much

more achievable.

The use of learning groups has been advocated and used with varying degrees

of success in agricultural development in recent years. Through this research, and

again, practical experience of a wide range of people, it was possible to better

define and refine the proper role for a ‘Garden Learning Group’ (or any other

name preferred by the particular group of households) to enable households to

support each other morally, while avoiding conflicts which most often stem from

some form of induced economic interdependence among group members.

In knowledge sharing with and among households, the successful use of

household experimentation as a learning process is well worth mentioning, and

discussed in more detail in Chapter 2.

On the technical side, a significant range of technologies were selected and

field-tested, based on their affordability for cash-strapped households, and on

how they build up rather than break down the environment. Of particular interest

is the practical integration of a range of rainwater harvesting techniques with

organic plant production practices.

This Resource Material complements the Household Food Security Facilitators’ short

learning course at UNISA, as well as further courses planned by UNISA’s Human

Ecology Department that will draw on this material.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal was a valuable partner in the development of this

material and is presenting an elective on household water management as part of

its CEPD (Certificate in Education; Participatory Development) programme,within

the School of Education.

The Department of Agriculture requested the project team to develop specific

training courses as part of the implementation of the Agricultural Education and

Training, drawing on this resource material.

How this resource material responds to rural

realities

In the decade or so after the 1994 elections, agricultural extension and assistance

was targeted at group projects, rather than at individual or household initiatives. This

approach was adopted to enable government to reach more people

simultaneously, but has meant that assistance was not targeted at households who

wanted to develop independently, rather than being part of a group project

(communal garden, chicken project, irrigation scheme, land reform project, etc.)

Several shifts in thinking have since taken place, including the following:

An increased realisation of the reality of malnutrition and food insecurity in South

African households, exacerbated by the rapid food and fuel price increases in

2007/08;

Introduction to the Resource Material

Better understanding of the challenges

inherent in group-based projects –

especially the typical conflicts around

the handling of group finances;

An appreciation of the potential for

food production in the homestead

yards – a neglected tradition – and the

need for water to enable production at

the homesteads; and

Awareness of the potential of a range

of water access options, over and

above the conventional bulk supply and piped distribution systems; namely

‘multiple-use-systems (MUS)’, and especially rainwater harvesting in its various

forms.

The strategy of homestead production was voiced by poor people during the World

Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) hosted in Johannesburg in 2002. Food

insecure women from various provinces gathered at the World Summit and declared

‘War on Hunger’. Calling themselves the Water for Food Movement, they vowed to

do everything they could to achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 1a,

namely: “to reduce by half the number of people living with hunger, by 2015.”

To diplomats, ministers, and officials at the World Summit, they said: “We are the ones

going hungry, not you. Therefore we are the ones who must beat hunger and

achieve MDG1. Please don’t block us. If you can, walk next to us,but not in front of

us, dictating to us. We know our situation better than you do; this is our ‘war’.”

These women then returned home and showed practically at their homes what they

meant, by harvesting rainwater and digging underground rainwater tanks (or

‘dams’) to support their homestead production. Stemming from their demonstrated

success, the then Department of Water Affairs and Forestry approved a subsidy to

introduce rural households across the country to this type of low-cost, but intensive

home food production, and to finance the construction of homestead rainwater

dams to enable people to grow nutritious food at home – throughout the year.

The Water Research Commission (WRC) recognised homestead farming (and

especially food gardening) as poor households’ own self-identified coping strategy

to help protect themselves against the vulnerabilities of poverty. WRC then decided

to develop this resource material for facilitators on ‘Agricultural Water Management

in Homestead Farming Systems’ to help support poor households in their efforts to

grow food.

This resource material thus responds to people's initiatives, and is aimed at helping

households to grow more food at home, while using as little as possible of their

scarce cash resources.

It also provides some ideas for value-adding and marketing strategies to support

those households that decide to take their production to the next level.

(See Chapter 7: Income opportunities from homestead farming)

There developed a new focus on

the household itself – in its

existing context – and how they

could produce food (and possibly

a bit of income) in their own

homesteads, to improve their

secu

ity

situati

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Objectives of the research

Overall objective

The overall objective of the research sets its focus clearly on home food security, and

practical testing of the learning materials, as follows:

The specific objectives, deliverables and products for the research were as follows:

Specific objectives

1.Identify current indigenous crop/livestock production practices.

2.Describe water related practices and efficiency of water use.

3.Identify developmental constraints on opportunities from natural resources,

infrastructure, human resources, HIV/AIDS, gender considerations, nutrition,

institutions and culture, for both rural and urban households.

4.Specify alternative and improved agricultural practices for use in

homestead gardens.

5.Determine economic incentives and entrepreneurial opportunities with

specific reference to the youth.

6.Identify value adding opportunities and appropriate marketing systems.

7.Determine training needs of household/home gardeners in relation to

available knowledge.

8.Develop and test training material to address needs.

9.Implement the training programme and interactively refine materials with

trainers and households.

10.Assess the impact of the project on food security of trained households.

Deliverables through the research process

1.Situation analysis report for South Africa.

2.Situation report for the selected target communities.

3.Report on how to use or to improve indigenous practices/systems, and on

possible alternative agricultural practices/systems for the selected areas.

4.Report on potential economic incentives and opportunities with specific

reference to the youth and value adding opportunities and appropriate

marketing systems.

5.Report on training needs of households/home gardeners in the selected

Improve food security through homestead food gardening,

by developing and evaluating the appropriateness and

acceptability of training material for water use

management, training the trainers and training household

members in selected areas.

Introduction to the Resource Material

areas in relation to most promising opportunities.

6.Proceedings of the first stakeholder workshop to obtain feedback from

stakeholders on the previous two reports.

7.Report on the refinement of practices and technologies after participatory

evaluation.

8.Progress reports on development and testing of training material.

9.Report on the effectiveness of the training methodology and

implementation

10.Proceedings of the second stakeholder workshop to obtain feedback from

stakeholders on the previous two reports.

11.Final training material.

12.Final report.

Products of this research process (available documents)

1.Situation analysis report for South Africa (Raise awareness of potential and

constraints of household agricultural production).

2.Situation analysis for selected target communities (selected areas report)

(Inform policy makers of the scope for and constraints on household

agricultural production).

3.Report on existing practices and technologies (Inform policy makers of the

scope for and constraints on household agricultural production).

4.Impact analysis of introduced technologies and training (Informing for

policy and budget considerations).

5.Training material (The Resource Materials for facilitators to implement

training).

6.Final report (Informing policy and implementation programmes).

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

2. Guiding Principles and Overview

The Chapters contained in this resource material follow a certain logic, based on key

questions the WRC research team had to ask itself.

On household mobilisation

Acknowledging that, while more and more households are starting home food

gardens, many others don’t believe it is possible or worthwhile, the research team

asked itself: “

The research team developed and field tested the ‘nutrition workshop’, and found it

a very effective method to ‘create discomfort’ – which we know is where all

changes in habit springs from. The nutrition workshop enables the household to

analyse their own diets, discover the gaps, and choose crops to plant in their home

gardens to fill those gaps.

On ‘need-to-know’:

Deeply aware of the bewildering amount of information on organic production

methods, family nutrition, irrigation and water management, the researchers asked

themselves:

The topics of the chapters in this Facilitators’ Resource Materials manual stems from

that analysis, namely:

Chapter 1 Rural realities and homestead food gardening options

Chapter 2 Facilitation of homestead food gardening

Chapter 3 Living and eating well

Chapter 4 Diversifying production in homestead food gardening

Chapter 5 Garden and homestead water management for food gardening

Chapter 6 Soil fertility management: Optimising the productivity of soil and water

Chapter 7 Income opportunities from homestead food gardening

Handouts Homestead Food Gardener’s Resource Packs

“What is the minimum, essential knowledge a household

would need to successfully grow an intensive, worthwhile

home food garden? And then, what does the facilitator need

to understand to accompany these households on that

journey of discovery?”

How can the significance of

food gardening become a

reality in people’s minds?”

Introduction to the Resource Material

These chapters contain a lot more than the essential information. They enable a

facilitator to select what is appropriate to any specific garden learning group.

On cash-scarcity:

Recognising that these households are growing their own food precisely because

they have too little cash to buy enough nutritious food, the research team asked

itself:

Because of the reality of cash-scarcity, we believe the Low-External-Input Sustainable

Agriculture (LEISA) farming system (See Chapter 1: Rural realities and homestead

farming options) works best for homestead farming.

How can we select the

methods included in this

resource material to be

appropriate to the context

they will be used in?”

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

3. Project process:

Developing the Resource Material

The research process and the development of the resource materials can be

summarised as follows.

The Water Research Commission research team:

-Collated existing material;

-Consulted other practitioners in three different ways, namely:

One-on-one consultations;

Worked together in the field; and

Held two well-attended stakeholder workshops;

-Developed and implemented draft learning material with households in

several villages, with Potshini as the main site. In implementing the draft

learning material, the research team:

Worked through learning groups;

Emphasised follow-up home visits;

Emphasised learning processes that spanned at least one full growing

season, but preferably longer;

Used household experimentation as a learning tool;

Refined the mobilisation, facilitation and support processes; and

Refined the technologies with households, based on their experiences

with them;

-Wrote the required deliverables and built these into the Chapters of the

Resource Material where relevant. Of special significance were the following

deliverables (these are described in more detail in section 4 of this document

and in the Final Report: Participatory Development of Training Material for

Agricultural Water use in Homestead Farming Systems for Improved

Livelihoods):

An alternative approach to training needs assessment;

Refinement of practices and technologies after participatory

evaluation; and

Impact assessment on the effectiveness of the training methodology

and implementation of technologies;

-Tried several approaches for training and support of facilitators, and built

these lessons into the chapters of the resource material where relevant;

-Refined and finalised the Resource Materials; and

-Wrote a final report (WRC, 2009).

Introduction to the Resource Material

4. Lessons learnt and impact of the

research process

Herewith an overview of the key lessons learned and impacts achieved in this

research and implementation process.

Cyclic, interactive learning processes: Look, learn, do

In the report on training needs assessment, the research team argued that cyclic,

interactive learning processes were most appropriate and effective in the

homestead food gardening context. Adults learn best:

from each other;

when there is an immediate need; and

in cyclic, practical processes.

Table 1: Description of interactive learning processes used

PROCESS ACTIVITIES METHODS/TOOLS

ASSESSMENTOBSERVATION

LAYOUT DRAWINGS

FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS

SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS

PARTICIPATORY RURAL APPRAISAL

ANALYSISLEARNING

ADULT EDUCATION

FARMER-TO-FARMER

LEARNING GROUPS

IN SITU ANALYSIS OF GARDENS

EXPERIMENTATION

- FOR PROBLEM

SOLVING

ACTION

FARMER EXPERIMENTATION

ACTIVITY CHARTS

DEMONSTRATIONS

EMPOWERMENT

-FOR OWN CHOICES

TO CHANGE

PLANNING

MINDMOBILIZATION

VISIONING

INDIVIDUAL RECORD-KEEPING

By using a greater variety of methods/tools, as shown in the table above,

opportunities for interactive, practical learning were maximised. In each cycle,

learning is reinforced and deepened.

Sensible approach to training needs assessments

Conventional training needs assessments attempt to produce a list of ‘training

needs’ for a geographical area. This inevitably results in a ‘shopping list’ of training

needs which may well be generally applicable, but almost certainly fail to fit the

specific training needs of any particular individual within that area.This results in

ineffective spending on ‘training needs assessments’, and subsequently less-than-

Examples

New ideas

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

ideal content of learning processes.

In contrast, we propose an alternative approach to training needs assessment for

homestead food gardening.

It starts with the generic (which is broad enough to cover the overall topic in

most contexts);

Followed by an approximate contextualisation (for instance,according to the

local natural resource base); and

Then eventually, specific training needs are defined only once the learning

group has been formed and prior learning of the participating households

established.

Table 2: Alternative process for effective Training Needs Assessment

GENERIC:

LEARNING

CONTENT

AREAS

The WRC Facilitators’ Resource Material contains a generic set of learning

content areas applicable to homestead agriculture. This is effectively

what is “on offer”, from which an applicable combination of material can

be extracted for any particular set of needs.

The WRC Research team collated this resource material through wide

consultation and in-field testing. Facilitators can further augment this from

other sources, should peculiar needs arise in a particular learning group.

SITUATION

ANALYSIS:

REVIEW

BROAD

CONTEXT

It is NOT necessary to perform a detailed training needs assessment at the

village or regional level

Establish whether there is an expressed need for household gardening,

and specifically for training in household gardening

Look at physical factors to see whether (and which of) the

recommended soil and water management practices would work in the

local context. Walk around the area and use external data sources to find

out more about the conditions for gardening in the area.

Find out what related processes have already taken place in the area.

Are people gardening? How well are they doing? Have they had training

before? What types of learning processes are preferred? Who is the

specific target group for further training interventions?

Establish whether there are any socio-political issues which may help or

hamper the implementation of a training programme in homestead

agriculture

SPECIFIC

TRAINING

NEEDS OF

HOUSEHOLD

LEARNING

GROUP:

“LEARNING

AND

ACTION

AGENDA”

Confirm that the members of the household learning group are clear

about what they want and can expect from participation in the

homestead food gardening training programme; their expressed training

need/learning agenda

Facilitate a group process through which members can express their

know-how in gardening. This provides a way to recognise prior learning

(RPL) in the group.

Facilitate a “nutrition gap analysis” with the learning group. The

households’ shortfalls in the “Go,Grow and Glow” food categories are

then used to plan their garden production and their “learning and action

agenda” for the current season.

Pick the actual training content from the WRC Facilitators’ Learning Toolkit

to suit theirlearning agenda.

Incorporate own experimentation throughout the learning plan.

Throughout the training programme, ask households about whether any

specific problems are arising and where appropriate and possible, adapt

the learning agenda to cover such issues.

Introduction to the Resource Material

Defining ‘most promising’ methods and technologies

After much debate, the team reached agreement on how to define the “most

promising” methods and technologies.

We believe this definition provides a handy way of identifying further “promising

technologies” in future. The most promising technologies identified to date include

LEISA, (See Chapter 1) deep trenching and tower gardens (See Chapter 4), the run-

on water system, home-based water storage, and treadle pumps (See Chapter 5).

Following practical implementation, experimentation and evaluation in the field, we

were able, in the “Report on the refinement of practices and technologies after

participatory evaluation”, to analyse each of the technologies that were introduced

at the hand of the following questions:

1.A description and/or analysis of the method/technology (What does it

entail?);

2.How the method differed from existing local practice (How is it different?);

3.How the method had been refined or adapted to improve it or make it more

suitable (How has it been refined?)

4.The outcome of assessments with households on how their performance

compared to existing local practice (Do people say it works better?); and

5.Measurements (where possible) of the performance of these methods and

technologies (How much better/worse?).

These questions provided a framework for systematic and comparative analysis and

reporting on the refinement of the technologies, as well as the effects of the

refinement. It provided a framework within which bothpeople’s opinion on the

usefulness of a technology, and available scientific work on the subject, could

contribute to the analysis. (For more detail on this, please see the Final Report.)

This set of questions also provides a mechanism for analysis and comparison of

further technologies as they become apparent in future. For instance, in field visits

subsequent to the completion of this report, we found it easier to assess the suitability

of the newly developed ‘pipe pump’ and the diaphragm pump, and a home-made

innovation for water-storage-and-irrigation which we discovered in one of the sites.

These methods and technologies have in common that

they help people get more for their effort in a cash

scarce situation.

These methods help people to intensify their

production thus getting better crop yield and quality,

while using low cost methods and locally available

inputs.

This im

roves efficienc

in the use of resources.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

The method of analysis also helped highlight for us where we may not have been

clear enough in our own thinking on certain aspects. For instance, it was somewhat

difficult to explain the run-on concept to households, and working through the

theory and practice of it amongst ourselves, we all gained new insights and felt we

would be better able to explain it to others in future (see the section on ‘Turning

runoff into run-on’ in Chapter 5).

It is a well-known phenomenon that tension almost invariably arises in

multidisciplinary teams, typically because of the difference in points of departure

and thinking processes employed by technically and socially oriented people,

respectively. We feel that the development of the Resource Materials benefited

greatly from constructive interdisciplinary analysis and interaction among members

of our team. Possibly, the way in which the questions lent equal weight to technical

and social matters, helped the interdisciplinary process of analysis.

Development and testing of the Resource Material

The research team used the following two questions in selecting the basic content of

the learning material contained here:

-For Households’ learning content: What is the essential knowledge a

household needs to grow food at home?

-For Facilitators’ learning content: What would a facilitator need to know and

be able to do, to teach or facilitate this content for food gardeners?

This approach provided sufficient structure and logic to plan the layout and content

of the learning modules for facilitators, as well as the handouts for food gardeners,

the latter which is included here in several languages.

The feedback received on the draft material, both during the second stakeholder

workshop and independently from other individuals, has been positive. There is great

interest in the utilisation of the material by several public and private training

institutions. The process of developing and testing the training material is discussed in

detail in the Final Report (WRC, 2009).

Impact of the use of the material

The report on the effectiveness of the training methodology and implementation

sought to answer two main questions:

1.To what extent have people taken up and implemented the new ideas brought

to them through the training?

2.How has the process used to introduce people to the new ideas affected the

uptake of the new ideas?

From surveys undertaken by the WRC team and others, it was clear that both the

uptake and continued use of the technologies at Potshini had surpassed

expectations. (See Final Report for details).

On the second question, the research team felt that our point of departure on

effective training methodology for the rural homestead context had been validated.

Introduction to the Resource Material

Our approach is described in significant detail in the Training Needs Report, and our

conclusions after evaluation are, in a nutshell:

-The use of Garden Learning Groups and learning through own household

experimentation is highly effective.

-The use of household self-analysis of nutrition gaps (the Nutrition Workshop) is

an important innovation as a ‘mind mobilisation’ tool to catapult households

into action, i.e. to start gardening to address their nutrition gaps. (The most

common nutrition gaps are protein and micronutrient deficiencies which are

easily available from fruit and vegetable production at home).

-Rushed training without follow-up is worth very little, and training and support

should be spread over at least one to three seasons to allow people to

experience the entire agricultural calendar – with the necessary support for

seasonal problems as they arise.

The process of analysis of the impact of training had a useful side-effect for the

research team. It sharpened our minds to the challenge of ‘training the trainers’

especially trainers for whom this would be a relatively new and unknown field of

practice. Again, rushed, quick-fix approaches to the preparation of facilitators

yielded disappointing results.

In contrast, the material was used very effectively (with merely some telephonic

input from the WRC team members) by an experienced facilitator with appropriate

agricultural background.

This led us to identify two complementary strategies for the development of skilled

Household Food Security (HFS) Facilitators, namely:

-Longer term, structured academic and practical education of HFS Facilitators;

and

-Transfer of the material and concepts to skilled agricultural facilitators, who

could in turn provide a ‘learning-by-doing’ opportunity for new facilitators by

training and mentoring them in real-life implementation situations.

Stakeholder consultation

In addition to one-on-one discussions with other practitioners and various

stakeholders throughout the research period, two stakeholder workshops were held.

The first stakeholder workshop was well attended by a good cross-section of

practitioners, researchers and officials. It was held in Bergville, and included a field

visit to Potshini village, where stakeholders could interact with households that had

been part of the research process, and could witness the results of the facilitation

and learning processes. For the research team, the main outcome of the first

stakeholder workshop was a strong recommendation by stakeholders that the

research output should NOT be a single ‘training course’ or ‘training material’.

Stakeholders argued that due to the range of situations found in practice, resource

material or a “facilitator’s resource pack” would be of greater benefit. This would

enable practitioners to select material from the resource material and tailor make

their own learning processes in response to every new situation they may encounter

over time.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

The Reference Group and the Water Research Commission accepted this change,

with the following consequence:

-The material in Chapters 1 to 7 was structured as resource material, rather

than a training course.

-The material was still structured along Outcomes Based Education principles,

using interactive layout, examples, case studies and activities for facilitators’

self-study.

-The material also contains structured facilitation tools which the facilitator can

use for interactions with target households in field situations.

-A set of handouts was added, namely the ‘Homestead Food Gardener’s

Resource Packs’, which contains material that facilitators may give to

participants in the facilitation processes that they undertake.

The second stakeholder workshop was not a large affair. Instead, the team aimed at

inviting skilled and knowledgeable individuals representing a cross-section of

fieldworkers, training and development practitioners and academics, who all have

an interest in the interface between household food security and homestead water

management.

The day was most valuable, with meaningful debate and concrete suggestions to

the WRC team towards the refinement of the material, its possible application

through various institutions and processes, and mechanisms for the future training

and establishment of Household Food Security facilitators.

Some of the key suggestions were to strengthen the Facilitators’ Resource Material as

much as possible with references to scientific work, where these were available; and

to seek opportunities to introduce and test the material in further test sites in follow-

up work to the current WRC project. This has been done, and references are

provided throughout Chapters of the Resource Material.

This material can be adapted for a variety of stakeholders to suit their needs. It can

also be augmented by developing material above and below NQF (National

Qualifications Framework) level 5.

Introduction to the Resource Material

5. Points of departure

Incentives for homestead farming

What motivates people to grow food at home, and particularly, to keep on doing it?

The possibility to save – and even earn – some money, is an obvious incentive to

engage in homestead farming, but is that all there is to it? Many never start, and

some start enthusiastically, but abandon the practice after some time. Households

who keep on growing their food gardens year after year, would appear to be those

who have succeeded in adopting it as a way of life – as part of their daily or weekly

routine, and as part of their planning for the season or the year.

A better understanding of the range of reasons that get people into home food

production, and of the motivating factors and processes that help people to stay

committed to this, should help to maximise the contribution of homestead farming to

the food security, healthy eating and even some income supplementation of

households in South Africa.

Key questions

1.What gets people into home food gardening and to keep on gardening

(incentives), and conversely, what keeps them from growing their own food or

stopping once they started (disincentives)? Are there proven ways to mobilise

more households into homestead farming and to avoid abandonment?

2.Can one use a variety of approaches to reach people who differ greatly in

their objectives and abilities?

3.How can food insecure people come to believe in themselves and their ability

to grow their own food with what they have?

4.How can one compensate for the inherent scarcity of cash in food insecure

households? Can one introduce production methods that reduce the cash

requirement for inputs?

5.How can people’s own seed storage and the revival of seed exchange

traditions help increase the diversity and robustness of local varieties over

time?

6.What is the role of local interest/learning groups in mutual encouragement

among gardening households? Can the collective memory for planting dates

and practices and the ‘annual planting calendar’ tradition be revived to

remind and encourage all households to start their preparations in time?

7.Is it achievable to save and even earn significant money from homestead

farming in South Africa? And are there opportunities for value-adding which

are achievable for resource-poor households?

8.Can one easily recognise and avoid seemingly attractive possibilities that

carry too much risk for already food insecure households?

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Different incentives for different people

What people do, arise from what they think and believe. This is influenced by their

circumstances. People have different reasons for getting involved in homestead

farming.

For instance:

An established homestead farmer, like Mr Mapumulo in Umbumbulu, may be

thinking about planting out-of-season to capture lucrative markets;

A grandmother could be planning to plant a range of foodstuffs to be ready for

harvest during her children and grandchildren’s annual visit over Christmas;

A cash-strapped household may want to plant food to replace expenditure on

essential foodstuffs;

A concerned mother may wish to find an affordable way to increase the diversity

and attractiveness of family meals, and of having healthy snack foods for young

children; and

Some households may want to generate additional income by selling

vegetables, seed, adding value through preservation, packaging, etc.

The two ‘pull’ factors: Food and income

Professor Tushaar Shah (Shah, 2004) describes

what he calls ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors for

agricultural development.

All the factors of production are ‘push factors’.

These are the things that enable production,

such as land, inputs, machinery, credit, and

even institutional arrangements and training. Often, shortfalls in these ‘push factors’

are what government support programmes offer in an attempt to stimulate

development, or production.

However, Professor Shah states that:

A ‘pull factor’ is needed to stimulate people into production. The main pull factor is

the market, which makes it worth people’s while to produce. The more lucrative a

market is, the stronger the pull factor. Further, if people perceive that it is within their

ability to provide what the market wants, they will

go to great lengths themselves to find the means

(the ‘push factors’), in order to benefit from that

market.

Shah then quotes an example of what he calls

‘runaway’ or ‘wildfire development’ – in the ideal

case where the market wants – in significant

quantities and at a worthwhile price – something

which is very easy for a large number of poor

...push factors in themselves do

not lead to development

production.

An even stronger and

primary ‘pull factor’, of

course, is one’s

stomach

– both actual hunger

and the fear of hunger.

Introduction to the Resource Material

households to produce – and with means already at their disposal. In such a case,

almost everyone can respond very quickly to the ‘market pull’, and the need

disappears for government to try to ‘push’ development along. For instance, such

‘wildfire development’ happened in West Africa, when the demand and price for

local fish soared, and poor households could suddenly earn good income from an

established and well-known traditional practice.

An old Chinese proverb says: “A hungry man sees only one problem. Once the

hunger is satisfied, he sees many.”

Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs

Maslow’s well-known hierarchy of human needs also argues that a person’s higher-

order needs become motivational factors only once the basic elements for survival

are in place. The satisfaction of lower level needs act like a stable foundation for

further personal development.

Figure 1: Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs

Maslow’s theory is useful to identify the different types of needs, even if not everyone

agrees that these needs follow in hierarchy. Chilean economist and philosopher

Manfred Max Neef (Neef, M.M.) argued that fundamental human needs are non-

hierarchical, and are part of the condition of being human. Poverty, he argues, is the

result of any one of these needs being frustrated, denied or unfulfilled.

Ma Tshepo Khumbane is a social worker and development activist who has worked

in many parts of South Africa and Lesotho for over 40 years. She points out that

where there are serious relationship clashes in a household, it becomes very hard for

the household caregiver to engage in visioning, planning and implementation for a

better future. Conversely, good relationships (social needs) and respect of

neighbours (esteem needs) provides motivation and a strong foundation for growth.

This points to the interrelatedness between human needs, whether or not they are

hierarchical.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

An understanding of the interplay between human needs also goes a long way to

explain the role and usefulness of the Garden Learning Group approach to

facilitation. (See Chapter 2 for more detail).

It is interesting that in recent years, a sixth level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has

been proposed, namely ‘transcendence’, which is sometimes described as ‘helping

others to self-actualise’. This recognises the motivational value to oneself, of reaching

out to others. Participants in the Garden Learning Groups are encouraged to help

others around them, in spite of their own dire situation, because reaching out

actually helps their own healing process.

Understanding

Understanding the interrelatedness between

human needs helps a facilitator to become more

effective in motivating and mobilising

households, by:

Understanding why there might be a lack

of progress in a specific household;

Coming up with alternative mobilisation

and facilitation strategies to work

around such problems; and/or

Arranging for specific interventions or

assistance for a household to solve such

problems.

Introduction to the Resource Material

The Ten ‘Human Capabilities’

Martha Nussbaum (Nussbaum, 2007) takes the thinking about human needs further

with the ‘human capabilities’ theory, which shows the range of material and non-

material factors that enables a person to live a full life – in other words, a life where a

person can develop all ten their ‘human capabilities’.

Humans need to be all that they can be, by developing all ten of the human

capabilities (see Table 6 below). The capability approach contrasts with a common

view that sees ‘development’ purely in terms of Gross National Product (GNP)

growth, and ‘poverty’ purely as income-deprivation.

In this approach, poverty is understood as being not just income deprivation but also

encompassing capability-deprivation. It is noteworthy that the emphasis is not only

on how human beings actually function but on their having the capability, (which is

a practical choice), to function, (i.e. functional capability) in important ways if they

so wish. Someone could be deprived of such capabilities in many ways, e.g. by

ignorance, government oppression, lack of financial resources, or false

consciousness.

The approach emphasizes substantive freedoms, such as the ability to live to old

age, engage in economic transactions, or participate in political activities. These are

construed in terms of the substantive freedoms people have reason to value – such

as happiness, desire-fulfilment or choice – rather than mere access to utilities or

resources such as income, commodities and assets.

This understanding now underpins the Human Development Index and the Human

Development Report produced annually by the United Nations Development

Programme.

Personal responsibility, excellence and

faithfulness:

The ability to develop all the human

capabilities does not necessarily result

in them being developed. Personal

responsibility and faithfulness is also

necessary.

When everything is in place for

people to achieve something, they

can still choose whether or not to

try/persevere.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Table 3: The ten human capabilities

“A list of specific capabilities as a benchmark for a minimally decent human life”

1. Life.

Being able to live to the end of a human life of normal length; not dying prematurely, or

before one’s life is so reduced as to be not worth living.

2. Bodily Health.

Being able to have good health, including reproductive health; to be adequately nourished;

to have adequate shelter.

3. Bodily Integrity.

Being able to move freely from place to place; to be secure against violent assault, including

sexual assault and domestic violence; having opportunities for sexual satisfaction and for

choice in matters of reproduction.

4. Senses, Imagination and Thought.

Being able to use the senses, to imagine, think,and to reason – and to do these things in a

“truly human” way, a way informed and cultivated by an adequate education, including,

but by no means limited to, literacy and basic mathematical and scientific training. Being

able to use imagination and thought in connection with experiencing and producing works

and events of one’s own choice, religious, literary, musical, and so forth. Being able to use

one’s mind in ways protected by guarantees of freedom of expression with respect to both

political and artistic speech, and freedom of religious exercise. Being able to have

pleasurable experiences and to avoid non-beneficial pain.

5. Emotions.

Being able to have attachments to things and people outside ourselves; to love those who

love and care for us, to grieve at their absence; in general, to love, to grieve, to experience

longing, gratitude, and justified anger. Not having one’s emotional development blighted by

fear and anxiety. (Supporting this capability means supporting forms of human association

that can be shown to be crucial in their development.)

6. Practical Reason.

Being able to form a conception of the good and to engage in critical reflection about the

planning of one’s life (protection for the liberty of conscience and religious observance.)

7. Affiliation.

A. Being able to live with and toward others, to recognize and show concern for other human

beings, to engage in various forms of social interaction; to be able to imagine the situation of

another. (Protecting this capability means protecting institutions that constitute and nourish

such forms of affiliation, and also protecting the freedom of assembly and political speech.)

B. Having the social bases of self-respect and non-humiliation; being able to be treated as a

dignified being whose worth is equal to that of others. This entails provisions of non-

discrimination on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, caste, religion, national

origin.

8. Other Species.

Being able to live with concern for and in relation to animals, plants, and the world of nature.

9. Play.

Being able to laugh, to play, to enjoy recreational activities.

10. Control over One’s Environment.

A. Political. Being able to participate effectively in political choices that govern one’s life;

having the right of political participation and protections of free speech and association.

B. Material. Being able to hold property (both land and movable goods), and having

property rights on an equal basis with others; having the right to seek employment on an

equal basis with others; having the freedom from unwarranted search and seizure. In work,

being able to work as a human being, exercising practical reason and entering into

meaningful relationships of mutual recognition with other workers.

Introduction to the Resource Material

Summary

The desire to fulfil a ‘human need’ or to develop a ‘human capability’ is what

motivates a person to do something. We need to understand these motivational

factors if we want to become more successful at:

Mobilising people into homestead farming; and

Motivating them to keep on producing year after year.

We also need to learn more about those things that discourage or demotivate

gardeners, and events that cause a break in production which could make it hard to

get back into production again. Following the old adage ‘prevention is better than

cure’, we can then try to help people avoid demotivating situations and events.

For the mobilisation of households into homestead farming, we can focus on two

‘pull factors’, namely food, and income.

Activity 1:

‘Pull factors’ for homestead production

Aim:

To identify the ‘pull factors’ for homestead production in a given situation, and

understand its role in mobilisation and in the sustainability of homestead farming.

Instructions:

1. Read through the situations described under ‘different incentives for different

people’ above. In each situation, try to identify whether food or income/money is

the incentive for production. Do you think this can change over time for a specific

household?

2. Now read though the ‘human capabilities’. Which of these ten

‘needs/capabilities’ could possibly also provide incentives for home food

production? For each ‘need’ among these ten that you consider to be a possible

incentive for home food production, do the following:

i. Describe a situation where you think this could be the incentive.

ii. State whether you think this incentive would mobilise a person into production,

and/or motivate a person to carry on producing year after year.

3. Think about ‘7 – Affiliation or the need to feel part of a group. Would you agree

that being part of an ongoing group of gardening friends could help motivate some

people to carry on planting their gardens? Because we realise that people want to

‘belong’, we may think of ways to make the Garden Learning Groups interesting and

meaningful. This can help to create that sense of belonging and shared experiences

– the good times and the hard times – which tie people together in a circle of

friendship.

4. Now you may also want to reflect on possible motivating factors for food

gardening related to 2 – bodily health; 5 – emotions; 6 – practical reason; 8 – other

species; and 10 – control over one’s environment.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

5. Now think about the Human Capability (=Need=Motivating Factor) to play. Can

you see the value of building lots of fun into the Garden Learning Group sessions?

Fun and laughter is not only a very strong motivator, it is also recognised in medical

circles as the single most effective antidote to stress. (Science Daily. April 10, 2008)

Tools to help us differentiate between incentives

A number of tools and approaches can help the facilitator to better target advice

and interventions.

‘Household typologies’ can be developed to categorise people with similar

objectives. This approach was used for smallholder irrigation schemes, and is also

suitable to help target facilitation and intervention strategies for households with

different objectives in homestead farming.

The Helicopter Planning method is a combined vision-building/action-

planning/self-monitoring process, which helps the household to think themselves

into a possible future, and to decide on a practical plan of action to achieve

their desired future through achievable and measurable steps. The method is

described in more detail in Chapter 2 of this document.

Both the ‘Helicopter Planning’ and the household typologies use scenario-based

planning to assess possibilities and their consequences, which can then also be used

to plan facilitation, training and intervention steps.

Later in the process, when the

facilitator starts working directly

with specific households, she can

use Helicopter Planning as a

tool to help each household to

get clarity about their own

objectives, and to plan their own

actions accordingly.

During initial scoping

(information gathering and

analysis) in a village, one gets a

broad idea of the types of

situations found in that village.

Household typologies or

categories can be developed at

that stage

Facilitator’s note:

Many people find the human

capabilities somewhat abstract and not

easy to understand. Do not get

discouraged if it does not make sense

ou immediatel

Introduction to the Resource Material

Some household typologies

The following case studies help us to think about the differences between

households’ situations. The facilitator needs to interpret what s/he sees and hears, in

order to plan effective facilitation strategies, and to do problem-solving in specific

cases.

Case study 1:

Ms Beauty Mbhele (Mantshalolo Village)

The situation:

Ms Mbhele (52) lives alone

with her two teenage

children (19 and 20 years)

and a younger severely

handicapped son. They

survive off her pension. She

is a traditional healer.

The homestead is small and

somewhat unkempt. She

had planted some maize in

her field, but her vegetable

garden was lying fallow at

the time.

Ms Mbhele paid a person

R800 that she had made

from selling potatoes she

had grown, to excavate

the hole for her

underground rainwater

harvesting tank. A

demonstration in trenchbed

production and channelling

rain water to the garden

was held at her home. The

family collected manure

and grass prior to the

demonstration.

Household Typology

summary:

People:

1 adult (active), 3

children; high

dependency ratio as

children are grown up

and could contribute,

and due to physical

disability of one child.

Income:

Pension and traditional

healing.

Cropping:

Maize, potatoes and

beans for household

use.

Livestock:

Some free range

chickens.

Intensification:

Rainwater harvesting

and vegetable

production.

Infrastructure:

Small homestead,

fenced, by vulnerable.

Human capacity:

Received some

training.

Possible enabling

interventions:

Assistance: Grants, food

support, health supporting

Vegetable production:

Intensification for household

use, to include fruit and small

livestock

Income replacement

interventions: For example

processing of food, grain

banks (for seed and food

security)

Assistance with productive

assets: fencing, water, fruit

trees, small livestock

Community services: Clinic,

crèches and school with

feeding schemes

Learning group support: For

sharing and supply of crops

(introduce new ideas), e.g.

potatoes, maize, beans,

sweet potatoes, onions,

tomatoes.

Supply of surplus produce to

local projects, where

possible,

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

A view of Miss Beauty Mbhele’s homestead.

Photo: E. Kruger, LIMA – DWAF, 2006

Nonhlanhla, a community facilitator for the NGO working in the area, interviews her. The

disused vegetable garden is in the background.

Introduction to the Resource Material

Case study 2:

Mr Michel Mbhele (Kayeka Village)

The situation:

This is a reasonably

sized homestead (with

one large and 2 small

dwellings) with 2

adults and 7 children.

Income consists of 1

child grant and Mrs

Mbhele sells snacks at

the nearby school.

They have received

some food production

training from LIMA and

Vukani. Rainwater is

presently harvested in

2 × 200 l drums and

used for watering

plants.

The property is

fenced. Fields above

and below the

homestead have

been planted to

maize and traditional

beans.

Household Typology

summary:

People:

2 adults (active), 7

children; high

dependency ratio.

Income:

grants and small business

activities.

Cropping:

maize and beans for

household use.

Livestock:

Some free range chickens,

kraal for cattle and goats.

Intensification:

Rainwater harvesting and

vegetable production.

Infrastructure:

Well developed

homestead, fenced fields

and garden, rainwater

harvesting tanks.

Human capacity:

Received training,

entrepreneurial ability.

Possible enabling interventions:

Vegetable and crop

production intensification.

Supply of surplus produce to

local projects.

Learning group support for

sharing and supply of crops

(introduce new ideas), e.g.

potatoes, maize, beans, sweet

potatoes, onions, tomatoes.

More intensive production of

small livestock for use and sale

of surplus.

Cropping: Soil fertility

interventions for greater yield.

Livelihood diversification:

Further grants or part-time

employment.

Further development of

entrepreneurial activities.

Saving schemes for productive

purposes.

Grain banks.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Mr Mbhele stands next to his bean field talking to Nonhlanhla, the community facilitator for

that village in 2006.

The same view of the same field two years later, shows that the family have now planted fruit

trees (oranges, peaches and plums) inside the fence of the field, and evidence of ploughing and

planting of potatoes is

visible.

Photo: E Kruger, DWAF,

LIMA, 2008.

Introduction to the Resource Material

Mr Mbhele volunteered to dig

his own hole for his rainwater

harvesting tank. He had

completed a portion of his

excavation by the follow up visit

in 2006. Here Mrs. Mbhele

stands by their completed tank

which is now full of water, ready

for use for vegetable production.

Photo: E Kruger, DWAF, LIMA,

2008.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Case study 3:

Mr Phelemon Mnguni (Ziqalabeni Village)

The situation:

This is a well developed

homestead (7

dwellings) with 7

residents.

They have no stable

income outside of 2

child grants. Mr Mnguni

works on the roads from

time to time.

There are 2 small, well-

fenced vegetable

gardens. Water is led

into one of the gardens

by means of a furrow

from the yard. The

gardens are well

planted and well

tended. There are

numerous large fruit

trees (peaches, plums,

apples, grapevines).

Rainwater is harvested

also from 2 ×200 l drums

from the roofs and this is

used for watering

vegetables.

He also has an

enclosure for his geese

and a number of

chickens in the yard.

Household Typology

summary:

People:

4 adults (active),

3 children; low

dependency ratio.

Income:

Grants and part time

employment.

Cropping:

Maize, potatoes and

beans for household use

and sale.

Well developed

vegetable garden with

fruit trees.

Livestock:

Chickens, duck and

geese houses, kraal for

cattle and goats.

Intensification:

Rainwater harvesting

and vegetable

production.

Infrastructure:

Well developed

homestead, fenced

fields and garden, RWH

tanks.

Human capacity:

Received training,

entrepreneurial ability.

Possible enabling interventions:

Specific commercial cropping

or gardening ventures possible.

Learning and management of

marketing processes required.

Vegetable and crop production

management for efficiency and

diversification, e.g. low tillage,

inter-cropping, crop rotation

and new crops.

Supply of surplus produce to

local projects and markets

further afield.

Learning group support for

sharing and supply of crops

(introduce new ideas), e.g.

potatoes, maize, beans, sweet

potatoes, onions, tomatoes.

More intensive production of

small livestock for use and sale

of surplus.

Cropping: Soil fertility

interventions for greater yield.

Livelihood diversification: Further

grants or part-time employment.

Further development of

entrepreneurial activities.

Saving schemes for productive

purposes.

Grain banks.

Introduction to the Resource Material

Mr Mnguni’s homestead. He is standing in the

centre of the picture.

A view of his geese enclosure.

A view of Mr Mnguni’s vegetable garden. He already follows many good fertility and rainwater

harvesting practices in his garden shown here by trench beds with water harvesting furrows he

has constructed. He has been gardening in this way for some time and was originally trained in

these methods through Vukani.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Analysis of the Household Typology Case studies

The three case studies above were chosen to clearly represent different household

typologies (or as clearly as is possible in the real world, anyway!). The three

categories or typologies of households have different opportunities and constraints,

different incentives and disincentives, depending on their livelihood situations, which

we will briefly summarise in the table below. The idea is that this kind of

categorisation can help you as a facilitator to decide what interventions or grouping

of interventions are appropriate for different homesteads. Obviously, this is not set in

stone! Peoples' own motivation and ability plays an important role as well.

Table 4: Linking household typologies to livelihoods and appropriate interventions

Case

study

Livelihood

summary

Interventions

1: Mrs

Mbhele

Woman headed

household, with a

large dependency

ratio and little or no

income. Resources

and infrastructure

limited.

NO RISK CAN BE TAKEN!

DIVERSIFICATION, MAINTENANCE AND PROTECTION OF

INCOME.

Assistance, e.g. grants, food support, health supporting.

Vegetable production intensification for household use, to

include fruit and small livestock.

Income replacement interventions, e.g. processing of

food, grain banks (for seed and food security).

Assistance with productive assets, e.g. fencing, water, fruit

trees, small livestock.

Community services: clinic, crèches and school with

feeding schemes.

2: Mr

Mbhele

(different

family to

Case 1

above!)

Male headed

(husband and wife)

household with a

large dependency

ratio. More diverse

source of income.

Reasonable

infrastructure and

resources.

SLIGHTLY MORE RISK CAN BE TAKEN.

DIVERSIFICATION AND INTENSIFICATION OF PRODUCTION

AND INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES, MOSTLY LOCAL.

Vegetable and crop production intensification.

Supply of surplus produce to local projects.

3: Mr

Mnguni

Family headed

household (2

generations of

family members),

small dependency

ratio. Diverse

source of income.

Infrastructure and

resource

development

evident and well

established

MORE RISK CAN BE TAKEN.

DIVERSIFICATION OF INCOME, AND PRODUCTION OF

SPECIFIC PRODUCE (crops, livestock) FOR SALE.

Specific commercial cropping or gardening ventures

possible.

Learning and management of marketing processes

required.

Vegetable and crop production management for

improved efficiency and diversification, e.g. low tillage,

inter-cropping, crop rotation, new crops...

Supply of surplus produce to local projects and markets

further afield.

Look at the activity below. It will assist you to further think through incentives and

disincentives of the households in the three case studies presented above.

Introduction to the Resource Material

Activity 2:

Identifying incentives and disincentives

within the different household typologies

Aim

To identify the opportunities and constraints that are likely to be relevant for different

households, and to plan facilitation activities with that household accordingly.

Instructions

By now you should have a good idea of the typical issues involved in people’s

decisions to start and continue gardening.

Analyse each of the Case studies 1-3 and write down your opinion about what is

likely to act as incentives and disincentives for each of these homesteads. Use your

experience of similar situations to guide you.

Incentives Disincentives

Case study 1 For example Mrs Mbhele's

interest in growing and

using traditional

medicine.

…...

For example Mrs Mbhele

needs to spend a lot of

time and effort looking

after her handicapped

son.

...

Case study 2

Case study 3

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Get growing! Mobilising people into

production

Have you noticed that all the households in

the three examples above were already

gardening?

Thereafter, the first food cooked from their

own harvest is a wonderful motivating factor,

but it is surprising how many households forget

to plant follow-up crops!

Incentives that mobilise people into home food production

The following are examples of incentives that may help to get people gardening:

Family practise/tradition;

Natural interest/inclination;

Shortages: of food; of money to buy food, of availability of the desired foodstuffs

to buy, of health that would be improved by access to more nutritious food;

Lucrative and accessible market, which in the best-case scenario would result in

‘wildfire’-development (as described above by Professor Shah);

When it becomes fashionable to grow one’s own food;and

When external incentives entice people into production, such as subsidies or

rewards. Recurring subsidies, such as for seed, fertiliser and other inputs, tend to

create dependencies and mostly fail to lead to sustainable production. Once-off,

so-called ‘smart subsidies’ are non-recurring and aimed at permanently removing

specific identified obstacles to independent and ongoing production (e.g.

rainwater storage, manual pumping technologies, and enduring tools).

Disincentives which prevent people from starting home food production

If a person believes that s/he does not have the means to garden, not even a

great shortage of food would get them to start growing their own food.

Therefore, when a person realises that it may in fact be possible to grow food with

what is already within their reach, a great stumbling block is removed.

The most powerful way to bring home this realisation, is for a person to see an

example of someone just like her, who is gardening successfully – someone who

has overcome the main issues, which are usually:

–I don’t have money (use low external input production methods);

–I don’t have water (use rainwater harvesting techniques and recycling);

–I don’t know how, I am afraid (we will learn as we go; we will learn

together as a Garden learning Group).

If a person has real difficulties due to physical circumstances, or a

disproportionate burden to carry (time, labour, health constraints, for instance a

single adult with a large number of dependents), the facilitator may need to help

her plan how to overcome or circumvent some of these constraints. The Garden

Learning Group may decide to help such a person to get her garden established

(e.g. help her dig and prepare the planting trenches), which may then put her in

a position to keep it going thereafter.

If a person just simply doesn’t want to garden,because s/he just does not like

gardening at all, or do not wish to associate themselves with it, there is very little

that a facilitator can do!

Get Growing!

The facilitator’s greater

challenge is to motivate non-

gardening food insecure

households into production.

Introduction to the Resource Material

Catalysing action

Most often, even when there are sufficient incentives, and the disincentives have

been addressed, there still needs to be some event, or intervention, to get non-

gardening people going – something that would catalyse action.

For instance, one may know for many years that it would be good to get more

exercise, and that this would be as easy as going for a walk or a jog in the morning.

But maybe only once you learn that you have a serious health problem, or maybe

someone insults you, you would actually make the effort to get up a bit earlier and

go for that walk/jog!



Mind Mobilisation Workshop

Ma Tshepo Khumbane has developed the ‘Mind Mobilisation Workshop’ for this

purpose. In this workshop, which may run over four or five days, she takes the

participants through a process where they have time to analyse and face up to their

own situation honestly, and plan practically how to improve it. These tools will be

described in more detail in Chapter 2.



Nutrition Workshop

One of the outcomes of the work done for the Water Research Commission was the

development of the Nutrition Workshop (Described in detail in Chapter 3).

The Nutrition Workshop provides a less emotionally charged alternative to the Present

Situation Charting, which often results in emotional breakdown of deeply food

insecure persons. However, it could be argued that the failure to create an

opportunity for these emotions to surface and be dealt with may detract from the

depth and effectiveness of the healing process.

Choice of mobilisation method:

The choice of mobilisation method would

thus need to depend on

the needs of the participants (their

level of food insecurity and

traumatisation); and

the skills and experience of the

particular facilitator(s) working with

them...

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material



Giving seedlings: Creating urgency

In both mobilisation methods, participants are given seedlings to start their gardens

with. If the upfront processes were done well, meaning that people would now be

keen and eager to get going with their gardens, the seedlings provide the urgency

to delay no further! They will have to plant the seedlings before they wilt and die.

There have been many debates about whether or not to supply households with

recurring inputs like seedlings, seed, fertilisers and pest remedies.

Often, households fail to replant unless they continue to receive these inputs, in

other words, the intervention is not sustainable.

On the other hand, many of the poorest households never really get started

unless they are assisted with some inputs. Further, they can harvest much more

quickly and reliably if they can plant seedlings instead of relying on seed to

actually germinate well.

The recommendation of the research team is:

To provide seedlings as an incentive and to create urgency. People can

start planting while the excitement of the mobilisation process still runs

high.

In the follow-up training households learn how to successfully harvest and

safely store their own seed and to germinate their own seedlings from

these.

Production methods are promoted that avoid the need for external inputs

like bought seeds, seedlings, fertilisers and pest and disease remedies.

Introduction to the Resource Material

Keep on growing your garden: Motivators and disruptors

We know that a large proportion of households that start food gardens may later

stop growing their own food again. Why is this? Can we foresee some of the dangers

and help households to plan against them upfront?

Incentives for continued food gardening

First harvest

Success breeds success. Many people describe the deep satisfaction of – literally –

eating from the fruits of their own labour. This achievement should be reinforced

through a celebration. The Garden Learning Group members together could cook

up a feast from their own harvest, and if they wish, invite neighbours and leaders to

share in their joy. This also creates broader recognition of their achievement, and

much-needed moral support from those around them.

First replanting and planting calendars

The first replanting is critical, and thereafter, some form of reminder to replant is

useful, especially for households that are new to gardening:

Once the first crop is growing well, and even before it is harvested, the facilitator

should take the household through the process of getting their next beds

prepared and further crops planted.

This can be done in a planned manner, so that the household can choose crops

to plant in accordance with the family’s diet gaps identified through the Nutrition

Workshop. (See if you can simplify the ‘Planning what to plant’ chart provided in

Chapter 3).

As an ongoing reminder to their members to keep replanting their gardens in the

different growing seasons, the Garden Learning Group can fall back onto old

traditions, such as the Annual Planting Calendar, Harvest Festivals, Environmental

Cleansing Ceremonies before the rainy season starts, etc.

Keeping it interesting

Very often, it is relatively easy to keep people’s interest going during the initial

facilitated process. This should normally be a 6 to 12 month period,and includes an

agreed programme of learning workshops for at least one full growing season,

regular follow-up visits to the households’ home gardens, and further planning and

feedback sessions of the Garden Learning Group. During this initial period, there are

often also visitors from outside the village, and maybe some research taking place.

All of these activities help to keep people interested.

The great challenge comes when these activities start to taper off. The households’

interest may then also start to dwindle, and more people may fail to tend and

replant their gardens. The facilitator can usually remain with a particular group or

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

village only for a limited period. How can this loss of interest then be avoided,

especially after the facilitator is no longer working with those particular households?

The only approach that stands a chance of being sustainable in the long run is to

strengthen the Garden Learning Group and capacity of the households themselves.

The long-term role of the Garden Learning Group is to act as friendship circle and an

ongoing source of mutual support and inspiration for all its members.

The typical tasks that a Garden Learning Group can assign to itself are discussed in

greater detail in Chapter 2.

Income generation

When a household can earn some extra cash from selling some of their home

garden produce, this also helps to keep their interest going. We know that it is

advisable to start off with a food focus for home food production, but this first phase

can be followed rapidly by income generation activities for those households that

have an interest in going this route. These aspects are discussed in detail in

Chapter 7.

The following aspects are particularly important to consider:

No-one should be forced into ‘business’ just because the majority of the group

wishes to go this route. Make sure that everyone can choose whether or not they

wish to go into selling. As we have seen from the three case studies above, there

are great differences in the level of risk different households can afford to take

therefore there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution.

Help households to do a realistic assessment of the risk of different income

generation options. For instance, ideas that would require of them to pay a

monthly electricity bill even when they are not producing are too risky for food

insecure households.

Fights over money are as common as sand to the sea. Many groups have broken

up irreparably over such disputes. Therefore our advice would be to avoid

While the facilitator is still with the group, s/he should do

all s/he can to enable them, from the start, to do their

own planning and to be aware of the long-term

challenges they will face.

By getting them into a habit of regular self-evaluation

and re-planning, the facilitator helps the Garden Learning

Group to adopt a way of working through which they can

continually renew their focus and activities over the years

to come.

Introduction to the Resource Material

projects that create economic interdependence between households. As far as

possible, plan things in such a way that each household can handle its own

finances independently. If joint marketing is done, help the members to agree

clearly upfront how matters will be handled to avoid disputes.

Value adding and diversification

There are many value-adding and preservation ideas which households can

experiment with over time. (See Chapter 4: Diversifying production in homestead

framing for more detail) These also add to the level of interest that can be

maintained in the long run.

One idea would be for the Garden Learning Group to have a ‘new idea of the week

or month’, where each member must bring a new idea on a rotational basis.

Regular celebrations

Remember how strong people’s need is for friendship (Maslow’s third

level) and “play” (human capabilities). Regular celebrations keep the energy levels

up and create something to look forward to on the annual calendar.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Disincentives, disruptions and discouragements

Poverty and vulnerability go hand in hand. Illness in the family, a wedding or a

funeral, or natural disasters like droughts or floods, may all place sudden strain on the

household.

Just as easily, unexpected opportunities may disrupt sustainable activities. For

instance, the chance for short-term employment on a government construction

project in the area may bring some much-needed cash to the household, but at the

same time, may leave them with insufficient time or labour to replant their home

food garden. Similarly, if the person responsible for the gardening needs to go away

for a period, for instance to care for a sick relative, the garden may fall into disarray.

What can be done to plan ahead for such incidents?

By planting hardy crops which self-propagate and go on yielding year after year,

a household can establish a ‘core garden’ which would be easier to resuscitate

after a period of neglect or absence. There are several vegetables and fruit

crops that can be used for this purpose.

By paying attention to the garden layout so that rainfall run-off would always flow

automatically to the planting beds even in one’s absence (i.e. run-on), the

chances of survival of the garden is much improved.

The Garden Learning Group may decide to play a role in helping each other

through such periods.

Further, the Garden Learning Group maydevelop a system of following up on

members who stop growing their gardens for any other reason, so as to help the

member to overcome problems and get back into production.

It is useful to remember that the gardening skills are never lost, and that the low

external input methods enable a person to grow food almost anywhere, anytime.

Therefore, should a person stop producing because she finds fulltime employment,

she could always go back to production whenever the job falls away again.

Probably one of the most serious disruptors to food gardening is local conflicts. The

stability of the Garden Learning Group should therefore be protected at all costs.

The very large number of funerals held in villages in recent years is very time

consuming and a drag on emotions, labour hours available and cash resources. This

is simply a current reality in rural communities.

Introduction to the Resource Material

Purpose and targeting of mobilisation

The ‘first brick’: Food security and resilience through

diversification

When we want to mobilise and support food insecure households to engage in

home food production, the most effective mobilisation strategy is usually to first focus

on food security, and to leave the income generation aspects to emerge much later

in the process.

Households in low income categories are also very vulnerable to risks and shocks.

Any natural disaster or illness in the family or events that require money, like school

clothes, weddings and funerals, can leave such a family in a state of disarray.

Spin-off benefits: Healthy eating for all

In Chapter 3 we will see that in South Africa, malnutrition is not limited to the low

income households. Most of our more common health problems, like diabetes and

obesity, are directly related to our poor lifelong eating habits.

Home food gardening and a better

understanding of our nutritional

needs, can equip families in all

income categories to eat better and

avoid preventable diseases.

We have already seen that diet

diversification is one of the most

important ways to improve food

nutrition security and the family’s

health. (This will be discussed further

in Chapter 3: Living and eating well).

Therefore, diversification in the garden

also helps to protect the family against

health risks.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Permanent damage to children under the age of five – in both poor and non-poor

families – through chronic malnutrition, can easily be prevented through better food

habits.

Therefore, among all households, a focus on better health can provide a strong

incentive for home food production.

Second-phase: Income opportunities

We have seen that the income earned from home production of vegetables, could

push up the family income of low income households by 10-30%, sometimes already

in the first season of production.

As people’s gardens expand and their diversity of production increases, the income

potential also grows significantly. The following aspects can enhance the overall

income and the stability of income streams from homestead farming:

Expansion and further intensification of production, for instance, by planting a

specific bed three or more times per year;

More fruit production, through planting of a variety of fruit trees with different

harvesting dates;

Diversification into production of a variety of livestock, poultry and fish, and using

waste from each component of the homestead farming system to feed into other

components (for instance, chicken manure to fertilise the vegetable beds and

feed the fish, and vegetable scraps to feed the chickens); and

Processing, preserving and value adding of food, so that it keeps longer and can

be used and/or sold throughout the year.

In Chapter 7, we will look in more detail at income opportunities from homestead

farming. We will also look particularly at how to help households to recognise and

avoid those income opportunities which may carry too much risk for low income

households.

Introduction to the Resource Material

Emotional healing as a foundation for food security

We have seen above that the first target of homestead farming – and its most

immediate impact – is on food security. Therefore we need to develop a deeper

understanding of hunger and malnutrition, and how to use this knowledge to

improve the effectiveness of our facilitation strategies. This is also discussed in

Chapter 3.

Psychological effects of hunger

Josué de Castro (De Castro, J) lived as a child among permanently malnourished

communities in the mangrove swamps of Brazil, and has made it his life’s task to

break the silence on hunger. In 1996, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)

Council “honoured the memory of Professor Josué de Castro who made an

outstanding contribution to the understanding of the problems of hunger, particularly

with the publication of his book "Geography of Hunger" in 1946”.

De Castro explains the nature of two types of severe hunger:

There are two ways of dying of hunger: one is not to eat at all and rapidly

waste away until death, and the other is to eat inadequately and begin a

cycle of specific deficiencies which might ultimately end up in death. Partial

or chronic hunger is more pressing than total hunger (starvation). The latter

has social and economical impact but the former (chronic hunger) will silently

destroy and undermine countless populations.

He also describes some of the effects of severe hunger on the individual’s way of

thinking about life:

Hunger not only acts on the body of the

victims… wasting the flesh, eating away the

organs and opening wounds, it also destroys

the spirit, the mental structure and the moral

conduct of these people. No other calamity

can disassemble the human character as

deeply and as harmfully as hunger.

The literature confirms such links between malnutrition and psychological problems:

According to Dawes (Dawes et al., 2000), recent reviews and theoretical

analyses support the view that prolonged nutritional deficiencies produce lasting

changes in emotional control and motivation, with wide-ranging effects on all

aspects of personal functioning, including cognition (Barret & Frank, 1987; Pollit et

al., 1996; Strupp & Levitsky, 1998)

Steinfeld(Steinfeld, 1956) investigated the hypothetical 'hunger trauma' in babies

and its relation to later schizophrenia.

Jahoda (Jahoda, 1958, reprinted 1999) highlights at least three mental health

problems related to malnutrition: nutritional problems of pregnancy; toxic deliria

associated with certain vitamin deficiencies; and some of the confusions of

elderly persons associated with both drug intoxications and malnutrition.

Prolonged hunger

produces traumatised

individuals.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Activity 3:

The effects of hunger

Aim

To think about how humans react to prolonged hunger.

Instructions

Carefully read the quotations and literature references above.

Describe in which ways the human character can be disassembled by the calamity

of chronic hunger? Think about what you know that people do when they are

desperate for food and cannot see a way out. How do they behave? What do they

do and say which people normally wouldn’t do or say?

You may also want to read the following website to get a better understanding of

this: [ http://www.josuedecastro.com.br/engl/hunger.html ]

Hunger as the ultimate symbol of powerlessness

In the book “World Hunger: 12 Myths“(Lappe et al., 1998), the authors argue that

hunger should not be viewed merely as the statistics of numbers of people suffering

from deficient nutrition and thus the volume of food aid needed by them. Instead,

hunger should be understood in terms of universal feelings experienced by the

hungry, such as the anguish of impossible choices, the grief of seeing loved ones

suffer or even die, the humiliation of living in impoverished circumstances and fear of

powerful people.

Dawes (Dawes et al., 2000) found that psychosocial and economic reconstruction

go hand in hand. People who suffer war stresses (and other stresses -authors’

addition), are not in a good position to learn new skills, to benefit from education, or

to work and plan effectively. At the same time, economic reconstruction is a source

of psychosocial well-being. They found that “Economic issues motivated projects

aimed at structural rebuilding, and physical rebuilding became part of the healing

process.”

Introduction to the Resource Material

Since the early 1970s, Ma Tshepo Khumbane has lived and worked with food

insecure households across South Africa and Lesotho as a beloved and respected

social worker and development activist, and has a deep understanding of the

effects of chronic hunger on the mental state of ‘household caregivers’ who fail to

feed their families adequately.

In the food insecure household also, their successes at food production provides a

great boost to their healing

process.

Ma Tshepo Khumbane, social worker and

development activist across South

Africa and Lesotho for more than forty

years.

Photo: Courtesy of’ The Star’ newspaper.

Household caregiver

This term refers to that individual in a household who shoulders the main

responsibility for the household’s daily meal.

Note that this is not the same as the ‘breadwinner’ which is not a very useful

concept in rural South Africa where mostly the household survives through a

range of contributions by several members of the household and/or

extended family.

The household caregiver is most often the mother, grandmother or other

head female of the household.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Activity 4:

Universal feelings experienced by the hungry

Aim

To develop empathy with the feelings of insecurity and rejection experienced by

food insecure mothers/caregivers.

Instructions

Have you ever been in such a position? How would you feel if you were unable to

put food on the table for your family, day after day?

1. First describe how you would feel towards the following people:

Your children;

The adults in your household;

The neighbours;

Leaders in your community, church, etc.

2. Next, describe what you feel each of these people might be thinking or even

saying about you.

Your children;

The adults in your household;

The neighbours;

Leaders in your community, church, etc.

The need for harmonious and supportive relationships

Ma Tshepo has found that:

(i)Emotional healing of the household caregiver; and

(ii)The healing of family relations are essential to create a secure base from

where an individual can plan and act with confidence and joy. Often,

when this is achieved, family members all start helping to shoulder the tasks

for food security and harmony.

The individual’s need for such a ‘secure base’ is described by Bowlby (quoted in

Braun, 2003), who says that:

Human beings of all ages are happiest and able to deploy their talents to best

advantage when they are confident that, standing behind them, are one or

more trusted persons who will come to their aid should difficulties arise.

Imagine a baby at its mother’s knee, willing to crawl away to look at something

interesting across the room, because he knows mom is there to save him if trouble

should arise. By contrast, a child living with constant criticism may become too afraid

to try anything. Adults’ reactions are influenced in similar ways by people around

them when they have to face difficult situations in life.

Introduction to the Resource Material

The role of support groups in healing and overcoming

powerlessness

In food security facilitation, the household caregiver’s personal confidence is further

stimulated through the creation of ‘support groups’ such as the Garden Learning

Group among household caregivers/ mothers in the village who are facing similar

challenges.

You will learn more about how to create and work with these learning/support

groups in Chapter 2. These ‘support groups’ fulfil the same functions as those used in

substance abuse counselling: “People who have the same problems than me, best

understand what I am going through and can provide legitimate moral support and

first-hand advice. And they also need me for the same reason.”

‘Reaching out to others’ is often an underestimated element of healing. People

need to feel needed by others. This gives meaning and fulfilment to life and helps to

prevent backsliding into former patterns of behaviour. It helps to keep quiet those

‘voices in the head’.

The Household Food Security Self-evaluation Tool (See ‘Self-monitoring’ in Chapter 2)

reminds food insecure people to regularly think about those activities that help them

heal, as well as those around them. With this tool, the facilitator helps the household

and the support group to self-evaluate their progress with improved food security,

but also with improved relationships and the healing of their natural environment –

and their creativity in finding solutions for all these aspects. The Food Security Self-

evaluation Tool also stimulates forward-looking mind processes, to keep people’s

interest and commitment alive.

Case study: Potshini

In an evaluation of the impact of

GardenLearning Groups in Potshini,

KZN, two years after they were created,

households said that one of the most

significant outcomes of these learning

groups wasimproved relationships

among communitymembers.

We may say they managed to “say

thatha (

oodb

e) to

ossi

”!

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

The role of joy, fun and laughter in healing

Joy plays a practical role in addressing all trauma (including the trauma caused by

chronic hunger and malnutrition), and in the healing of relationships (family,

community) as a foundation for a healthy society. A happy society is a healthy

society that produces ‘mature’ (i.e. not just ‘adult’) citizens. Mature societies actively

nurture the full development of its citizens, therefore healthy relationships are

fundamental.

We have all experienced how joy, fun and laughter can produce incredible energy,

which is why Ma Tshepo advises facilitators to “make it fun!” Singing, light-hearted

banter, dancing and other joy-building activities are wonderful and useful tools in the

facilitator’s hands. The ability of previously hungry households to produce their own

food also brings great joy to the family.

Introduction to the Resource Material

6. References

Barnett, T. and Grellier, R. 2003. Mitigation of the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Rural Livelihoods

through Low-labour Input Agriculture and Related Activities. Programme of Advisory

Support Services PASS Project Code HA0036/01. July 2003.

Bowlby, J., (1979). The Making and Breaking of Affectional Bonds. London, England: Tavistock

Publications Limited. Quoted in Braun, 2003. Separation Anxiety and Attachment in

Infants and Toddlers. http://www.goshen.edu/honors/braun2

Burns, J.C.; Suji, O.W. and Reynolds, A. 2008. Impact assessment of the Pastoralist Survival and

Recovery Project, Dakoro, Niger. Feinstein International Center, Medford.

Dawes, A.; Donald, D. 1994. Childhood & adversity: Psychological perspectives from South

African research. David Philip Publishers. 1994.

De Castro, J. http://www.josuedecastro.com.br/engl/hunger.html

Donald, D; Dawes, A.; and Louw. J. 2000. Addressing Childhood Adversity. New Africa Books.

2000.

DWAF, 2007. Programme Guidelines for Intensive Family Food Production and Rainwater

Harvesting. Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Pretoria, South Africa. June 2007.

FAO/ILSI. 1997. Preventing Micronutrient Malnutrition. A Guide to Food Based Approaches: A

Manual for Policy Makers and Programme Planners. Washington DC. International Life

Science Institute (ILSI)

Jahoda, M. 1958. Current Concepts of Positive Mental Health. Ayer Company Publishers. 1999

reprint. (Also reprinted in 1980 by Arno Press Inc.)

Kruger, E. (ed). LIRAPA. 2007. How to get the Best from your Garden: A Manual for Farmers

and their Service Providers. Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. Lesotho.

Lappe, F.M.; Collins, J.; Rosset, P.; and Esparza, L. 1998. World hunger: Twelve myths. Second

edition. Grove Press, New York. ISBN 0-8021-3591-9.

Maslow, A.H. 1943. The Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review 50 (4), pg 370-396.

http://psychclassic.yorku.ca/Maslow/motivation.htm

Max-Neef, M.A. 1981. From the Outside Looking In: Experiences in Barefoot Economics. Dag

Hammarskjöld Foundation. ISBN 1-85649-188-9. Cited on

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_Max_Neef

Nussbaum, M. 2007. Human Rights and Human Capabilities. Twentieth Anniversary

Reflections. Harvard Human Rights Journal. Vol 20. http://www.

lawharvardedu/students/orgs/hrj/iss20/Nussbaum.pdf

Science daily. April 10, 2008.Anticipating a Laugh Reduces you Stress Hormones, Study

Shows. American Physiology Society.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases2008/04/0800407114617.htm

Shah T; van Koppen B; Merrey D; de Lange M; Samad M. 2002. Institutional Alternatives in

African Smallholder Irrigation. International Water Management Institute.

Steinfeld, J.I. 1956. A New Approach to Schizophrenia. MD. New York. Merlin Press, Inc. pg195.

WRC project (K5/1575/4). 2009. Final Report: Participatory Development of Training Material

for Agricultural Water Use in Homestead Farming Systems for Improved Livelihoods.

Deliverable 20: Final Report. March. RIENG – Rural Integrated Engineering.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Index

A-frame 2-83

Balanced diets 3-35

Bed design 6-52

Biodiversity 1-16

Boreholes 5-34

Channelling water 5-3, 5-11, 5-36

Check dams 5-22

Community action plan 2-46

Companion planting 4-10

Compost 6-39, 6-40, 6-51

Contours 1-47, 2-83, 5-64, 5-85

Cover crops 6-50

Crop rotation 4-12

Deep trenches (see trench beds)

Dietary diversity 1-5, 3-2

Ditches 2-83, 5-56

Diversification i-39,1-3, 4-6, 7-7, 7-11

Diversity i-16, 4-2, 4-16, 5-26, 6-1

Drip irrigation 5-5, 5-94, 5-97

Double digging 6-63

Economic incentives

Ecosystem 1-25

Emotional healing i-14

Enabling interventions i-23

Environment I-15

Evaluation 2-76, 2-85

Evapotranspiration 5-19

Experimentation (household) i-8, 2-3, 2-

73, 4-16, 6-18, 6-25, 6-34, 6,49, 6-65

Facilitation 2-1, 2-3, 2-6

Facilitation Tools i-14, i-31, 1-35, 2-44, 2-

46, 2-66, 3-46, 3-48, 3-58, 4-16, 4-24,5-60,

5-74, 6-6, 6-11, 6-14, 6-25, 6-34, 6-49, 6-

Farmer handouts i-14

Farming systems 1-38

Flow diagrams 1-37

Follow-up ( see household visits)

Food based dietary guidelines 3-2, 3-29

Food behaviour 3-43

Food groups 3-2, 3-31

Food preservation 3-60, 4-7

Food security 3-1, 3-5, 3-15, 3-43

-interventions 3-25, 3-27

Frost protection 4-32

Fruit fly traps 4-28,4-51

Fruit production 3-56, 4-50

Furrows 1-48, 5-56

Garden layout i-38, 2-83, 5-7, 5-37, 5-41,

5-43, 44, 45, 5-47, 5-60

Garden Learning groups i-13, i-35, i-45,

2-55, 2-57, 2-60, 4-57

Grey water 4-60, 5-34, 5-88

Groundwater 1-23, 5-17, 5-19

Helicopter planning i-22, i-41, 2-3, 2-63,

2-70, 5-37

Herb and plant teas/brews 4-19

Hierarchy of human needs I-17

HIV/AIDS 1-25, 2-44, 3-21, 3-40

Homestead food gardening i-6

Homestead water management 5-2

Household i-2

- food security facilitation i-13

- typologies i-22

- visits i-13, 2-79,2-85

Human capabilities i-19

Introduction to the Resource Material

Hunger i-42, 3-1, 3-5

Impact assessment i-11, i-12

Incentives i-15, i-22, i-32, 7-1, 7-13

Income i-16, i-40, 1-29, 3-14, 7-1, 7-13, 7-

19, 7-24

Infiltration basins 5-23

Innovation 4-29, 4-42, 4-52, 5-96

Institutional profiles 2-41

Intensified production-10, i-23, 1-7,3-54,

5-77, 6-1

Iron 3-10, 3-57

Irrigation 1-23, 2-84, 5-3, 5-69, 5-74, 5-81

Infield rainwater harvesting 5-68

Keyhole gardens 6-64

Learning

- agenda i-10

- content 2-79

- needs assessment 2-59

- process i-9

LEISA (Low external input sustainable

agriculture 1-39, 1-41, 2-61, 4.1

Line level 5-64

Liquid manure 2-81, 6-43

Livelihoods i-30, 1-12

-assets 2-50, 3-18

- diversification 3-21

Ma Tshepo Khumbane i-17, i-33, i-43, 2-

63, 5-48

Malnutrition 1-5, 1-9,3-3, 3-7

Manure 6-35, 6-51

Marketing i-16, 3-19, 7-1, 7-23

Micronutrient deficiency 3-10

Millennium development goals 1-25, 3-

Mind mapping 1-36

Mind mobilisation i-33,2-3, 2-63

Mixed cropping 4-8

Mobilisation i-21, i-39, 7-2

Monitoring and evaluation tools 2-76

Motivation i-15, i-21

Mulching 6-31

Multiple use systems (MUS) 1-33, 5-9

Natural

-elements 5-41

-predators 2-82

-resources 2-81, 5-21

Nitrogen 6-20, 6-29

Nutrient fixing plants 6-29

Nutrition

- security 3-1

- gap analysis i-10, 3-47

- workshop 2-3, 3-2, 3-44, 4-46

Nutritious snacks 3-61

Organic food production 1-4

Organic matter 1-47, 2-81, 5-51, 6-3, 6-

16, 6-28

Pest and disease management 2-82, 4-

18, 4-25

Phosphorous 6-21, 6-30, 6-61

Plant succession 4-15

Planting calendars i-35, 2-77, 3-59

Potassium 6-22, 6-30, 6-60

Poverty 1-32, 4-57

Problem tree 5-14

Protein energy malnutrition 3-8

Rainwater harvesting 1-46, 5-23, 5-35

Ranking

-matrix 2-34

-pair wise 2-29

-preference 2-27

Recycling i-32

Resource mapping 2-18

Rope and washer pump 5-93

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Run-off i-12, 5-3, 5-22, 5-37, 5-41, 5-55,

5-79, 6-16

Run-off supply furrow 5-56

Run-on water system 5-36, 5-48, 5-59, 5-

Scoping 2-7, 2-10, 2-53

Seed

- saving 4-35, 4-40

- storage i-15, 4-39

Seedlings i-34, 2-80, 4-42

Self monitoring i-45, 2-56, 2-77

Situation analysis i-10, 2-3, 2-8, 2-59, 2-

Slope 5-40

Small livestock 4-53

Soil

-acidity 6-23, 6-59

-fertility 2-81, 6-3

-nutrients 6-19

-structure 6-11, 6-16, 6-58

-types 6-6

Spring protection 5-17, 5-35

Stakeholders i-13, 2-38

Sustainability 1-34

Swales 5-25

SWOT analysis 1-43

Systems thinking 1-41

Technologies i-11, 5-82

Topography 5-37, 5-50

Traditional practises i-5, 3-49, 3-52, 4-2

Training needs assessments i-10, 2-59

Transect walks 2-23

Treadle pumps 2-84, 5-77, 5-90

Trench beds 2-80, 4-13,5-47, 5-67, 6-1,

6-17, 6-53, 6-62,

Underground storage tanks i-13, 5-83,

5-84

Value adding i-37

Venn diagrams 2-38

Visioning i-17

Vitamin A 3-9, 3-11, 3-57

Vitamin C 3-57, 4-6

Vulnerability 3-2, 3-15, 4-6

Water 1-21, 3-34, 5-1, 5-43

- cycle 1-22, 5-16, 5-21

- distribution 5-71, 5-73

- policies 1-27, 5-8

- sources 5-6, 5-11, 5-27, 5-32

- storage 5-7, 5-79, 5-83

- use 1-24, 5-27

Watering 5-30

Windbreaks 2-82, 4-28, 4-32, 5-43

Extra key words that could be added

Erosion i-16

Permaculture 1-39,

Dryland cropping i-23

Stunting i-9, 3-8

Anaemia 3-10

Kwashiorkor 3-8

Marasmus 3-8

Matrix scoring 2-34

Skills audit 2-59

High external input agriculture 1-39

Assets 3-18

Legumes 3-56

Inter planting 4-8

Pollination 4-36

Traditional foods 3-49

Livestock 4-53

Chicken tractor 4-54

Tower garden 4-58, 5-85

SWELL – 5-19

Base flow 5-18

Terraces 5-22

Watershed 5-39

Rainwater flow paths 5-47

Introduction to the Resource Material

Foliar spray 6-48

Earthworms 6-51

Niche marketing 7-11

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems

Resource Material

for

Facilitators and Food Gardeners

Chapter 1

Rural Realities and Homestead Food

Gardening Options

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Chapter 1: Rural Realities and Homestead Food Gardening Options

iii

Chapters: Resource Material

Introduction to the Learning Material (TT 431/1/09)

Chapter 1 Rural realities and homestead food gardening options (TT 431/1/09)

Chapter 2 - Facilitation of homestead food gardening (TT 431/1/09)

- Handouts: Chapter – Homestead Food Gardener’s Resource Packs

Chapter 3 - Living and eating well (TT 431/1/09)

- Handouts: Chapter 3 – Homestead Food Gardener’s Resource Packs

Chapter 4 - Diversifying production in homestead food gardening (TT 431/2/09)

- Handouts: Chapter 4 – Homestead Food Gardener’s Resource Packs

Chapter 5 - Garden and homestead water management for food gardening

(TT 431/2/09)

- Handouts: Chapter 5 – Homestead Food Gardener’s Resource Packs

Chapter 6 - Soil fertility management: Optimising the productivity of soil and water

(TT431/3/09)

- Handouts: Chapter 6 – Homestead Food Gardener’s Resource Packs

Chapter 7 Income opportunities from homestead food gardening (TT 431/3/09)

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Chapter 1: Rural Realities and Homestead Food Gardening Options

Chapter 1 Table of Contents:

Rural realities and homestead

food gardening options

Table of Contents: Rural realities and homestead food gardening options .. v

List of Tables and Figures ...................................................................................... vii

List of Activities ....................................................................................................... vii

List of Case Studies & Research ........................................................................... vii

Aims ........................................................................................................................ viii

What am I going to learn? .................................................................................. viii

Icons ......................................................................................................................... xi

Better opportunities, but serious challenges ....................................................... 1

What is a household to do? ................................................................................... 3

What food can people grow at home? ............................................................. 5

Is home food production worthwhile? ................................................................ 8

Is it worthwhile for the country? ............................................................................ 8

Impact of homestead food production on livelihoods ................................... 12

Households’ comments on the impact of gardening on their lives ............... 12

Degradation everywhere.................................................................................... 15

Processes to rebuild our environment ................................................................ 17

Our world in context ............................................................................................. 20

Water use in the world .......................................................................................... 21

The water situation in South Africa ..................................................................... 23

Policies related to water ...................................................................................... 25

International policies ............................................................................................ 25

Water policies in South Africa ............................................................................. 27

Water demand and supply in South Africa ...................................................... 28

The availability of water for all purposes ................................................................ 29

Agriculture and income ...................................................................................... 29

The potential role of water in poverty alleviation ............................................ 32

The importance of water for household productivity ...................................... 33

Farming systems: Three approaches to farming .............................................. 38

Traditional Agriculture .......................................................................................... 38

High-External-Input Agriculture (HEIA) ............................................................... 39

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Low-External-Input and Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA) .................................. 39

The homestead as a farming system................................................................. 41

LEISA Principles ...................................................................................................... 41

Systems thinking .................................................................................................... 41

SWOT analysis ........................................................................................................ 43

A beautiful example of intensive food production and rainwater

harvesti ng ...................................................................................................... 46

Cropping in furrows and mounds ....................................................................... 49

Some interesting outcomes ................................................................................ 50

(

)

Chapter 1: Rural Realities and Homestead Food Gardening Options

vii

List of Tables and Figures

Table 1: World Population by Region (in millions) ........................................... 22

Table 2: Water policies most directly relevant for homestead food

gardening: .................................................................................................... 27

Table 3: Non-urban population by category, province and sex (000s)* .... 28

Table 4: Distance from homestead to water: Nr of households(000s) ......... 29

Table 5: Household income after tax in month prior to survey – province .. 30

Table 6: Worksheet on farming approaches ................................................... 40

Table 7: SWOT analysis on Food Security for a Rural Household .................. 44

Figure 1: An example of a mind map of a dairy farm (Wilson 1995). .......... 36

Figure 2: An example of resource flow in a homestead faremingsystem. . 36

Figure 3: An example of nutrient flows in a homestead farming system .... 38

Figure 4: Example of a systems diagram.......................................................... 42

List of Activities

Activity 1: Life in rural areas – definitions ............................................................ 2

Activity 2: Life in rural areas – descriptions ......................................................... 2

Activity 3: Life in rural areas – concepts .............................................................. 7

Activity 4: Processes for systematic rebuilding of our environment ............. 18

Activity 5: Water use exercise ............................................................................. 24

Activity 6: Defining the role of water ................................................................. 26

Activity 7: Analysing different rural contexts .................................................... 31

Activity 8: Causes of Poverty .............................................................................. 32

Facilitation Tool 1: The Nuts Game (Van Veldhuizen et al., 1998)...... 35

Facilitation Tool 2: Elements of sustainability .......................................... 36

Activity 9: Analysing a known farming system ................................................ 40

Activity 10: The Homestead as a Farming System .......................................... 43

Facilitation tool 3: SWOT analysis for a homestead farming system .. 45

Activity 11: Analysis of the case study of a Homestead Farming System ..51

List of Case Studies & Research

Copy and handouts 1 Is homestead food production worthwhile? ........... 10

Case study 1: The power of starting small........................................................ 10

Case study 3: Augmenting household food and income............................ 14

Copy and handouts 2 Processes for systematic rebuilding of our

environment.: ............................................................................................. 18

Case study 4: Homestead Farming System example .................................... 46

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

viii

Aims

This chapter introduces you to the realities of life in rural areas. We will also introduce

different systems of farming, such as traditional farming, and high versus low external

input systems, to see which approaches are likely to fit better within the realities of

homestead farming.

The aim of this Chapter is to create an awareness of the issues that influence how

poor rural households can use water for production in their homestead yards. To

achieve this, it is necessary to first look at the rural context as opposed to the urban

context, poverty issues, and rural resources, including the farming systems within

which rural people live and work. Furthermore, we need to look at the ‘bigger

picture’ – the realities of water availability and water use worldwide and how it

affects us. This will support your learning and decision-making around participatory

planning (Chapter 2) and water and soil management options (Chapter 4) at a

homestead level. In Chapter 5, you will use this background to further explore the

meaning of water management from a number of different perspectives.

What am I going to learn?

You will notice that each Chapter starts with a list of the things you should be able to

do when you have successfully completed the chapter. This list will give you some

idea of what to expect when you start working on the chapter, but, more

importantly, you should come back to the list when you have completed the

chapter to check if you have achieved all the objectives set out for the chapter. This

means that you can monitor your own progress quite accurately. On the following

page is the list of these outcomes for this chapter:

Chapter 1: Rural Realities and Homestead Food Gardening Options

What am I going to learn? What should I be able to

after

completing this unit?

Done 

Can’t do 

explain the role of water in society

explain the role of water in the environment

Identify the role of

water in society and

in the environment

describe the rural context in terms of its

opportunities and threats

Characterise the rural

context in terms of its

threats and

opportunities

3  discuss the causes of poverty

 discuss poverty in terms of its impact on

society

Define poverty in terms

of its causes and its

impact on society

define farming systems in terms of their

different practices

define farming systems in terms of their

different outcomes

Differentiate between

the main farming

systems in terms of

their practices and

outcomes

identify the elements of sustainability of

farming systems

compare the elements of sustainability of

farming systems

Evaluate the

elements of

sustainability of

farming systems

apply mind mapping and/or flow diagrams

as brainstorming tools

apply SWOT-analysis as a planning and

decision making tool

Apply the use of mind

mapping, flow

diagrams and SWOT

analysis

identify the three major approaches to

farming

discuss the characteristics of the three

major approaches to farming

Differentiate between

the three major

approaches to

farming and their

characteristics

describe the homestead as a farming

system

Discuss the

homestead as a

farming system

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Chapter 1: Rural Realities and Homestead Food Gardening Options

Icons

You will find that several different icons are used throughout the Chapter.These icons

should assist you with navigation through the Chapter and orientation within the

material. This is what these icons mean:

Facilitation tools

Processes that you can use in workshop situations,

to support your work in the field.

Research /Case study

The results of research or case studies that

illustrate the ideas presented.

Looking at research, facts and figures

to help contextualise things.

Activity

This indicates an exercise that you should do

– either on your own (individual) or in a group.

Copy and handouts

These sections can be copied and used

as handouts to learners / participants.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

xii

Chapter 1: Rural Realities and Homestead Food Gardening Options

1-1

Dependency ratios:

Number of people dependent

on the person or persons in a

family that earn an income.

Remittances:

The act of sending money to

family in the rural areas.

1.1 What is life like in rural areas?

Better opportunities, but serious challenges

Life in the rural areas of South Africa is not easy.

Most rural households are poor. There is hunger,

poor health, high dependency ratios, difficult

family

situations

and crime.

children now attend school –both girls and boys

– and there are more opportunities for tertiary

education. However, employment prospects remain poor for graduated youth, and

are worse the more uneducated and unskilled a person is.

The main source of income for rural households is social grants especially old-age

grants. (Department of Social Development, Nov. 2006). Often, extended families

rely for their survival on a single grandfather or grandmother’s old-age grant. Should

such a person pass away the family is left destitute. More recently, the payment of a

child support and foster care grants has brought relief. The aim of the grants was to

increase the quality of life for children, and in some households this has happened.

However, small children still suffer from malnutrition. Further, when the child turns 15,

they no longer qualify for the grant, yet are too young to start contributing to family

income. Families with member/s who have HIV/AIDS can apply for care dependency

grants.

A number of large modern houses are arising among the more typically traditional

homesteads in the rural areas – showing those fortunate families who have managed

to improve their incomes substantially. This does not necessarily mean that the rural

economy is growing. We know that the more times money, goods or services

exchange hands within a village, the more the economy of that village is stimulated

(Local Currency Book). However, little economic activity or value adding takes place

in most rural villages. Cash flows into the village

through grants and remittances. It often flows directly

out of the village again through the purchase of food

and other products that are produced and

purchased elsewhere. Even the foods consumed in

rural areas are purchased outside of the village. The maize is grown elsewhere and

none of its processing and distribution contributes to the village’s economy. The

same applies to meat, bread, vegetables, drinks and tinned food, cell phones and

other services.

In most rural areas, the agricultural activity is very low, using a fraction of the natural

resource potential. Former traditions where villagers used their homesteads, cropping

fields and grazing areas for family food production, have all but disappeared. It has

become almost impossible in many areas for households to use their cropping fields,

due to lack of fencing, high input costs, lack of mechanisation, increased crime

levels and the disintegration of traditional rules and systems which ensured that crops

in the fields were protected from roaming livestock. The threat of livestock theft is rife.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

1-2

Activity 1:

Life in rural areas– definitions

Aim

To make our own definitions for concepts used.

Instructions

Take the following terms and describe what you think they mean. Decide on one

description for the whole group, if you are working in a group.

Rural as opposed to urban Vulnerability and risk

Dependency ratio Malnutrition

Cash based economy Value adding

Mechanisation

Activity 2:

Life in rural areas– descriptions

Aim

Explore some of the concepts used in the introduction to gain a more personal

understanding of what they mean to you.

Instructions

Consider one of the following statements.

- Does this statement make sense to you?

- Do you agree with the statement?

- How would you say it?

STATEMENT 1:

The aim of the child support grant was to increase the quality of life for children. Often this has

not happened, as many small children still suffer from difficulties related to malnutrition.

Further when the child turns 15, they no longerqualify for the grant, yet are too young to start

contributing to family income.

STATEMENT 2:

Former traditions where villagers used their homesteads, cropping fields and grazing areas for

family food production have all but disappeared.

Chapter 1: Rural Realities and Homestead Food Gardening Options

1-3

Reduced vulnerability:

Lessen chances of being

more poor or destitute.

What is a household to do?

Jobs are scarce… money is scarce… food is expensive… field cropping is difficult,

hard work and low value. The environment has deteriorated badly, and there is little

water available for agriculture…

Worldwide, poor people try to reduce their vulnerability

by doing more and different things (diversification). One

example of this is a study in the Eastern Cape (Minkley et

al., 2006) that showed that there is now an increase in

agricultural activity in homestead yards. This is because

people are not able to use their cropping fields and many do not have enough

money to buy even the basic goods they need.

The tremendous rise in food prices worldwide in 2008, motivated more households to

start growing food. Many leading politicians and organisations are urging people to

grow their own food.

Grow your OWN food!

(Mr. Trevor Manuel, Min. of

Finance, 1999-2009)

Grow your OWN food!

(Mr. Julius Malema, Leader –

ANC Youth League)

Grow your OWN food!

(Ms. Lulama Xingwana, Min.

of Agriculture, 2004-2009)

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

1-4

Organic food production

For food insecure people organic food production methods

make a lot of sense, because it makes it possible to grow a

lot of food without having to buy expensive seeds and

fertilizers.

Organic food production methods are also good for the

environment because they set in motion processes that

build up the environment rather than polluting and

eroding it

In this Chapter we will investigate three different farming systems, and recommend

the one we believe is most suitable for people without money. The other chapters in

this resource material are also based on this basic point of departure: low cost

methods, which are good for people, and for the environment.

Chapter 1: Rural Realities and Homestead Food Gardening Options

1-5

These days we no longer have

time to queue every month for

the grant payouts.They now pay

it into our bank accounts so that

we can use the time to work in

our gardens.

Diet diversity for good health

Different types of vegetables can supply

different diet needs, like:

Important micronutrients (especially

deep-coloured vegetables);

Starches (potato, sweet potato); and

even

Non-meat protein (legumes, peas,

beans, peanuts).

In Chapter 3, we will see how the family can

plan their gardening to eat healthy, balanced

meals every day to overcome malnutrition.

Malnutrition:

Absence of certain

foods or essential

elements necessary for

health this results in illness

or death

What food can people grow

at home?

1.The easiest way for households

who want to start growing their

own food, is to use the area

around their homes (i.e. the

homestead yard) to plant

vegetables as a source of

nutritious family food.

Vegetables grow quickly, and if

water is available, the household

can grow a great variety so that

they can harvest fresh food for

daily use throughout the year.

2.In season, most families also

plant some maize (staple food)

in the yard, but often there is not

enough space to harvest

enough for the maize meal

needs for the whole year.

Green maize is also a favourite vegetable. Prof Marais of the

University of Fort Hare (Eastern Cape Province) developed a

planting programme, which enabled him to harvest green

mealies (different varieties) right through the year at his

home in the Eastern Cape.

3.Over time, households can diversify their homestead food gardening by adding

fruit trees, poultry and small livestock.

When possible, people barter or sell surplus produce to boost family income.

Vegetables are often given away as gifts, which helps strengthen social bonds of

goodwill (social safety nets). This plays an important

role as a social buffer for the family when they may

experience hardship.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

1-6

I like the recipes for drying. I can’t afford to

buy such a lot of sugar to make jams and it

also takes a lot of wood to cook them.

Some households also try out various ways to preserve their excess produce, mainly

through drying or bottling.

When people discover that they can also sell some of these preserved foods, this

encourages them to find more ways to add value and earn some extra cash.

The homestead is preferred for food gardening over field cropping for several

reasons, including the following:

It is easier to protect against animals and theft. The yard can even be fenced in,

often using a combination of available materials, scrap metal and fast-growing

hedge-forming plants;

People spend most of their time in and around their homes, often caring for the

sick. Being able to produce without the need to walk long distances to the fields,

is a clear advantage; and

It is easier to intensify production close to the house,where it is easier to collect

organic matter, vegetable peelings, and animal manure from livestock pens in

the yard.

Chapter 1: Rural Realities and Homestead Food Gardening Options

1-7

Intensification

Through intensification,

people’s production

efforts become

worthwhile, which

encourages them to keep

up the effort.

My whole family helps me in the

garden now, because it is

“double-double”:

Double because we can now grow

food in both summer and winter,

and double again, because our

yields are so much higher with

these methods.”

- Andile, Upper Ngqumeya,

Eastern Cape, 2007.

Activity 3: Life in rural areas – concepts

Aim

Make our own definitions for concepts used.

Instructions

Take the following terms and give an example that will show what this term means.

- Diversification

- High value crops

- Staple food

- Nutritious food

- Social safety nets

- Intensification of production

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Household expenditure

patterns

Every amount a household can save on

food expenditure, they can instead spend

on overall improvement of their

livelihood. This increases the

effectiveness of the social assistance

provided by the state and injects cash

into the local economy.

Livelihood:

“A means of

living”.

Is home food production worthwhile?

Is it worthwhile for the country?

Household expenditure patterns

The Department of Social Development and Welfare spent R75.3 billion on

comprehensive social security (Kruger, 2009). The purpose was to provide income

support to the elderly, the disabled and children in need through social assistance

grants as provided for in law.

Specific activities included the following:

Providing social assistance to all eligible beneficiaries, notably the old aged in

rural areas;

Providing child support grants, foster care grants and care dependency grants;

Improving income security for workers and their dependants by means of the

Unemployment Insurance Fund; and thereby

Improving the access of household beneficiaries of social assistance to economic

opportunities.

How can home food production help to make this significant state investment more

effective?

According to the national income and expenditure survey (National Income and

Expenditure Survey, 2007), 36% of poor households’ income is spent on buying food.

If the state should invest an amount of

R2.3bn (equal to 3% of the annual

social security budget) in support of

home food production, this would

enable about 60 000 new households

every year to start saving money on

food, and invest in family development

instead. Almost a million households

could be reached over a 15-year

period.

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Homestead food

gardening...

...enables mothers to ensure that

their children get a balanced diet.

This helps the children to reach their

full potential. This in turn is good

for the country’s economic growth

potential.

The importance of balanced nutrition to the country

Homestead food gardening makes economic sense in financial terms. It also

addresses – very directly – the problem that a quarter of all South African children’s

growth is stunted through malnutrition before they reach the age of five. Stunting

means that such a child will never reach its full physical and mental potential in life.

This could create a vicious poverty cycle when following generations suffer the same

fate.

In South Africa, malnutrition is caused

predominantly by a lack of micronutrients

and protein in the diet and both these can

be found in vegetables and root crops that

can be grown in homestead food gardens.

In Chapter 3, we will look in more depth at

how homestead food gardening can help

people to live and eat healthily – whether

they have money or not.

We have buried the hunger!

-Emily Masha, Sekhukhune,

Limpopo, 2006

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Copy and handouts 1:

Is homestead food production worthwhile?

People often stopgardening as soon as they get formal employment, and this makes

good sense if they can earn a good income. However, once people have been

successful at intensive homestead food production, they always have the

confidence that they can return to it should circumstances change for them. Some

people manage to continue growing some food at home, even while working

fulltime. In Countries like Kenya, this is an established culture.

For poor people with limited resources cannot afford to take risks. Homestead food

gardening often provides a manageable starting point from where they can grow.

Case study 1:

The power of starting small

Eva Masha was the first person in her area to build a large underground rainwater

tank for homestead food production. This was part of the Water for Food Movement

(Ainslie,2006) for food insecure households. When Eva became known for her

success, she was offered a plot on the irrigation scheme in her village. She declined,

saying: "I have not yet finished implementing my five-year plan for my own yard, and

anyway I don't have time to sit in meetings" – which as a person who lived her

lifetime in a village on an irrigation scheme, was her perception of participation in

formal irrigation.

The sequel to her story is that she has since completed her work in her own yard and

has now joined together with 7 or 8 other women in their own joint irrigation project

of some 8 hectares.

Eva’s humble beginnings in her own yard gave her the know-how and confidence to

embark on larger initiatives – on her own terms.

I used to think I am poor,

now I know I have my ten

fingers.

-Eva Masha, Strydkraal,

Limpopo, 2003.

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200 m2:

Is equal to an area 20

meters long and 10

meters wide.

Case study 2:

The freedom to work from home

Ntombulundi Zitha and others in Eastern Cape have expanded quickly from a

humble start in their backyards, and are still growing.

Ntombulundi had her bags packed, waiting at the door, putting off the inevitable:

that she had to leave Ngqumeya and go to East London (some 2 hours’ drive away)

to look for a job. She would have to leave behind four children and an ailing mother,

not at all certain that she would find a job.

At that time the Border Rural Committee (BRC) and Umhlaba introduced the ‘Water

for Food’ project. This included demonstration of homestead food gardening using

the method of deep trenching with run-on. It was followed by the demonstration of

underground rainwater tanks (30 kl) for 3 households in March 2006. Ntombulundi

was one of these 3 people who were assisted to build her own tank.

Two years later, Ntombulundi has expanded her garden to probably 200 m2. BRC has

helped her and other households to start selling their produce in Keiskammahoek

and even East London. The group now also has a small shadecloth nursery to grow

their own seedlings, which is on Ntombulundi’s yard.

When people ask: “What do you do for a

living?” I no longer say: “I’m unemployed.”

Now I always say: “I work at home.”’

-Ntombulundi Zitha, Eastern Cape

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Impact of homestead food production on livelihoods

A survey was conducted in Potshini (Mudhara et al., 2008) to look at the impact of

homestead food gardening. They noticed a number of interesting points:

1.The actual income generated from a garden averaged R50-R100/month. While

this sounds like a very small amount to a salaried person, it becomes more and

more significant the lower the income bracket the household finds it in. For

instance, an additional R100/m would constitute a 50% increase for households

who survive on R200/m.

2.Other livelihood advantages found in Potshini, included savings of around R100-

R300/month. These savings (money now not spent on food) increased the

household's ability to buy other things. It solved many problems related to hunger

and access to food.

Below is a summary of people’s comments about the contribution of garden

produce to their livelihoods in Potshini, Bergville, KZN in 2007 (Sturdy, JD, Jewitt, GPW,

Lorent, SA. 2009).

Households’ comments on the impact of gardening on their lives

1.We don’t go hungry anymore and sell to the community.

2.We did not spend a lot of money on vegetables this year and had surplus to give

to neighbours.

3.I saved money as there is spinach in my garden and I do not need to buy

vegetables.

4.I got a lot of spinach and tomatoes. My family does not like the other vegetables.

5.I have food for my kids now.

6.Spinach and greens are always available.

7.We stopped buying vegetables for a while as we had our own.

8.I saved money that I used to buy vegetables with and sold the surplus. I have

been able to buy a TV for my kids.

9.I got a lot of food for my family.

10.I do not need to go to the shop.

11.I had a lot of green peppers, but as people here do not know them, I could not

sell them.

12.I learnt how to grow and store tomatoes.

I have made a good income

from selling vegetables. Now I

can feed my own children as

well as help out with other

children who need food. I

now feel secure living here

and do not have one foot in

the taxi all the time.

-Sizakele Mduba, Potshini, KZN

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Since they started their

intensive gardens, 63% of

the learning group members

Have said that they have

More money for things and

can now save some money.

Garden Learning Group

members, Potshini, KZN.

Photos: E. Kruger, 2008

I make an income of

between R100-R300 from

my garden in a season.

I have also worked out that

I can save up to R1 000 in a

season from using my own

vegetables instead of

going to town to buy food.

We sell mainly

cabbage, spinach

and tomatoes.

People in our village

will also sometimes

buy beetroot, green

peppers and carrots.

Members of our

learning group have

grown enough

vegetables to sell.

We have expanded

our gardens,

intensified our

production and tried

new kinds of

vegetables.

People who were not

involved in the

learning group have

not done this and

have not grown a lot

of food.

We sell mainly to

them.

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Augmenting:

Become greater,

increase.

Case study 3:

Augmenting household food and income

Mr Palaza from Ngcobo, Eastern Cape has kept an accurate record of sales of

vegetables from his home food garden, in a small notebook, which he – very

significantly – calls ‘my book of water’ and ‘my book of life’.

According to his records from 14 November 2005 up to 28 April 2006, he has earned

R660.50 from vegetable sales. This is an average of R120 per month. In 2006, this

would have been equivalent to a 15% increase in total cash income for a household

depending on an old-age pension of R800 per month.

Although this was only his first season of production, he was already growing a good

variety of vegetable crops, which meant that his household enjoyed much greater

diversity in their diet. His crops included deep coloured vegetables like tomato,

green pepper, spinach and beetroot, as well as squash and cabbage.

He also kept a daily record of rainfall, and measured a total of 498 mm over a seven-

month period from 4 October 2005 up to 21 April 2006.

Looking at the rainfall records, we see that there were two dry spells during this rainy

season – one in January and one in February – and both lasted for about three

weeks. The water stored in the rainwater-harvesting tank would have prevented

damage to the crops during these dry periods.

The stored water would also enable him to keep on growing vegetables during the

dry winter season.

It is particularly heartening to see such accurate and useful records being kept by a

rural household. To measure is to know!

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1.2 The natural environment in rural

villages

Degradation everywhere

When we go to communal areas

where smallholders live, we are

generally confronted with a picture

similar to the one below. Many of us

may have got used to this picture,as it

has been happening over a long

period of time.

Potshini, Bergville, KZN. Photo: E Kruger 2006

There is a lot of erosion in the grazing areas,

especially if these are on hillsides. Very few

indigenous trees survive (if any)

There is erosion or

degradation around the

homestead and fields.

Homesteads have very little

fencing, very little natural

vegetation and a few fruit

trees

Roads are dirt tracks that get

washed away often and cause

damage to the fields and

homesteads

There is sparse grass cover, eaten

short by livestock such as cattle,

goats and sheep. The soil is hard

and visible.

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Biodiversity:

Diversity of plant

and animal life.

The trend has been one of too many people having to rely too heavily on available

natural resources such as land, water, grazing, firewood and medicinal and other

plants. This has led to the degradation of the natural environment from over-use; a

systematic decline. This degradation could have its roots in the poverty of the rural

inhabitants, whose immediate needs outweigh the needs of their environment.

Erosion on a slope

due to degraded

environment

probably due to

overgrazing

In the commercial farming areas of South Africa, environmental degradation is also

visible and often relates to pollution through the overuse of chemical fertilisers and

pesticides, degradation and/or loss of topsoil due to overgrazing and bad farming

practice. There is loss of biodiversity. This is probably due to the demand for

immediate financial returns and due to the battle for survival common to all farmers.

In the long-term the combined effects of increased production costs and decreased

product prices has made farming less and less profitable. The

immediate needs of the farmers outweigh the need s of the

environment.

When fertilizers wash

into open watercourses,

algae may grow on the

water surface due to

the oversupply of

nutrients in the water.

This reduces the

oxygen levels in the

water and can lead to

death of fish and other

life and thus loss of

biodiversity.

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Processes to rebuild our environment

Our environment cannot support us if we do not support our environment. We

cannot continue to take without giving back. We need to start working within

processes of systematic rebuilding of our environment.

This means different things to differentpeople. Let's look at what Mr Maphumulo

thinks. He is a farmer in a communal area known as Umbumbulu in southern

KwaZulu-Natal.

I need to work with people around me, so

that we can all understand each other and

give the right kind of support

Nature works in cycles. I need to

understand and respect those cycles

in my farming

By copying some natural processes

I can build the fertility of my soil.

Working with organic matter,

increases the quality of my land

and my produce

Growing many different types of

plants together works well. They

support each other and I can

gather food for my family and

my livestock

By looking after the wetlands,

streams and springs, I ensure that

there is water throughout the year.

Making money is not the only reason

for farming. It is a way of life.

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Copy and handouts 2:

Processes for systematic rebuilding of our

environment.

Some of the ‘rebuilding processes’ that supports our environment which in turn

support us in our homestead food gardening are:

1.Finding a balance between our needs and the needs of the natural environment;

2.Working co-operatively with other people, so that we can find these balances

together;

3.Building our soil using organic methods;

4.Increasing the water holding capacity of our environment by slowing down,

catching and letting water sink into the soil, controlling erosion and protecting

springs;

5.Diversifying our production to better suit our needs and those of our livestock;

6.Increasing the biological diversity in our environment so that natural balances

can be restored; and

7.On a small scale in our gardens, mimicking natural processes that affect our

larger environment.

Activity 4:

Processes for systematic rebuilding of our

environment

Aim

Is to deepen our understanding of the main elements of supporting natural

processes, and to rebuild a healthy environment.

Instructions

Look at the numbered points in the paragraph above this activity. For each point, try

and think of some examples that you may have seen or think would work for the

‘rebuilding process’ mentioned.

For example:

1: Manage the cutting of firewood to allow re-generation of trees – do not kill them.

1: Keep cattle numbers down to ensure there is always grass cover in the veldt.

1: Balance the number of cows you own with other small livestock such as goats,

sheep and poultry.

1 and 5: Grow fodder for livestock to eat in winter, so that they do not have to

denude their environment.

3: Add organic matter to your soil to build you soil fertility.

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5, 6 and 7: Grow many different kinds of fruit trees, for your family needs and to

increase the natural diversity. You will find many birds and insects coming to your

garden that you have not seen there before.

Add more of your own

...................................................................................................................................................

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1.3 The water situation

Our world in context

If the population of the Earth was reduced to that of a small town with 100 people,

there would be:

61 Asians

13 Europeans

14 Americans (northern and southern)

12 Africans

52 women

48 men

6 people would own 59% of the whole world wealth, and all of them will be

from the United States of America

80 would have bad living conditions

70 would be uneducated

0 underfed

1 would die

2 would be born

1 would have a computer

1 (only one) will have higher education

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Also think about the following:

This morning if you woke up healthy, you are

happier that the 1 million people that will not survive

this week due to illness;

If you never suffered a war, the loneliness of a jail

cell, the agony of torture or hunger, you are happier

than 500 million people in this world;

If you can enter into a church (or mosque) without

fear of jail or death, you are happier than 3 million

people in the world;

If you have food, shoes and clothes, abed and a roof

over your head, you are richer than 75% of the

people of the world.

Water

Maybe it is the single

resource that defines the

limits of sustainable

development.

Water use in the world

Water is the source of life and human civilization.

Now, the Earth, with its diverse and abundant life

forms, including over six billion humans, is facing a

serious water crisis (Population Action International,

2002).

Water covers about 70% of the earth. Only 2% of this

is fresh water. Although the amount of freshwater remains about the same from year

to year, it is continually renewed through the water cycle, which is powered by sun’s

energy and the earth’s gravity. No new water enters the cycle and no water ever

leaves the cycle.

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Figure1: The Water Cycle

Worldwide, 54 % of the annual available freshwater is being used. If consumption per

person remains steady, by 2025 we could be using 70% of the total because of the

projected population growth alone (UNFPA, 2001).

Table 1: World Population by Region (in millions)

Year Africa Asia

Latin

America &

Caribbean

Oceania Europe North

America Global

1990 615 3 180 441 26 722 282 5 266

2000 784 3 683 519 30 729 310 6 055

Increase

(%)27.5 15.8 17.7 15.4 1 9.9 15

(Source: WHO/UNICEF, 2000)

From the table above, we can see that in the year 2000, Africa had the second-

largest population of all the world regions (only Asia had more people). More

importantly, Africa’s population was growing much faster than in any other region –

by 27.5% in the ten years from 1990 to 2000. Such rapid growth makes it very difficult

to provide for the additional demands on resources and infrastructure in the region –

including water.

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Dry land cropping:

Crop farming which is

dependent on rainfall, i.e.

lands that are not irrigated.

Also called rain fed cropping.

Inhibited:

Slowed down or

stopped.

The availability of water varies considerably between countries and within countries.

Water availability is also affected by droughts as well as inappropriate water

management programmes (Ambala, 2002). Veld management has a significant

effect on available soil water. If overgrazing is allowed and

areas become stripped of vegetation, less rainwater is

absorbed into the soil, flash floods with erosion occur and

vegetation regrowth is inhibited. On a large scale, this will

impact on weather patterns (Winpenny, 1999). Less soil

moisture means that less water is available for the local water

cycle.

The water available for human use is also becoming less because of pollution from

agriculture and industry. Due to pollution, water in many rivers, dams, lakes and

groundwater sources (underground water)can no longer be used for human

consumption (Livernash and Rodenburg, 1998:34).In developing countries, 90-95% of

sewage and 70% of industrial wastes are dumped into surface water where they

pollute the water supply.

The water situation in South Africa

South Africa is a hot and dry country. The average annual rainfall is less than 500

millimetres per year, compared to the world average of 860 millimetres. South

Africa’s rainfall is insufficient:

Firstly, because it is hot and dry, more water evaporates into the air than falls as

rain; and

Secondly, the rainfall is erratic and unreliable. Prolonged drought at critical

stages of crop production occurs

frequently. Dry land cropping is therefore

quite risky.

Agriculture and forestry use 74% of South

Africa's potentially available rainwater. By far

the largest volume of this, 60%, is used to

maintain the growth of forests and the natural vegetation that is utilised as grazing

for livestock and game, while 12% is used for rain fed cropping. Only 2% of the

country's potentially available rainwater is used for irrigation (National State of the

Environment Report – South Africa, 2002).The average runoff (rainwater that runs off

the surface into our rivers, rather than sinking straight into the ground) for the country

is around 8.5%. Irrigation is the largest single user of runoff water in the country.

According to the National Population Unit in South Africa, all major rivers have been

dammed or modified to meet the demand for water, reducing water flow, causing

many rivers to become seasonal (e.g. the Limpopo, Luvhuvhu and Letaba rivers) and

reducing the productive capacity of flood plains such as in the Pongola area

(National Population Unit, 2001:33). Manyof the issues around access to water also

have to do with how water is managed.

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Water availability (%)

forests & natural vegetation

rainfed or dryland cropping

irrigation

Activity 5:

Water use exercise

Aim

To understand the proportions of rain water available for different uses.

Instructions

Make a note of the percentages (%) of water that you think are available in your

area for:

- Forests and natural vegetation

- rain fed or dry land cropping

- irrigation

Now make a pie chart to represent these percentages.

How to make a pie chart (example):

Now use your percentages and fill

them into the pie chart given below:

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Policies related to water

International policies

Of all the major target-setting events of

recent years, the United Nations (UN)

Summit of 2000, which set the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs) for 2015,

remains the most influential. Among the

goals set forth, the following are the most

relevant to water:

Millennium Development Goals related to water

To halve the proportion of people suffering from hunger;

To halve the proportion of people living on less than 1 dollar per day;

To halve the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water;

To ensure that all children, boys and girls equally, can complete a course of

primary education;

To reduce maternal mortality by 75 percent and under-five mortality by two

thirds;

To halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and the other major

diseases; and

To provide special assistance to children orphaned by HIV/AIDS.

All this needs to be achieved while protecting the environment from further

degradation. The UN recognized that these aims, focusing on poverty, education

and health,cannot be achieved without adequate and equitable access to

resources. The most fundamental resources are water and energy.

The Hague Ministerial Declaration of March 2000 adopted seven challenges as the

basis for future action. These provide broad actions for reaching the MDGs:

The Hague Ministerial Declaration

Meeting basic needs – for safe and sufficient

water and sanitation.

Securing the food supply – especially for the

poor and vulnerable through the more

effective use of water.

Protecting ecosystems – ensuring their integrity via sustainable water resource

management.

Sharing water resources – promoting peaceful cooperation between different

uses of water and between concerned states, through approaches such as

sustainable river basin management.

Managing risks – to provide security from a range of water related hazards.

Valuing water – to manage water in the light of its different values (economic,

social, environmental, cultural) and to move towards pricing water to recover

the costs of service provision, taking account of equity and the needs of the

poor and vulnerable.

Ecosystem: A biological

community and the physical

environment associated with

it.

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Water is a scarce resource:

There is no doubt that water is a scarce resource

and that demand will increase in the future. What

will society do about this?

A key solution is to change to better

management of water resources. There needs to

be a new attitude to water management, based

on scientific knowledge, but also including

cultural and ethical values.

Governing water wisely – involving the public and the interests of all

stakeholders.

Activity 6:

Defining the role of water

Aim

To build understanding of some of the issues involved in the management of water

as a scarce resource.

Instructions

Read through the paragraphs in the note below.

- Describe in your own words what these paragraphs mean to you.

- Try and think of examples of better water management in a rural context in South

Africa.

- Also give a few examples of what a new attitude towards water management

would be.

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Water policies in South Africa

South African water policy is viewed as some of the most progressive in the world.

Water law was comprehensively reviewed after the regime change in 1994. The

current water policy is based on the constitutional principles of efficiency,

sustainability and equity. It is also based on scientific principles and cultural, ethical

values.

At the 2008 international water exhibition in Zaragoza, Spain, South Africa was still

one of only a handful of countries which recognises water as a basic human right,

and gives effect to this right through its policies and implementation programmes.

Some of these policies will be dealt with in more detail in Chapter 5: “Home garden

layout and household water management”.

Table 2: Water policies most directly relevant for homestead food gardening:

POLICY RELEVANCE

Schedule 1 of the National Water Act

(Act 36 of 1998):

Allows freely, without the need for

licensing, the use of water from streams

and other sources people have legal

access to, as well as rainfall run-off, for

home food production.

The ‘Water Reserve’: The only ‘right’ entrenched in the

National Water Act is water for the

environment, and water for basic human

needs.

Current policy allows for an amount of 25

litres per person per day for basic human

needs. There is strong advocacy to

increase this amount, especially to

enable economic activity of poor

households. (See Case study: 4 below.)

Free Basic Water: Municipalities are required by law to

provide 6 000 litres per household per

month free of charge as a ‘lifeline’

amount.

Subsidy to support homestead rainwater

harvesting through the ‘policy on support

for Resource Poor Farmers’:

Through this policy, a subsidy is provided

for household training in intensive home

food production and rainwater

harvesting, as well as water storage

infrastructure in the homestead yard.

Water can be stored in underground

tanks, roof water tanks and in the soil

profile.

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Water demand and supply in South Africa

The total ‘non-urban’ population for South Africa was around 12.7 million in 1997. The

total population was 41 million people. Therefore the non-urban population

comprised 31% of the total population (Rural Survey, 1997). Since then, the total

population of South Africa has increased to about 48 million people.

Table 3: Non-urban population by category, province and sex (000s)*

Prov TotalRural former homelands Semi-rural settlement

TotalFem Male TotalFem Male TotalFem Male

EC 3 677 2 013 1 664 3 3681 8431 525305 169 136

FS 299 163 137 28115312819 109

KZN 1 778 980 797 1 69593975583 41 42

Mpum 1 078 578 500 976521455 102 57 45

NW 1 813 939 874 1 625847778188 92 96

Limp 4 084 2 252 1 832 3 5621 9521 610515 297 218

Total 12 729 6 925 5 804 11 5076 2555 2521 211 665 546

Most of South Africa’s non-urban population live in the deep rural areas of the

communal land tenure areas (11.5 million people). In the Eastern Cape (303 000)

and in Limpopo (515 000), a significant number of people live in semi-rural

settlements.

Service provision of to such remote areas is very difficult, and is now the responsibility

of wall-to-wall municipalities with responsibility for rural and urban sectors. These

municipalities were created in 1994. They have multiple functions and responsibilities

but often lack resources to fulfil their mandates.

Females are in the majority in the rural areas of all provinces. We know that in most

rural households, the ‘household caregiver’, namely the person responsible for

planning and preparing meals, is the mother or grandmother. However, some

households are ‘child-headed’, meaning that there are no adults in the household

who can fulfil this role.

*Note:

(000s) mean that you have to multiply the figures in the table by 1000 to get the

correct figure. For instance, total rural population (total of first column) is

12 729 000 people.

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The availability of water for all purposes

Table 4: Distance from homestead to water: Number of households (000s)

Distance

TotalE Cape F State KZN Mpum N West Limp

N % N % N % N % N % N % N %

Inside dwelling 514 21.8 61 8.6 18 26.4 22 8.7 100 50.0 81 22.9 232 30.2

Less than 100 m 420 17.8 119 16.7 32 46.6 17 6.7 38 18.8 83 23.5 131 17.0

100 m-> 200 m 419 17.8 131 18.4 14 20.3 53 20.9 31 15.4 89 25.1 101 13.2

200 m-> 500 m 396 16.8 131 18.3 4 6.1 84 33.2 21 10.5 58 16.4 98 12.7

500 m-> 1 km 310 13.2 143 20.1 0.5 58 22.9 6 3.2 30 8.3 73 9.5

1 km or more298 12.6 127 17.9 0.1 19 7.6 4 2.1 13 3.6 134 17.4

Total 2,356 100 712 100 68 100 253 100 199 100 354 100 769 100

The table above reflects the position in 1997. No less than 42.6% of the 2.4 million

rural households had to fetch water from further than the prescribed two hundred

metres.

Although the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry and Municipalities continue

with the campaign to provide potable tap water to all rural dwellers many still

struggle daily with water for drinking, water for cooking and water for growing things.

Availability of water is a problem that many homestead food gardeners are faced

with.

Agriculture and income

An interesting question formed part of the 1997 rural survey questionnaire, namely:

‘Did this household spend at least 1 hour per week on ‘agriculture’?’

One hour per week hardly qualifies a person as a food gardener, let alone a farmer!

This is a clear indication that “agriculture” is not one of the prime concerns in the

rural villages and that there are relatively few “farmers” amongst the village

residents. This was confirmed by the finding that only 2,7% of households identified

farming activities as their most important source of income. These are villagers (rural

residents) and very few of them are farmers!

Nationally, in the month prior to the survey, 750 000 rural households had a household

income of less than R400, and 1.5 million (65%) had less than R800. At the other end

of the scale, 230 000 (10%) had incomes of over R1 500/m.

A perturbing statistic is the 280 000 (12%) households that were estimated to have an

income of less than R200 per month. The impact of homestead food gardening

discussed in section 1.2 above, would be of greatest value to households in these

lowest income categories, and would generally be of less direct interest to

households in higher income categories.

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Table 5: Household income after tax in month prior to survey by province

Net income TotalECape FState KZN Mpum NW Limp

N % N % N % N % N % N % N %

None 53 2.3 12 1.6 0.5 7 2.6 0.1 11 3.2 23 3.0

R1-200 226 9.6 70 9.8 10 14.8 16 6.4 15 7.4 47 13.2 68 8.8

R201-400 468 19.9 109 15.2 16 24.0 40 15.7 30 15.1 86 24.3 187 24.4

R401-800 789 33.5 227 31.9 24 35.5 110 43.5 73 36.4 100 28.2 255 33.1

R801-1 500588 24.9 217 30.5 13 19.0 61 24.1 61 30.5 78 22.0 158 20.6

R1 501-3 000182 7.7 61 8.6 4 5.7 13 5.0 17 8.4 28 7.8 59 7.7

R3 001-6 00044 1.9 16 2.2 0.3 6 2.3 3 1.7 4 1.0 15 2.0

R6 001-12 000 5

344

0.2 1 0.1 0.1 1 0.3 1 0.3 0.1 3 0.4

R12 001+ 243 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0

Unspecified 769 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1 0.1

Total 2,35

100 712 100 68 100 253 100 199 100 354 100 769 100

It is important to note that in the 1997 Rural Survey, no account was taken of the

value of food gardening or other produce to livelihoods. Therefore,we still have an

incomplete understanding of the actual and potential contribution of homestead

farming to households in South Africa.

Further, the unprecedented rise in food and fuel prices in 2008 has motivated many

more households to ‘return to the land’ and grow more of their own food. This crisis

convinced many people at all levels in society of the importance of home food

production for poverty alleviation.

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Activity 7:

Analysing different rural contexts

Aim

To use the information provided in the tables and the section ‘Impact of homestead

food production on livelihoods’ (see p12 above) to analyse the situation in a specific

province.

Instructions

A. Summarise the information for you area about the size of the population,

availability of water and income from the three tables in this section, in a way that

makes sense to you.

Make at least 5 statements about this information.

For example: Limpopo has the largest rural population at 3,56 million people and also

the largest percentage of that population who live off an income of R201-

R400/month, namely 24.4%.

1…....................................................................................................................................

2…......................................................................................................................................

3….......................................................................................................................................

4…........................................................................................................................................

5…..........................................................................................................................................

B. Now use the information on p12 on ‘Impact of homestead food production on

livelihoods’. Make a small table that shows how homestead food gardening can

affect the income situation for your province, for all the income categories.

[NOTE: You will need to make a table here and work out the percentage increase in

income that a homestead garden can provide – for each income category.

Income

category What is the effect of gardening for each income category

None

R1-200 Example: It means that this person now has 3 times more income.

R201-400

R401-800

R801-1 500

R1 501-3 000

R3 001-6 000

R6 001-12 000

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The potential role of water in poverty alleviation

Being poor is an unfortunate reality for millions of people worldwide. There are many

factors that contribute to people becoming poor and then remaining poor. Poverty

is affected by how countries and governments manage themselves, and how other

countries and governments affect them. The causes are therefore what we may

term structural and global. Below is an exercise that can give you some clarity

around your own beliefs about poverty and how it is caused.

Activity 8:

Causes of Poverty

Aim

To build understanding of the causes of poverty and the values and beliefs related to

poverty.

Instructions

Go through the worksheet provided below on causes of poverty (Timmel and Hope,

1984). Do this as individuals first,and then in groups. In the group you will need to

negotiate which causes you think are more important,according to what you said

as individuals.

Write one page on your understanding of the causes of poverty in the area that you

live in or come from.

Make some suggestions, at least 2, of what you think needs to be done and what

people in your area can do, or are already doing, to alleviate poverty.

No. Individual

ranking Cause of Poverty Group

Ranking

A Unemployment

B Unfair distribution/shortage of land

C Drought/lack of rain

D Lack of sustainable education and training

E No decision-making power for the poor

F Women and children deserted by fathers

G No trade unions, or ineffective unions, so low wages

H National debt and economic structural adjustment

I War and unrest

J Over-population

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No. Individual

ranking Cause of Poverty Group

Ranking

K Lack of personal initiative

Wealth and power concentrated in the hands of a

few

M Low prices for exports, expensive imports

N Corruption

O Banks and multi-national companies which export

P Capitalist development

Q Production of cash crops for export, not local use

R Destruction of environment (trees, soil, water)

S Lack of technology

T Other – name

The importance of water for household productivity

In a groundbreaking study in Bushbuckridge, the Association for Water, Agriculture

and Rural Development (AWARD) found that villages with more than RDP levels of

water supply, had double the level of local economic activity compared to villages

where only 25 litres per person per day was available to households.

This finding shows the importance of water as an enabler, if not catalyst, for

development at these poorest levels of society.

This finding byAWARDhas helped to change our thinking in South Africa about the

importance of ‘water for productive uses for the poor’, and helped to change some

of the policies of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry to be more ‘pro-poor’.

AWARD’s finding, was also one of the cornerstones that lead to a new worldwide

concept called Multiple Use Systems (MUS) for water supply planning.

The experiences of Eva Masha (see Case study 1 of this chapter) and that of

Ntombulundi Zitha (see Case Study 2) show that a critical resource for both these

women to start and expend their homestead food gardening into little businesses

was the water tanks that were built. The water enabled them to grow their own food

and to produce extra to sell.

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1.4 Choosing a suitable farming system for

rural homesteads

Elements of sustainability

In this section we will introduce concepts that will help you to compare different

farming systems, and to think about their implications. ‘Farming systems’ are the

different ways in which farming is undertaken. There may be different reasons,

different practices and different outcomes for each farming system.

Here, as with everything else, there are human values and principles that underlie

each different farming system. We need an understanding of these values to

understand the system.

The main element that we would like to use here to analyse farming systems, is

sustainability. This is a measure or indication of whether a system can maintain itself

now and in the future, in a way that is not damaging, firstly to itself, and secondly to

its broader surroundings. Below is a game we can play to explore the concepts in

sustainability.

Below, the five elements that need to be considered when analysing a system for its

sustainability, are explained:

Economically viable:

Farmers produce at an adequate and stable level and at a risk level, which is

acceptable to them.

Ecologically sound:

The quality of the environment is maintained or enhanced, and natural resources

are conserved. Ecologically sound agricultural systems are healthy and highly

resistant to stresses and shocks.

Socially just:

The agricultural system ensures equitable access to land, capital, information and

markets for all people involved, whatever their socio-economic position, sex,

religion or ethnic group.

Humane:

All forms of life (plant, animal, human) are respected and treated with dignity.

Adaptable:

Sustainable rural communities are able to adjust to constantly changing

conditions,such as population growth, new policies and market demand.

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Facilitator's Note:

Important items for discussion in Facilitation Tool 1 above

are co-operation, self-restraint and trust, the regenerative

capacity of natural resources, depletion, total harvest, and

equity in division of harvest.

In this game, the bowl symbolizes the resource pool, the

nuts the resources themselves, and the replenishment cycle

represents the natural rates of resource regeneration.

From: Developing technology with farmers. Van Veldhuizen et al.

Facilitation Tool 1:

The Nuts Game (Van Veldhuizen et al.,1998)

Aim

To build an understanding of the elements of sustainability

Instructions

A small group (4-5 people) of players gather to sit around a bowl containing 25 nuts.

The rest of the group gathers around to watch them. The spectators may not

interfere in the game or make comments.

GOAL: Each player’s goal is to get as many nuts as possible during the game.

RULES: Upon the organiser’s signal, the players take out nuts from the bowl – all at the

same time, but using only one hand. This makes one “round”. Players should remain

quiet throughout the game. The organiser doubles the number of nuts left in the

bowl, after each round, up to the maximum of 25 nuts. The game is over when the

bowl is empty, or after 10 rounds. During the game, the harvest (number of nuts

gained by each player in each round) is recorded. At the end of the game, the total

harvest per person and the group total are recorded.

After the game the following questions are discussed in plenary:

How did you feel about the game?

What happened in the game?

What do you think does the game represent?

What did you learn during the game?

Make a list of the elements of sustainability that came out of your discussion.

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Facilitation Tool 2:

Elements of sustainability

Aim

To build understanding of the elements of sustainability

Instructions

In groups of three, brainstorm your understanding of the elements of sustainability.

Then report to plenary (the big group).

Present your finding as a mind map or a flow diagram, after looking at the examples

provided below.

MIND MAPPING

Purpose: To cluster or put together similar ideas, to see the links between them and

pick out the most important issues when discussing or brainstorming. This is a good

way of making sure all aspects of a situation have been considered.

Description: On newsprint or a whiteboard, start with the central issue or question

and then build a dendogram (like a tree) of ideas from the central questions. You

can put down the most important things first and then build on these.

Figure 1: An example of a mind map of a dairy farm (Wilson, 1995).

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FLOW DIAGRAMS (Van Veldhuizen et al., 1998).

Purpose: To illustrate and analyse the consequences (positive or negative) of

particular issues or actions, using diagrams.

Description: Take the action to be considered and map out the steps that need to

be taken and the factors that need to be taken into account.

Figure 2: An example of resource flow in a homestead farming system

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Figure 3: An example of nutrient flows in a homestead farming system

Farming systems: Three approaches to farming

Three approaches to farming and their major characteristics are discussed below:

Traditional Agriculture

This is based on indigenous knowledge and practices that have evolved over many

generations. It is generally orientated towards subsistence, uses locally available

resources and makes little use of external inputs. Traditional agriculture is highly

varied, as it depends on site-specific ecological and cultural factors.

Confronted with rapid changes such as increasing population pressure and greater

needs for cash, farmers practising traditional agriculture cannot always increase

productivity sufficiently. They may therefore expand farming into marginal areas,

which increases the risks of over-exploitation, erosion and other forms of

environmental degradation.

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Biocides: A combined

definition for herbicides

and pesticides, which

are chemicals that kill

eeds

sec

Permaculture: This

word is short for

permanent

agriculture, which is

a design system for

natural farming and

living.

High-External-Input Agriculture (HEIA)

This is the conventional; “modern” approach to agricultural

development. It puts great emphasis on the use of external

inputs such as hybrid seed, fertilizer, biocides,

mechanization and credit, to enhance productivity. HEIA is characterized as follows:

It uses high levels of external inputs;

It involves strong links between farmers and commercial and government

services;

It is market oriented;

It is specialised in only a few crops grown in pure stands (mono-cropping) or

single-purpose livestock kept in large numbers; and

The biomass in the landscape is greatly reduced.

HEIA has certain advantages such as short-term increase in production and cash

income, uniform production processes and lower labour costs. However, it also has

many disadvantages:

It has limited applicability to dry and risk prone farming areas;

It has negative impacts on water, air and human health;

It tends to erode soils, genetic resources and local knowledge;

It cannot be applied by many poor farmers in poor areas;

It under-utilizes available local resources and over-utilizes non-renewable

resources such as fossil energy and phosphorus; and

It increases the dependency of farmers.

These and other disadvantages have stimulated interest in

developing sustainable farming practices. New approaches

have emerged such as organic farming, Permaculture and

Ecological farming. We use the term LEISA.

Low-External-Input and Sustainable Agriculture

(LEISA)

LEISA depends primarily on resources from the farm, village and region and is

characterized as follows:

It aims to integrate soil fertility management, arable farming and animal

husbandry;

It makes efficient use of nutrients, water and energy, and recycles them as much

as possible, thus preventing depletion and pollution;

It uses external inputs only to compensate for local deficiencies;

It involves site-specific farming practices; and

It aims at stable and long-lasting production levels.

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Activity 9:

Analysing a known farming system

Aim

Analysis of known farming systems in terms of the three approaches to farming.

Instructions

Divide into groups of 4.

Read through the descriptions in your text on traditional agriculture, HEIA and LEISA.

Then, as a group, complete the worksheet below. Write down your thoughts on how

each of the variables applies to each of the farming systems.

Table 6: Worksheet on farming approaches

Variables Traditional HEIA LEISA

Use of locally available inputs

Variety/specialisation

Use of external inputs

Use of local knowledge

Use of extension services

Main production objectives

Cash income

Labour requirements

Level of production

Degree of recycling

Level of water use

Sources of water and rainwater harvesting

Degree of sustainability

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The homestead as a farming system

We will first look at the principles of low-external-input farming that can be applied to

homestead food production, and then look at the homestead farming system within

this context. We are now assuming that a low-external-input approach is indeed the

best option at a homestead level.

LEISA Principles

Mimicking nature:

All natural ecosystems without human disturbance manage to accumulate nutrients.

This happens in a number of ways:

Living plants form a continuous soil cover;

A layer of decomposing plant material and leaves covers the soil;

Roots of different plants are distributed throughout the soil at different depths;

and

Most nutrients are retained in living plants or animals.

Seeking diversity:

Natural ecosystems consist of manydifferent plant and animal species interacting

with one another. These develop over a long period. In the LEISAfarming system, the

farmers try to develop similar processes, by diversifying the species of animals and

plants that grow and interact with one another. This gives strength to the system,

enabling it to resist disturbances such as erratic rainfall and attacks of pests and

diseases.

Living soil:

One of the most important components of soil is soil life, including bacteria, fungi,

protozoa, nematodes, beetles, centipedes and earthworms. This plays a major role in

nutrient availability and recycling, and thus in agricultural productivity. Farmers have

to create favourable conditions for soil life. Organic matter must be provided.

Cyclic flow patterns:

In a natural ecosystem hardly anything is lost. In LEISA, losses are minimized through

cover crops, deep rooting species that recycle nutrients, erosion control, and

improved collection, storage and application of wastes from crops (residues),

livestock (manure and urine), and the kitchen (water and food wastes). Similarly,

water flows are managed so that optimum use is made of available water.

Systems thinking

Everything works as a system because of general interdependency and widespread

effects of activities. A homestead is probably the most important system for humans.

This is the place where we grow up, get educated and nourished. If the homestead

is strong, nourishing and enabling, its people will also be so. If the homesteads are

weak, impoverished and disempowering, it people will also be so.

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Animal production sub-system

Decomposing sub-

system

Management

sub-system

Innovate

Allocate

erate

Plant production sub-system

Inputs

Outputs

There are many facets or aspects to a household such as spiritual, social, cultural and

financial aspects. In this training the emphasis will be placed on the household as a

farming system, supplying balanced, nutritious and safe food to all family members.

Production within the “four corners” of the residential plot could play a significant

part in this objective.

Generally a system has a boundary:

This you define yourself; it could be the four corners of your yard, or an area that

includes your homestead and field, or a number of homesteads relying on one water

source, or a whole village, etc. It depends on what you want to investigate.

A system also has inputs:

These are items or processes that feed into your system that may or may not come

from outside the system. In the case of a homestead, inputs could be manure

(potentially inside the homestead), seeds (often from outside the home, e.g. from

town), etc.

A system also has outputs:

This is what your system generates; in our case produce (food), but also fodder,

money, etc.

Within your system there are processes that turn your inputs into outputs.

Below is a small diagram to represent the sub-systems. Using arrows shows the

relationships. Note the different directions of the arrows.

(Meat and vegetables for the -

Family and for sale)

Labour, ideas

Manure Meat

Manure

FeedFeed

(Homestead

Vegetable and

Meat production)

Compost

Vegetables

ResiduefromLabour,ideas

garden

e.g.vegetableproduction

(For vegetable production, e.g. as seeds, labour, water, tools

For pigs, e.g. feed, labour. Medication)

Figure 4: Example of a systems diagram

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Swot stands for:

STRENGTHS: Make a list of the internal strengths in the situation

– what is working well.

WEAKNESSES: Make a list of the internal weaknesses, problems,

and difficulties – what is not working well.

OPPORTUNITIES: Make a list of the external possibilities,

suggestions for action and change, new ideas that can be brought

in – what could work well in the future.

THREATS: Make a list of the foreseeable external dangers and

problems related to the opportunities – what could jeopardise

the situation in the future.

Activity 10:

The Homestead as a Farming System

Aim

Individual analysis of a known homestead as a system.

Instructions

Taking your own homestead or one that you know well, construct a flow diagram of

the farming system. Make sure you clearly indicate the boundaries of your system,

inputs, outputs and relationships:

Make a comment about the present situation.

Then make a comment about future possibilities for this system, taking into account

the LEISA principles mentioned above. Indicate these processes clearly on your

systems diagram.

SWOT analysis

A SWOT analysis is a way of analysing a situation that can help decision-making and

planning, by highlighting the important issues in a concise form.

Usually, we present these lists in the form of a table. This becomes the basis of a

discussion for the best possible interventions or actions for change in a particular

situation.

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This then gives a clue where to

start with an intervention for

change:

i.e. Training and learning processes

that also bring in some resources

to implement new ideas.

Below is a quick example, using food security as a topic:

Table 7: SWOT analysis on Food Security for a Rural Household

STRENGTHS

Access to land for farming and

gardening.

Natural resources for basic needs;

water, fuel, grass, wild foods.

Family can be involved in a range of

livelihood activities.

Safe, healthy environment for

children.

WEAKNESSES

Little money to pay towards farming.

Many people using limited resources.

Lack of labour.

Lack of sanitation and diverse foods

lead to diseases that are life

threatening for small children.

OPPORTUNITIES

Low external input farming is possible.

Use resources that the household has

control over; e.g. rain water falling

within the boundaries of the

homestead.

Cultivating your own resources; e.g.

firewood, medicinal species,

traditional crops.

Labour saving technologies and

processes; such as planning a garden

that can self-maintain, growing fruit

and nut trees that need little attention

but can still provide food. Using

appropriate tools.

Growing a diverse range of food

crops that can supplement the diet of

small children. Giving attention to

sanitation.

THREATS

Limited knowledge of how to

implement low external input farming

systems.

Limited space, time and resources to

initiate low external input farming

activities. Immediate need may

overshadow longer-term production.

Access to information and

technologies.

Motivation for change may be a

limiting factor for poor people that

are struggling to survive.

Looking at this table, one can see that there are many opportunities for increasing

food security at a homestead level. Most of the threats to

implementing these ideas relate to lack of

access to information and resources to

implement these ideas.

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Facilitator’s Note:

This can be used with the

‘Garden Learning Groups

Tool” in Chapter 2.

Facilitation tool 3:

SWOT analysis for a homestead farming system

Aim

Group swot analysis of a homestead farming system

Instructions

Do a SWOT analysis in groups of 4 of the systems you have described in ‘Activity 10’

above.

-Produce a table of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that you have

discussed for your four systems.

-Make a comment about the present situation: summarise what is coming out of the

table.

-Then make a comment about future opportunities, taking into account the possible

threats.

-Finally, come up with a potential intervention (project) that could change the

situation for the better (based on your table).

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The Main feature

Of Mr Matlere’s design, is to make furrows

on the contours in the fields, with a mound

all along the down slope side of each

furrow,

Case study 4:

Homestead Farming System example

Below is an example of a homestead farming system as practised by Mr Matlere in

Lesotho. You will need to read through this case study carefully before you can do

the activities at the end of this section.

A beautiful example of intensive food production and

rainwater harvesting

Mr S S Matlere has been working with conservation agriculture for many years. He

noticed a number of problems in the cropping fields in his work as an agricultural

extension officer. These included soil erosion through uncontrolled run-off, declining

soil fertility, a lack of water, and low production. Through long and thoughtful

observation, he has now designed and implemented his own system of farming that

solves these problems and also has many other benefits.

Mr Matlere remains an extensionist at heart.

‘Ask me about furrows,’ says the writing on his back.

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Figure 5: Method for Marking Contours in a Field

Organic matter is continually incorporated into the mounds. A range of crops are

grown, including maize, wheat and vegetables such as beans, tomatoes, cabbages,

potatoes, rape, mustard spinach and onions.

Mr Matlere is standing in one of his

furrows. On the mound is a crop of

maize, already harvested, with runner

beans climbing up the stalks.

Marking contours

in your field using

a line level

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In another row of the field, cabbages were

planted on the mound next to the maize.

These cabbages are now being left to produce

seed for the next season.

Note the organic matter that is weeded out

and placed as mulch in the furrow and on the

mounds.

Why furrows and

mounds?

The furrows and mounds help to

regulate runoff water, which would

erode fertile topsoil away.

The furrows ensure that all the rain

that falls on the field, remains there. The rain is caught in the furrows and sinks into

the soil.

The furrows help to distribute rainwater evenly throughout the entire field.

The mounds help increase the depth of soil, which in turn helps the roots of the

plants to go deeper in search of plant food and moisture. With strong, deep roots,

the crops yield better.

The furrows and mounds also increase

the fertility of the soil through the

organic matter that is incorporated

into the soil. The moisture in the soil

and the heat of the sun striking the

sides of the mounds, help to speed up

the breakdown of the organic matter.

Maize was planted and then intercropped with

beans and tomatoes. The mound was formed

during the summer season by heaping the soil

and weeds together up around the row of maize

planted. Thereafter, beans and tomatoes were

planted on the mound with the maize.

In autumn, after the maize was harvested,

wheat was planted at the bottom of the mounds

and kale was planted

on top of the mound.

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The maize residues have been worked into the mounds

once the crop was harvested.

These mounds will be ready for planting again in spring.

In this way, the typical backbreaking land

preparation in hard,dry soil is avoided.

Crops can now be planted earlier – as

soon as the first rains have come. In many

areas, this means that the crop can

mature during the peak rainy season,

avoiding the major risk of crop failure

through late season dry spells.

Cropping in furrows and mounds

In this system of furrow cropping, crops are grown over a longer period of time, so

that more than one crop can be harvested in a season. Cattle are not allowed to

enter into the field at any time, as they will trample the furrows and mounds, and will

eat the residues that need to be incorporated into the soil.

Different crops can be grown in the same field in a relay fashion. As some crops are

maturing, other crops are planted. The maize plants for example, become a support

for the tomatoes and beans that are planted later.

Mr Matlere (left) and Mr Thulo (right) (CARE-

Lesotho) inspecting Mustard Spinach seedlings

planted in seedling trays. These seedlings are

produced in the greenhouse towards the end of

the hot period of summer, so that they can be

planted in the field as soon as autumn comes. In

this way, a good crop can be realized before

the severe winter cold sets in.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

1-50

If a farmer wants to produce an early crop, seedlings can be raised in green houses,

either in seedling trays, or in the case of larger seedlings, like pumpkins and squashes,

in old tins. The containers are filled with well-rotted manure or compost. The seedlings

are transplanted onto the mounds and furrows as soon as the last threat of frost is

over.

Materials for producing seedlings have been

collected: A large pile of well rotted compost

and a pile of tins for planting.

Some interesting outcomes

The continued absorption of rainwater into the furrows and mounds tends to

influence the moisture in the area over time. Mr Matlere has experienced that

two days after some days of soaking rain; the sun that strikes the sides of the

mounds creates a mist that rises up from the beds. This happens due to the

warmth generated in the mounds from the decomposing grasses, weeds and

maize stalks. It provides a warm, moist microclimate in an area that would

otherwise be quite dry. This provides very favourable conditions for the growth of

vegetables and pumpkins.

The silt that collects in the furrows during heavy rains provides some more fertility,

moisture and a better foothold to the crops planted there. Mr Matlere has

noticed that the stand of maize is much better with this system. The maize does

not fall over in heavy rains and winds, as they do under normal conditions.

With the mounds, the organic matter that has been incorporated decomposes

faster than it would without the mounds. The climate in Lesotho is mild and many

months are quite cold and dry. The mounds provide a surface that is heated by

the sun and the organic matter holds more moisture. Thus decomposition

happens faster.

Because there is more organic matter in the soil, it becomes fertile without the

need even to add manure, when that is in short supply.

Mr Matlere has noticed that with the increase in fertility and organic matter

(humus) in the soil, there are fewer problems with pests and diseases.

Because the spacing of the crops is quite wide with this system, the maize

matures faster, there are more cobs per plant (4-5) and cobs are bigger. So, even

though fewer plants are in the ground, a better harvest is achieved. This applies

also to other crops like cabbage and wheat.

–The wide spacing of the rows facilitates early weeding which is important.

–Spacing is generally up to 2 m between the rows (on the mounds) and up

to 60 cm between plants in the row (on the mounds).

Chapter 1: Rural Realities and Homestead Food Gardening Options

1-51

–This wide spacing can also facilitate the use of animal drawn implements

(oxen or horses) for weeding.

–For smaller crops like kale and tomatoes, the spacing between the plants

in the row is 30 cm.

–For row crops like wheat and onions, 2-3 rows are planted, with a spacing

of 40-50 cm between rows and 30 cm between plants in the rows.

In this system, seeds are planted by hand, rather than by animal drawn planters.

Mr Matlere also only plants crops from which he can keep his own seed.

Activity 11:

Analysis of the case study of

a Homestead Farming System

Aim

Analyse the case study given in terms of the three farming system used (Traditional

Agriculture, High-external-input Agriculture, Low-external-input and Sustainable

Agriculture). Also analyse the case study in terms of the elements of sustainability.

Instructions

Discuss and summarise the case study of a homestead food gardening system that

you have been given; using some of the processes and concepts discussed in this

section (sustainability, 3 farming approaches, SWOT, flow diagram and mind map).

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

1-52

1.5 References and further reading

Ainslie, A. 2006. Provincial Growth and Development Plan – Eastern Cape. Case Study Report

No4. Ngqushwa Municipality, Peddie, Eastern Cape.

Ambala,C. 2002. Water Resources. Africa.unep.net/freshwater.content1.asp.

Department of Social Development. 2006, November. Linking Social Grant Beneficiaries to

poverty Alleviation and Economic Activity. Discussion Document.

Kruger, E. 2009. Baseline Study for the Formulation of a Programme for Empowerment for

Food Security in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. KZN Department of Agriculture and

Environmental Affairs. FICA press (Flander International Cooperation Agency).

Livernash, R and Rodenburg, E. 1998. Population Change, Resources and the environment.

Population Bulletin 53 (1):34

Douthwaite R. 1999 The Growth Illusion.

Minkley, G. 2003. Framing Agrarian Transformations and Food Security. Synthesis Report,

Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Fort Hare, East London

Mudhara, M.; Malinga, M.; and Salomon, M. 2008. Enhancing Farmer’s Innovative Capacity in

Soil and Water Management through Participatory Action Research in Potshini, South

Africa.In Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 33 (2008) available online at

www.sciencedirect.com or Mudhara@ukzn.ac.za

National Income and Expenditure Survey. 2007. www.statssa.gov.za Community Survey.

National State of the Environment Report – South Africa. 2002. Freshwater Systems and

Resources. Pressures Affecting Freshwater Systems and Resources in South Africa.

www.ngo.grida.no/soesa/nsoer/issues/water/pressure.htm

Population Action International. 2002. Sustainable Water. Population and the Future of

Renewable Water Supplies. www.cnie.org/pop/pai/water-14.html

Rural Survey.1997. Stats SA Rural Survey.

Sturdy, JD, Jewitt, GPW, Lorent,SA. 2009. (in preparation) Participatory Valuation of Garden-

scale Water Use Innovations in Rural South Africa. School of Bio-resources Engineering&

Environmental Hydrology, University of KwZulu Natal, Scottsville, South Africa.

Timmel, S. and Hope, A.1980. Community Workers Handbook. Book3, Chapter 9. Practical

Action.

UNFPA.2001. The State of the World population 2001.

http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2001/english/cho4.html

Van Veldhuizen, L.; Waters-Bayer, A.; and Zeeuw, H.D.1998.Developing Technology with

Farmers: A Trainer’s Guide for Participatory Learning.

WHO. 2002. An Anthology on Women, Health and Environment: Water. World Health

Organisation (WHO) / UNICEF.

www.who.int/environment_information/Women/Womwater.htm

Wilson, J.

Wilson, J. 1995. An Introduction to Systems Thinking. Changing Agriculture. Kangaroo Press.

Australia.

Winpenny, JT. 1999. Managing Water Scarcity for Water Security.

www.fao.org/ag/aglw/webpub/scarcity,htm

2001. National population Unit: 33.

Chapter 1: Rural Realities and Homestead Food Gardening Options

1-53

Index (Chapter 1)

Biodiversity 1-16

Contours 1-47

Dietary diversity 1-5

Diversification 1-3

Ecosystem 1-25

Facilitation Tools 1-35

Farming systems 1-38

Flow diagrams 1-37

Furrows 1-48

Groundwater 1-23

High external input agriculture 1-39

HIV/AIDS 1-25

Income 1-29

Intensified production 1-7

Irrigation 1-23

LEISA (Low external input sustainable

agriculture 1-39, 1-41

Livelihoods 1-12

Malnutrition 1-5, 1-9

Millennium development goals 1-25

Mind mapping 1-36

Multiple use systems (MUS) 1-33

Organic food production 1-4

Organic matter 1-47

Permaculture 1-39

Poverty 1-32

Rainwater harvesting 1-46

Sustainability 1-34

SWOT analysis 1-43

Systems thinking 1-41

Water 1-21

-cycle 1-22

-policies 1-27

- use 1-24

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems

Resource Material

for

Facilitators and Food Gardeners

Chapter 2

Facilitation of

Homestead Food Gardening

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

iii

Chapters: Resource Material

Introduction to the Learning Material (TT 431/1/09)

Chapter 1 Rural realities and homestead food gardening options (TT 431/1/09)

Chapter 2 - Facilitation of homestead food gardening (TT 431/1/09)

- Handouts: Chapter 2 – Homestead Food Gardener’s Resource Packs

Chapter 3 - Living and eating well (TT 431/1/09)

- Handouts: Chapter 3 – Homestead Food Gardener’s Resource Packs

Chapter 4 - Diversifying production in homestead food gardening (TT 431/2/09)

- Handouts: Chapter 4 – Homestead Food Gardener’s Resource Packs

Chapter 5 - Garden and homestead water management for food gardening

(TT 431/2/09

- Handouts: Chapter 5 – Homestead Food Gardener’s Resource Packs

Chapter 6 - Soil fertility management: Optimising the productivity of soil and water

(TT 431/3/09)

- Handouts: Chapter 6 – Homestead Food Gardener’s Resource Packs

Chapter 7 Income opportunities from homestead food gardening (TT 431/3/09)

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Chapter 2: Facilitation of homestead food gardening

Chapter 2 Table of Contents:

Facilitation of home food gardening

Table of Contents: Facilitation of home food gardening ................................... i

List of Figures .......................................................................................................... vii

List of Tables ........................................................................................................... vii

List of Activities ...................................................................................................... viii

List of Facilitation Tools ......................................................................................... viii

List of Case Studies & Research .......................................................................... viii

Aims .......................................................................................................................... ix

What am I going to learn? .................................................................................... ix

Icons ......................................................................................................................... xi

Appropriate strategies for chronic hunger vs. famine...................................... 1

The need to understand and act ......................................................................... 2

Overview of processes and resources needed ................................................. 4

Key Concept 1: Understand, and then act. ....................................................... 4

Information tasks of the HFS facilitator ................................................................. 6

Preparation for scoping: Facilitator’s homework............................................... 8

Background information: Consult useful external sources (Your homework) . 9

Create a Scoping Report framework ................................................................ 10

Open the door: Get local support for a scoping exercise .............................. 11

Participatory assessment of local food security ............................................... 13

Participatory methods ......................................................................................... 13

Semi-Structured Interviewing .............................................................................. 13

Key components of Semi-Structured Interviews: .............................................. 14

Sensitive questioning or interviewing ................................................................. 15

Methods for assessing local resources ............................................................... 17

Finding out about natural resources .................................................................. 19

Methods for assessing stakeholder involvement .............................................. 40

Community action plan ...................................................................................... 46

Adding local information into the Scoping Report .......................................... 50

Participatory reporting: using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework ........ 51

Where to report findings? .................................................................................... 51

Who is reporting? Those ready to say: ‘I am/we are going to…’ .................. 51

What to report: The building blocks for sustainable livelihoods – assets ........ 52

Finalising the Scoping Report .............................................................................. 55

Cultivating local awareness and support for household self-help efforts ... 56

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

Support groups like Garden Learning Groups.................................................. 57

Establishing Garden Learning Groups............................................................... 59

Joint planning with a Garden Learning Group ................................................ 60

The Learning group approach, workshop content and schedule ................ 60

Determining the training/learning needs of the group ................................... 62

Garden Learning Group Processes.................................................................... 62

Mind mobilisation and helicopter planning ...................................................... 65

Household Experimentation ................................................................................ 74

The Garden Learning Group’s outreach activities .......................................... 77

Monitoring and evaluation tools ........................................................................ 77

(

)

s’

’

(

)

–

Chapter 2: Facilitation of homestead food gardening

vii

List of Figures

Figure 1: Overview of the tasks of a household food security facilitator ....... 4

Figure 2: Overview of facilitation processes for the information tasks ........... 7

Figure 3: Resource map drawn in Nthunzi, Bulwer, 1993. (Eds Cousins, T.;

Kruger, 1993) ................................................................................................. 20

Figure 4: Transect walk diagram, Tsupaneng, KwaZulu-Natal 1993. (Eds

Cousins & Kruger, 1993).............................................................................. 25

Figure 5: An example of scoring food sources using proportional piling ..... 34

Figure 6: An example of a group busy with a matrix ranking exercise ........ 39

Figure 7: Venn diagram of institutions in a Santiago Island village. .............. 42

Figure 8: Establishment and tasks of a Garden Learning Group .................. 58

Figure 9: Action learning cycle for farmer groups........................................... 60

Figure 10: Cyclic process for learning in Garden Learning Groups.............. 61

Figure 11: Present situation analysis – an example .......................................... 71

Figure 12: A diagram of Mrs Khumbane’s homestead yard after five years

–(diagram developed and supplied by “The Star” Newspaper)........ 72

Figure 13: Ma Tshepo distributing seedlings during a mind mobilization

workshop in Limpopo .................................................................................. 73

Figure 14: A diagram of a household experiment in a garden ..................... 75

List of Tables

Table 1: Overview of facilitation processes for the information tasks ........... 6

Table 2: Scoping Report framework and methods........................................ 10

Table 3: Discussion pieces to get local support for a scoping exercise ..... 12

Table 4: Livelihoods assets of an example household (Mrs Mdletshe,

Hlabisa, KZN) ................................................................................................. 18

Table 5: Preference ranking example .............................................................. 30

Table 6: Pair wise ranking matrix........................................................................ 32

Table 7: Pair-wise ranking showing food source preferences in Niger ........ 33

Table 8: Preference score, based on pair wise ranking ................................ 33

Table 9: Table of individual participant scoring of agricultural constraints 36

Table 10: Matrix scoring of different food sources against indicators of

preference. ................................................................................................... 37

Table 11: Institutional Profiles of Jeded Village, Somalia: Women's

Organization ................................................................................................. 44

Table 12: Institutional profile ............................................................................... 45

Table 13: Community action plan – example format.................................... 48

Table 14: Using the Scoping Report framework .............................................. 52

Table 15: Analysis for the Asset Pentagon on the Sustainable Livelihoods

Framework .................................................................................................... 53

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

viii

Table 16: Training process for intensive food production: An example ...... 63

Table 17: ‘Mind mobilisation’ and substance abuse counselling processes

........................................................................................................................ 66

Table 18: The ‘Mind mobilisation’ workshop .................................................... 68

Table 19: Example of possible results obtained from a household

experiment .................................................................................................... 76

Table 20: Final outcomes and conclusions of a household experiment .... 76

Table 21: Self-Evaluation Tool for Household Food Security .......................... 77

Table 22: Potshini learning workshops............................................................... 81

List of Activities

Activity 1: What is wrong with the question?................................................... 16

Activity 2: Read a resource map....................................................................... 21

Activity 3: Draw a resource map of an area................................................... 22

Activity 4: Read a transect diagram................................................................. 26

Activity 5: Draw a transect walk diagram ........................................................ 27

Activity 6: Do a pair wise ranking exercise....................................................... 31

Activity 7: Draw a matrix ranking diagram...................................................... 38

Activity 8: Create an institutional profile .......................................................... 45

Activity 9: Doing a Sustainable Livelihoods assets analysis ........................... 54

List of Facilitation Tools

Facilitation Tool 1: Facilitation of a Venn diagram exercise ......................... 41

Facilitation Tool 2: Community action plan – Ideas for running a planning

workshop ....................................................................................................... 46

Facilitation Tool 3: Local involvement in development – Crossing the River

Role-Play ........................................................................................................ 48

Facilitation Tool 4: Facilitation of a Mind Mobilisation Workshop ................. 68

List of Case Studies & Research

Case Study 1:Learning content and process for workshops conducted in

Potshini ........................................................................................................... 80

Chapter 2: Facilitation of homestead food gardening

Aims

This chapter aims to introduce facilitation strategies for food security. An overview of

facilitation processes and resources needed is given. The aim is to ensure that

facilitators understand the cyclical nature of facilitation processes to include a

detailed understanding of the indigenous situation that leads to action. This is

followed by review and further action. A detailed participatory scoping exercise and

assessment is required.

The aim of this Chapter is to introduce facilitators to a number of participatory

methodologies that can be used for this. Examples are semi structured interviewing,

participatory analysis of assets according to the assets pentagon, resource mapping,

transect diagrams, various methods of participatory ranking, Venn diagrams and

institutional profile development.

A further aim is that facilitators can develop a facilitation plan and community

action plan in ways that include the community to the extent that local involvement

is inevitable. This is followed by participatory reporting, cultivating local awareness

and support for household self-help efforts and setting up Garden Learning Groups

(Support Groups).

Much of the Chapter aims to give facilitation tools for facilitators to set up and work

with Garden Learning Groups to empower insecure households to develop skills and

to act in ways that would enhance their food security. Processes of mind

mobilisation, visioning and household experimentation are paramount in this.

Facilitators are encouraged to ensure that Garden Learning Groups also undertake

outreach activities.

What am I going to learn?

Following overleaf is a list of the things you should be able to do when you have

successfully completed the chapter. This list gives you some idea of what to expect

when you start working on the chapter, but, more importantly, you should come

back to the list when you have completed the chapter to check if you have

achieved all the objectives set out for the chapter. This means that you can monitor

your own progress quite accurately. On the following page is the list of these

outcomes for this chapter:

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

What am I going to learn? What should I be able to

after

completing this unit?

Done 

Can’t do 

Appropriate

facilitation

strategies for food

insecure households

 Assist food insecure people with practical,

achievable self-help actions.

Interact with role players to create an

‘enabling environment.

 Improve the ability of the household to

achieve self reliance

The cyclic process

of observation and

action and creating

a scoping report

framework

Gather and interpret data from secondary

sources

Design a scoping or situation analysis

process

Meet with local leadership and organizations

to gain support

Participatory information gathering and

analysis in the village using methods such as

Participatory Rural Appraisal

Ensuring local involvement in developing

communit

action

lans

Facilitation of a

scoping or situation

analysis exercise

Using participatory processes to establish

learning content based on resources in this

manual.

Adapt learning content as the situation

demands

Household learning

content established

Facilitate agreement of the local leadership

for facilitation processes.

Establish and support functioning of garden

Learning Groups

Facilitate a mind mobilisation workshop

Facilitate household experimentation

rocesses.

Creating and

enabling

environment in the

village

Facilitate a mind mobilization workshop.

Ensure individual counseling where

appropriate

Undertake a helicopter planning process

with participants.

Facilitate household experimentation and

ongoing self evaluation processes

Mind mobilisation,

visioning and

ongoing self-

evaluation

Undertake participatory reporting using the

sustainable livelihoods framework.

4 Reporting

Chapter 2: Facilitation of homestead food gardening

Icons

You will find that several different icons are used throughout the Chapter.These icons

should assist you with navigation through the Chapter and orientation within the

material. This is what these icons mean:

Facilitation tools

Processes that you can use in workshop situations,

to support your work in the field.

Research /Case study

The results of research or case studies that

illustrate the ideas presented.

Looking at research, facts and figures

to help contextualise things.

Activity

This indicates an exercise that you should do

– either on your own (individual) or in a group.

Copy and handouts

These sections can be copied and used

as handouts to learners / participants.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

xii

Chapter 2: Facilitation of homestead food gardening

2-1

2.1 Facilitation strategies for

household food security

In the introduction section to these resource materials we considered incentives and

disincentives for homestead food production. We also looked at the importance of

recognising the psychological effects of chronic hunger and we suggested types of

facilitation strategies that could empower homestead food gardeners.

In Chapter 1 we considered rural realities, the role of water and looked at different

farming systems that are appropriate to homestead food gardening.

We will now continue by looking at facilitation methodologies and processes that

can be used both at community and individual level to foster action, independence

and social well being in a homestead food gardening context.

Appropriate strategies for chronic hunger vs.

famine

The strategies to combat chronic, ongoing hunger are different to emergency

strategies like food aid, which is used to combat famine or starvation due to some

short-term calamity like war or floods.

Strategies for chronic, long-term hunger are aimed at reducing people’s

powerlessness, by enabling them to engage in activities that can permanently

improve or solve their ongoing food insecurity. Therefore, home food security

strategies aim to develop the household’s ability to take care of themselves, and

aims to systematically reduce the household’s dependency on outside help of all

kinds. This reduces their vulnerability, and helps them to avoid food crises and

malnutrition.

Note that the emphasis is on the abilityof the household, and on self-help strategies.

FACILITATOR’S NOTE

The fundamental role of the household food security facilitator is to

help food insecure men and women to regain hope and self-respect,

so that they can gain control over their lives through practical,

achievable self-help action.

To achieve this, the facilitator also needs to interact with other role

players, with the specific purpose to create an enabling environment

within which these food insecure households can make progress.

IN food security facilitation all information and activities are

ultimately aimed at improving the ability of the household to achieve

and maintain food securit

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

2-2

The facilitator is helping the household to address the second type of hunger that De

Castro (De Castro, undated) talks about – partial or chronic hunger where people

eat inadequately year in and year out, and which ‘silently destroys and undermines

countless populations’. (See “Introduction to Resource Materials for Facilitators –

Section 5 – Points of Departure” for more on the subject).

The need to understand and act

Like Lappe et al. (Lappe et al., 1998), De Castro stresses the need for us to

understand hunger before we can hope to have an impact on it:

In order to adequately plan solutions to feeding people around the world, it is

necessary to overcome one of the main obstacles in the fight against hunger:

the lack of a deeper knowledge about it – understanding the notion that

hunger is a complex set of manifestations that can simultaneously be

biological, economical and social.

Every household is unique, and therefore needs their own strategy to solve their

problems. For instance, a deeply traumatised and fractured household would need

a different approach to one where family relationships are healthy; a household with

a natural spring would have other opportunities than those without easy access to

water; a household consisting entirely of school going children could not use the

same solution as one consisting of a pensioner with working age sons and daughters.

Equally, every village is unique in terms of its natural resources, its leadership

approach, history and politics, and relationships among community members.

The better you understand the causes and effects of hunger, the resources and

constraints affecting a particular household, and factors beyond the control of the

household, the better you will be able to understand what could and couldn’t be

done to improve the situation.

How would a facilitator apply this practically in his/her work?

In section 2.3 “Scoping and situation analysis” we will look at the necessary

information gathering and analysis to improve facilitators’ understanding of the

local food security situation and factors in a community or area we plan to

work in.

The scoping and information

exchange process is already

the first stage of mobilising

people into action, and is most

useful when it is done in a

participatory way.

When it comes to individual

households, no one knows their

family’s situation better than

themselves. Remembering that

our objective is to help them

overcome powerlessness, the facilitator’s role is to provide the household with a

method to develop their own action plans, and NOT to develop their plans for

them.

FACILITATOR”S NOTE

You need to create your scoping

report framework right at the

beginning as this defines in many

ways how you will gather

information and which information

ou will work with.

Chapter 2: Facilitation of homestead food gardening

2-3

Section 2.4 looks at “Creating an enabling environment in the village”. Issues of

cultivating awareness and the establishment of support groups such as Garden

Learning Groups are raised.

In section 2.5 “Household mobilisation and support”, you will find the Helicopter

Planning exercise, which was developed by Ma Tshepo Khumbane over many

years as a visual, practical visioning and planning tool that households can use

(literacy not required).

Two effective methods for Mind Mobilisation are described, namely the

Nutrition Workshop and the Present Situation Analysis & Counselling process.

A powerful method for ongoing learning around household food gardening

techniques, called Household Experimentation is also described.

2.2 Planning for facilitation and

household support

Key questions are:

1.Is it ethical to engage people in an analysis of their situation and help them to

plan for action, unless the resources are already available to address their

needs?

2.Would it not be unacceptable to raise expectations that cannot be met, and

thereby set people up for disappointment?

3.On the other hand, is it ethical to withhold knowledge and planning skills from

people, just because the resources for implementation may not be

immediately available?

4.And, aren’t there many things people can achieve, just with the resources

they already have?

FACILITATOR’S NOTE

Principle: No promises. EVER.

Principle: Always help people to plan firstly

what they can do with what they have, and

secondly to highlight what outside assistance

they would need to go further.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

2-4

improved relationships: this provides the foundation for the individual to move forward with confidence

household

level .

village

level

municipal

level

provincial

national

international

levels

Household

/family

organisations involved in food security

leadership

Garden

learning

group(s)

HH food

provider

policies

5 assets;

HH control

programmes

5 assets;

community control

to build the self-

confidence & skills

of the HH food provider

to build strong mutual moral support among,

and outreach by, food insecure HHs

to build leadership support and

recognition for the efforts of food

insecure HHs

to helporganisations respond better & improve

services to food insecure HHs

U n d e r s t a n d

Facilitator gathers and interprets information on household food security aspects.

Use participatory methods where appropriate.

Participatory reporting: to and by participants.

A c t

Facilitator intervenes (facilitates) to help households improve their food security.

A range of participatory methods are used.

Overview of processes and resources needed

Key Concept 1: Understand, and then act.

The work of a household food security (HFS) facilitator involves cycles of information

gathering and action steps (See Figure 1).

The facilitator gathers and interprets new information all the time so that actions

taken can become more and more effective. In other words, HFS facilitation requires

a ‘lifelong learning approach’. This applies to every household or community

situation the facilitator works in, but also in the HFS facilitator’s personal

development.

Figure 1: Overview of the tasks of a household food security facilitator

“Figure 1: Overview of the tasks of an Household Food Security Facilitator” shows what types

of information a facilitator needs to gather, even at national level, to improve his/her

understanding of the context of the target households in a specific village. It also shows at

which levels s/he needs to ‘act’ or ‘facilitate’ to enable the target households to improve

their food security

NOTE 1: In the diagram above, these arrows show improved/healed relationships:

between the household caregiver and his/her family; between the garden learning group and the

leadership or other organizations that can recognize, encourage or assist food insecure

households’ own efforts towards food security; and so on. Improved relationships provide a very

important foundation for the household caregiver to move forward with confidence and for

social well being.

Chapter 2: Facilitation of homestead food gardening

2-5

NOTE 2: There are various levels at which the Household Food Security facilitator needs to

engage, described here as: Household level (all persons that make up a basic socio- cultural and

economic unit), village level (a community made up of households), municipal level (all villages/

communities falling within wards that make up a local municipal structure. A number of local

municipalities are combined to form a district municipality), and national and international levels

(politics, policies and strategies at country and global levels that affect people).

Understand:

The facilitator has to gather and interpret information to understand the food security

situation and factors affecting it. S/he thinks herself into the shoes of the household

caregiver, and interprets which factors at household, village through to national level

are affecting this person’s ability to feed her family. The facilitator then assesses

which factors s/he would be able to influence, and develops a facilitation plan

accordingly. (Note: you will learn more about developing a facilitation plan in the

next section, where Key Concept 2 is discussed).

Act:

Using the knowledge – and also the relationships! – which the facilitator has built up

during information gathering, s/he facilitates change by interacting with the

household caregiver, with local leadership, and with other organisations involved in

food security matters in the area. To reach more households simultaneously and to

build a permanent ‘support group’ among food insecure households in the

neighbourhood, s/he establishes a garden learning group and helps it to develop its

own vision, goals and action plans.

Let us summarise how this learning and action cycle works:

Like life itself, household food security facilitation is an ongoing cycle where we

understandactunderstand betterimprove our actionsand so forth. The initial

information gathered, enables the facilitator to plan and start a process in the

village. Then, as things develop, she learns more and more, and further builds

relationships with the various role players and households. This enables her to improve

the facilitation plan and actions – but always through participatory processes, so

that those who will implement them make the plans. Remember that in household

food security, our challenge is to facilitate in such a way that the household

caregiver always takes the role of main actor/decision-maker.

We will now have a closer look at the ‘information’ tasks (top part of Figure1) and the

‘action/facilitation’ tasks (bottom part of Figure 1). Then, in later sections of this

chapter, you will learn practical tools to perform these two types of tasks.

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Information tasks of the HFS facilitator

From Figure 1 you will see that information gathering and analysis needs to be done

at the various levels we have discussed above, namely at household, village,

municipal and higher levels. In Table 1 and Figure 2 below, summaries are provided

for the basic processes and actions for these information tasks. This should provide

you with an overview of what needs to take place. In the following sections of this

chapter we will discuss each of the basic processes in more detail.

Table 1: Overview of facilitation processes for the information tasks

The basic

processes

Key questions Actions

Scoping or

situation

analysis

1. How does one know what information to

look for, and what to ignore?

2. What useful information can one get from

outside sources, like databases and computer

programmes, and on government policies and

programmes?

3. How does one structure this information in a

sensible way?

4. Which participatory facilitation techniques

can one use to get household caregivers

thinking and debating about relevant food

security information among themselves? And

leadership and other local role players?

Gather

background

information

Participatory

information

gathering and

analysis in the

village using

methods such as

Participatory Rural

Appraisal

Creating an

enabling

environment

(in the village,

local and

district

municipalities,

etc.)

1. How can one involve local leadership in a

way that they are supportive and active in the

food security processes of their community?

2. How can one set up report-back sessions to

ensure that local leadership are involved and

supportive and that households become

motivated to undertake their own food

security initiatives?

Open the door

Get leaders’

support

Get buy-in from

other organisation

involved in food

security in the

area

Reporting and

community

mobilisation

How can one give structure and order to the

information, so that it can be reported in a

meaningful way?

Report to

community

Household

mobilisation

and support

How does one ensure that the information

gathered, analysed and debated, leads all

the way through to a shared vision on food

security, and a practical food security action

plan with agreed roles and responsibilities,

timeframes and (self-) monitoring processes?

Set up Garden

Learning Groups

for learning and

actions

Garden Learn-

ing Groups

This is discussed in later sections of this chapter

Self monitoring

and renewal

How can one ensure that the food security

action plans are implemented and continued

over a period of time?

Evaluate and

refine learning

and action cycles

Chapter 2: Facilitation of homestead food gardening

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Figure 2: Overview of facilitation processes for the information tasks

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2.3 Scoping or situation analysis

Preparation for scoping: Facilitator’s homework

Purpose:

Gather and analyse essential background information from external sources to

understand what is possible.

Design a ‘Scoping Report framework’.

 Get permission and leadership assistance to do scoping in the village. Use your

‘Scoping Report framework’ and proposed ‘Facilitation Plan’ to share information

about the background information you have collected from external sources, and

the process you plan to introduce in the village.

Undertake the participatory information gathering and analysis in the village using

a number of different methods

Before it is possible for people to intervene in a situation and work together around

changing or improving that situation, it is important first to understand the situation.

As a facilitator, there are a number of steps that you need to take to introduce a

process in a community or village. The first is to know something about the area, the

people living there, their traditions and practises, and the environmental or farming

conditions in the area. If you come from the area, this will be easy for you. If you do

not, you will have to do a bit of background reading; finding external sources of

information that can tell you more about

the area, its people and its resources.

Once you have done this, you need to get

local support for and understanding of the

process you plan to introduce there. You will

need to consult the local leadership

(including traditional and municipal

structures) and people in the community

(organised groups or individuals that are

involved in community development

activities).

Then, when you have a clearer

picture of who is living and working in

the area, you will be able to finalise

the design of your process for finding

and analysing local information, for

the initial mobilising of potential

participants in an intervention, and

for how to present the information

(create a scoping report framework).

FACILITATOR’S NOTE

Even if you come from an

area, you will almost

certainly discover things you

didn’t know about your

FACILITATOR”S NOTE

You need to create your scoping

report framework right at the

beginning as this defines in many

ways how you will gather

information and which information

ou will work with.

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Demographics:

Statistical data relating

to the population and

groups within it.

Background information: Consult useful external sources (Your

homework)

There are many potentially useful sources for basic information regarding the areas

that you will be working in; both published materials and information on the Internet.

Information can be found from a number of national and provincial sources that can

give indications of climate, natural resources, farming

practises, demographics, and socio economic

conditions. Municipalities generally also have their own

websites where their Integrated Development Plans

(IDPs) and other information for the area can be found.

Some useful Internet sources:

1.www.arc.agric.za and www.agis.agric.za: These sites host the Agricultural

Geographical Information System Atlas – useful for all kinds of data such as

rainfall, soils, temperature, land use, erosion, crop potential, and so on.

2.www.wrc.org.za: This site hosts many publications related to water and water

use in agriculture. You can also go to www.dwaf.gov.za for information on

water provision.

3.www.beeh.ukzn.ac.za This is the site for the Department of Bio Resource

Engineering and Environmental Hydrologyat the University of KwaZulu-Natal,

where you can find the following publication: Schulze, R.E. 1997. South African

Atlas of Agro hydrology and Climatology. WRC Report NO. TT82/96 or go to

www.agriculture.kzntl.gov.za/publications

4.www.sagis.org.za. South African Grain Information Services.This site provides

all kinds of production and economic data on grain production in SA.

5.www.statssa.gov.za This site provides statistics of all key population indicators

for South Africa. It has a lot of detail on many different things for your area,

such as size of population, incomes, expenditures, unemployment and so on.

6.www.idasa.org.za This site gives a lot of different information on Municipalities

and can help you find information specific to the district or local municipality

you are after.

7.www.treasury.gov.za This site provides information on budgets,expenditure

and plans for all the provinces and municipalities in SA. You can also go to the

provincial equivalents, e.g. www.limtreasury.gov.za for Limpopo, It is possible

also to just type in the name of the municipality when you are searching. You

are likely to find their IDPs there and other useful development information or

go to www.dlgta.gov.za

Internationally there is an incredible amount of information. You can start with the

following two very useful links:

1.www.fao.org: This is the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United

Nations which publishes a lot of information and statistics regarding agriculture

in many different countries. See also www.faostat.fao.org

2.www.ileia.org This is the site of the Centre for Information on Low External Input

and Sustainable Agriculture and has a wide range of agricultural information

for the 3rd world.

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Create a Scoping Report framework

Below is a suggestion for your reporting framework. Your main tool is Semi-Structured

Interviewing of individuals and focus groups, but in the last column of Table 2, some

further methods are listed that you can use to find and analyse the information you

are looking for.

In the sections that follow (but sometimes also in sections of different chapters in this

resource material), we will provide details of how you can implement each one of

the methods suggested here.

This table suggests that you place your information under three different headings

namely: development context, stakeholders and livelihoods analysis. You will thus

gather information that will fit under these headings. Methods that you can use to

gather this information are also given in the last column of the table (‘Methods used

for analysis and reporting’). You will need to choose a number of these methods and

implement them to get the required information. And you will need to implement at

least one method from each heading, but possibly more!!

You will need to make a decision before you start which methods you may want to

use and make up your own scoping report framework. This is also part of your

‘homework’ before you start your processes in a village. You will report to your local

leadership structures what your intended process is going to be for the scoping and

you can show them your scoping report framework.

Table 2: Scoping Report framework and methods

Issue Description Questions that are

being answered

Methods used for analysis and

reporting

Development context

To learn about the

economic,

environmental, social

and institutional patterns

that pose supports or

constraints for

development

What are the important

economic, institutional,

social and

environmental patterns

in the village or

community?

What is getting better?

What is getting worse?

What are the supports

and constraints for

development?

Natural resource assessments

(Chapter 5)

Resource mapping

(Chapter 2)

Transect Walks (Chapter 2)

Assets pentagon (Chapter 2)

Stakeholders

To learn about the

priorities of different

stakeholders and to plan

development activities

based on women and

men’s priorities.

What are the

development priorities

of different

stakeholders and how

do they intervene?

What are different

priorities for different

groupings in the

community?

Venn diagram and institutional

profiles (Chapter 2)

Preference ranking development

needs, priorities for action-related

matters, e.g. water (Chapter 2)

Flow diagrams: e.g. Activities of

different organisations and who

benefits in the community

(Chapter 1)

SWOT Analysis (Chapter 1)

Crossing the River (Chapter 2)

Best bet action plans (Chapter 2)

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Issue Description Questions that are

being answered

Methods used for analysis and

reporting

Livelihoods analysis

Focuses on how

individuals and

households and groups

of households make their

living and their access to

resources to do so. It

reveals the activities

people undertake to

meet basic needs and

to generate income.

Gender and socio-

economic group

differences are shown

with respect to labour

and decision-making

patterns.

How do people make

their living? Are there

households unable to

meet their basic

needs?

What are the patterns

of use and control of

resources?

Farming systems diagram:

Present food gardening activities

with inputs and outputs

(Chapter 1)

Matrix diagrams: For food

sources, income and expenditure

(Chapter 2)

Source: (Wilde, 2001)

Open the door: Get local support for a scoping exercise

Once you have done your ‘homework’, you want to get permission and support to

do a local scoping exercise. Use the background information you have gathered

(with what you already know about the area) and your scoping report framework to

discuss your idea and plans for homestead food gardening with local role players –

especially leadership structures and other organisations involved in home food

security and/or homestead food gardening.

Discuss the following:

What the purpose of the scoping is, how it will be done, and what it will entail;

What support local leadership could provide to you in organising the scoping;

and

How the outcomes of the scoping exercise will be reported to the leadership and

the community; and what is likely to happen after the scoping (forming of

Garden Learning Groups and mobilisation, training and support of interested

households).

‘Discussion pieces’ can be useful in your discussions with leadership and other

organisations to get support for the scoping exercise in the village, for instance:

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Table 3: Discussion pieces to get local support for a scoping exercise

Discussion piece Purpose

Photos and case

study of a

successful home

food garden

To help people to visualise how homestead food gardening can

contribute to food security. Emphasise that these production

methods use low external inputs, meaning that it is achievable

even for the poorest households. (You will find these in this

Resource Material).

Example of a

workshop

schedule

To show the typical content of training sessions that has lead to

the results seen in the photos and case study.Emphasise that the

exact content will be decided together with the participating

households, to build on what they know already. (You will find this

in this Resource Material).

A simplified

version of the

Scoping Report

framework (See

Table 2).

This helps to show what will happen during the scoping and

participatory assessment, and what type of information would be

reported back to leadership and stakeholders. You want to set

their minds at ease that your intention is not to create trouble in

the village, or undermine leadership or current efforts. Emphasise

the importance of scoping (i) to analyse the local context so as

to tailor-make a facilitation process for this village, and (ii) to

kindle interest among households in the village.

A preliminary

(proposed)

Facilitation Plan

Show what the facilitator plans to do, how long the overall

programme will take (6 or 12 months, or longer?), and how and

when reporting will be done. Invite comments on the proposed

Facilitation Plan. Discuss how leadership and other stakeholders

could help?

FACILITATOR’S NOTE – Facilitation Plan

The Facilitation plan is a document that details the

methods that the facilitator chooses from the table

and the time frame in which they will do it. It could

take the shape of a table with the following headings:

Process/Method

Participants to invite

Date

Venue

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Participatory assessment of local food security

Purpose:

Gather and analyse essential local information to understand what is wanted and

doable, using participatory methods to involve the community in the scoping

exercise.

Organise the findings into your Scoping Report Framework.

In this phase, you will be going through the steps of looking at the development

context, the stakeholders and the livelihoods analysis set out in Table 2: “Scoping

Report Framework” above. You will be talking to and interviewing a number of

people either as individuals, in small groups or even in full community meetings. We

will focus here on participatory processes that can assist you in this task.

Participatory methods

Facilitators favour participatory methods, because this provides an effective way to

empower the people they are working with. In fact, this is the only known way to

enable people participating in a development programme to come up with their

own analysis of their situation, and to develop their own solutions. Through decades

of bad experiences, development facilitators now understand that it is unsustainable

to force external solutions onto people.

The first thing that you may need to think about is how you talk to people and listen

to them. The principles of semi-structured interviewing and sensitive listening run like a

golden thread through all the participatory methods, therefore we will first pay some

attention to this. Thereafter, several examples are shown of how some of these

participatory methods can be applied to collect and analyse the information needs

that were listed in the Scoping Report Framework, for a homestead food gardening

programme.

Semi-Structured Interviewing

This is a guided conversation in which only the topics are predetermined and new

questions and insights arise as a result of the discussion and visualized analyses. This

means that you as the facilitator know what information you want and need and

have a broad list of the themes (such as income, types of farming, etc.) that you

need to cover. Instead of having a questionnaire however, you have a

“conversation”. You make sure you give the person/s enough chance to talk freely

about the themes in a way that suits them.

This type of interviewing can be used for individual interviews, key informant

interviews and focus group discussions.

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Key components of Semi-Structured Interviews:

1. Team preparation:

The goals/ themes of the interviews need to be defined – What is important to

understand more about and how will we find this out? During the preparation:

Develop an interview guide or checklist;

Assign team roles and responsibilities; and

Ensure good group dynamics and behaviour in the interviewing team.

2. Interview context:

When doing the interview the facilitator needs to pay attention to the setting

(where?), timing (when?), body language, seating arrangements (how?) and biases

(why? and who?).

3. Sensitive interviewing:

Sensitive listening and questioning means to ask open-ended, non directive

questions and to probe answers. This is not easy to master,yet effective interviewing

will only occur if this happens. (More about these ideas below.)

4. Judging and cross-checking responses:

Information that is generated needs to be crosschecked, rather than accepting the

first answer one hears. This is part of probing.

5. Recording the interview:

It is vital to record the detail of interviews. Ask permission from the person being

interviewed to take notes or record the interview. Use a recorder if discussing and

writing at the same time is difficult for you. Record the detail of what is said and also

what is NOT said, and of what is observed. Make follow-up notes and record

personal impressions.

6. Self critical review:

After the interview it is important to assess critically which questions were effective

and which were not, how some questions could have been phrased differently and

how the context influenced the flow of information.

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Sensitive questioning or interviewing

Use open-ended questions (non-directive) as opposed to leading questions. This is

a question, which does not require yes or no for an answer. It requires and

explanation or a description.

Ask clear, unambiguous questions.

Use simple questions. Make questions short and easy to understand, but aim at

consistently drawing out more details. Do not ask a sequence of two or more

questions together.

Lead from more general topics to more specific topics.

Do not make abrupt changes of topic.

Probe! Use the 6 helpers: What? When? Where/ how? Who? Why? But why? (Do

not overdo this – it can be a bit threatening.)

Avoid making conclusions for the interviewees or help them finish their sentences.

Avoid giving advice at this stage.

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Activity 1:

What is wrong with the question?

Aim

To illustrate the details of ambiguous (unclear) and leading questions.

Instructions

Look at the short list of questions below and identify what is wrong with each

question. Then re-phrase the question to be less ambiguous or more open-ended.

What is wrong with each question below? [Question 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.]

Now rephrase each of the questions:

1.Is it true that it is difficult to get your cattle to the veterinary clinic?

2.How do you get your medicine?

3.Wouldn't you prefer to grow improved potato varieties?

4.What do you do as a farmer?

5.Isn't the new clinic wonderful?

6.Do you sow seeds in a straight row?

7.How do you find the school?

8.Shouldn't you cover your water storage container?

Source: (Pretty et al., 1995)

What is wrong with the question? Answers: 1=leading, 2=ambiguous, 3=leading, 4=ambiguous,

5=leading, 6=leading, 7=ambiguous, 8=leading.

Time: 1 hour

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Sensitive interviewing takes a while to learn to do well (like driving a car). As a

facilitator you need always to be aware of what you are saying and how. You need

to observe how this affects the people you are talking to, and make constant

adjustments!! It is a continuous learning process.

Over the years, as you become more experienced, you will develop your own

favourite set of questions that work well for you. Below is an example:

When Ma Tshepo Khumbane interviews local organisations (community based

organisations, NGOs, etc.) during a scoping exercise, they always voice the

problems they are facing. Ma Tshepo makes a habit of asking, right at the end

of the interview: “How are you planning to deal with these issues you have

mentioned to me?” This induces forward thinking, and it is quite amazing how

the expression in people’s eyes change when they hear it like this. This

approach also helps emphasize that the facilitator has not come to the area

to solve people’s problems for them, but to help them think through how they

can solve their own problems.

Now, let us have a look at some participatory methods where you will be applying

your sensitive interviewing skills to come up with the information you need for your

Scoping Report.

Methods for assessing local resources

The Assets pentagon

Each local area has a number of different kinds of resources. People use these

resources to keep alive and to cope with changing seasons or weather patterns,

political change and cultural pressures. Helping people to understand and to value

the resources/assets they have, is very important.

There are 5 main KINDS OF RESOURCES/ASSETS

Natural assets: including land, plants, animals and water.

Human assets: including the skills, knowledge, understanding,

labour and good health of local people

Financial assets: including credit and loans, credit unions and

government support as well as regular inflows of money such

as remittances, pensions and other social grants

Social assets: including the culture, traditions, organizations,

friends and extended family.

Physical assets: including buildings, tools, roads, water pumps

and transport. It also includes access to information.

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Pentagon:

Five sided diagram.

Assets Pentagon

These resources can also be

called ‘assets’ or the ‘capital’

of an area. We can fill them in

and present them in an 'assets

pentagon'.

This kind of resource analysis is central to a process known as the Sustainable

Livelihoods Framework (IFAD, 2000) and provides us with a framework to analyse a

whole lot of complex information from a homestead, group or community.

For now let us look at the example of Mrs Mdletshe from Hlabisa, KZN). This

information could be filled into the assets Pentagon as a way of presenting the

information. The resource/assets information of the entire area could also be used

when the facilitator is preparing a scoping report. A big scale presentation drawing

of the assets pentagon is often a useful presentation tool at report back meetings

(see Activity 9).

Table 4: Livelihoods assets of an example household (Mrs Mdletshe, Hlabisa, KZN)

Human

assets

Natural

assets

Financial

assets

Physical

assets

Social

assets

She can do

physical work

(labour).

Little education.

She does not own

land.

She has some

access to

common property/

communal

resources.

She does not own

livestock.

She is

unemployed.

No access to

credit.

She rents out one

of her rooms.

She receives 2

child grants for

looking after

orphans.

Poor

housing.

Poor water

supply.

Poor

communic

ation

facilities.

Low social status.

Discrimination

against women.

Strong links with

family and friends.

Traditions and

reciprocal

exchanges.

Belongs to a

community garden

group.

(Photo: Erna Kruger, 2008.)

In the next sections we are going to consider a number of participatory processes

that will help us to analyse (as a group) what resources are available, how we are

using them, what the issues are and what potential solutions there could be to the

issues, or actions for positive change.

Most of these processes can be used at village, group or household level. You can

even use them as an individual to help you to better understand people's situations.

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Finding out about natural resources

In a rural or farming environment, natural resources are a very important aspect of

peoples' lives. People depend on their environment to provide their basic needs of

shelter, water and food. They also use resources for productive activities.

An ongoing challenge for people in an area is to use the available resources in ways

that are sustainable. There are many examples in South Africa and elsewhere that

people in rural areas have developed good practices and are using their resources

responsibly. When you work with people in a community, try to find out as much as

you can about their traditional or indigenous practices. There are – of course – also

many examples of poor resource use actions, and these will also become evident

when you start to interact with people in an area.

Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) methods and techniques (Chambers, 1992) can

be used to assess the natural resources in an area. These are methods that have

been designed to work with groups of people to help them to analyse their situations

and to come up with potential actions for change and improvement. In this context,

we use the term “assess” to mean observing, describing and recording the present

local situation. You will use a variety of skills such as observing, listening, interviewing,

discussing and reflecting in order to get a clear picture of the current situation.

To assess or analyse the issues and relationships within resource use (e.g. access and

availability), we will look at three PRA methods that you could use with your

households, namely:

Resource Mapping;

Transect Walks; and

Ranking and scoring.

Resource Mapping

We can start with drawing a resource map. Resources might be available, but

certain aspects such as cultural taboos or ownership could result in them not being

accessible to people who need them.

A resource map is simply a drawing of the area, which can be used for different

purposes. Resources maps can be used to:

Get a clear picture of the physical features of the area (e.g. hills, rivers, wetlands,

roads, erosion, etc.);

Indicate the natural resources that are present (e.g. forests, grasslands, grazing

areas, fields, land-use, types of crops planted, areas under cultivation, irrigation,

etc.);

Indicate problems in land-use and resource availability, or access of different

groups to different resources;

Compare the same area at different times. This is called a historical resource

map; and

Show where actions can be taken to improve the situation. In this case the

resource map can be used as a planning tool.

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The following example shows a resource map of Nthunzi in KwaZulu-Natal.

Figure 3: Resource map drawn in Nthunzi, Bulwer, 1993. (Eds Cousins, T. & Kruger, E. 1993)

Chapter 2: Facilitation of homestead food gardening

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Activity 2:

Read a resource map

Aim

Extract information from a resource map.

Instructions

Examine the map (see Figure 3) to find answers to the following questions:

From how many rivers can the community draw water?

Which natural resources are present in the community?

What physical features are shown?

What do you think the purpose was of drawing the resource map?

Time: 1 hour

Making a resource map can help people in an area to get a clear picture of the

physical features and resources that they consider important. Maps drawn by local

people can show their perspective and reveal much about their local knowledge of

resources, their use of the land, settlement patterns and who controls and makes

decisions about the use of resources. The primary concern is not to draw an

accurate map, but to get useful information about local perceptions of the natural

resources.

Drawing the map and the map itself is only the beginning of the process of finding

out about availability and present use of resources. The map is a tool that can be

used to stimulate discussion. It is when members of a household or community

discuss the issue that real learning takes place that can lead to improved use of

resources.

By doing the next activity, you can practise

doing a resource map of an area, which you

know well. This is a group activity.

It is when members of a

household or community

discuss the issue that real

learning takes place that

can lead to improved use

of resources.

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Activity 3:

Draw a resource map of an area

Aim

To practise making and using a resource map.

Instructions

Practise in a group of 3-5 people how to make a resource map that focuses on

specific features and issues in an area.

Here are suggestions to guide you through a process consisting of the following

steps:

Plan  Do  Reflect

Plan

1. Decide on a suitable place where you can do your resource map. It can be at

one of the group members’ home village, or an area all group members know.

2. Discuss in your group why you want to draw this map. What is its purpose? Choose

two or three features and issues that you will do on your resource map. If you try to

show too many features and issues, it will become confusing. Look at this list for ideas:

-Physical features: hills, valleys, large rocks, and erosion

-Types of natural vegetation such as a grassland, bushes, trees and wetlands

-Cultivate areas showing cropping and crop types

-Land-use such as gardens, fields, grazing areas, and forests

-Rivers and water points

-You can also include the village infrastructure such as the boundary, roads, houses,

schools, markets, clinics, churches and special places such as sacred sites.

3. Draw up a list of questions to which you want to find answers. Here is a list to give

you an idea:

-What resources are plentiful?

-What resources are scarce?

-Where do people go to collect water and who collects water?

-Where do people go to collect firewood and who collects firewood?

-Who looks after the gardens?

-Do people have livestock and who looks after them?

-What kinds of livestock are there?

-Where do the livestock go to graze?

-Which resource do people have the most problems with?

-What is the problem?

-Why is there a problem?

What is the community doing to solve the problem?

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1. Take a walk through the area and make a note of the features and issues you

want to investigate.

2. As a group, you can make a drawing of the map on the ground first. Mapping on

the ground has a number of benefits:

-It is easily visible to the group

-It encourages a lot of discussion

-It allows for a lot of detail

-It can be changed or corrected easily

-You can add to it, as the space on the ground is not limited.

Of course the big disadvantage is that you cannot take it away. If you want to keep

a copy you have to write it onto paper.The diagram below shows a group creating

a resource map on the ground and it gives an idea of what it looks like on paper.

A picture of a group creating a resource map on the ground

3. Draw your map on paper. You can use colours to show different features.

4. The map is a tool, which should lead to a discussion about resources. When the

map is completed, discuss in your group what you have observed about the present

availability and use of resources in the area. Use the set of questions you formulated

to guide the discussion.

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Transect:

Is a straight line that

cuts across a piece of

land or terrain.

Reflect

Reflect on your resource mapping activity and write answers to the following

questions:

1.What worked well?

2.What did you find most difficult?

3.What changes would you make to a resource mapping activity in the future?

4.What have you learned from your experience?

(Editors: Kruger, E; Mearns, M; Randall, C., 2009)

Time: 5 hours

The Resource Map is a good tool with which to begin a process, because it is an

easy exercise that initiates dialogue among the community members and the

facilitation team members.

A large open space should be found and the ground cleared. It is easiest to start by

placing a rock or leaf to represent a central and important landmark. Participants

are then asked to draw other things on the map that is important in the village.

Participants should not be interrupted unless they stop drawing, in which case

questions can be asked such as whether there is anything else of importance that

should be added.

Finally, the facilitator maywant to ask participants to indicate some things they

would like to see in their village that are not currently on the map – in other words to

draw a picture of what they would like the future to look like. This allows for some

initial planning ideas and encourages people to begin contributing their thoughts at

an early stage in the participatory process. (Wilde, 2001).

Transect Walks

A very useful PRA method for collecting information about an area, is to take a

transect walk. It consists of walking through an area and paying attention to specific

environmental features, resources and human activities,

and issues such as water scarcity, soil erosion or any other

problem.

Transect walks are sometimes referred to as observational

walks, because they give the people who participate in it

an opportunity to observe, discuss and identify issues of

concern to the community.

Transect walks may be taken in a straight line using the compass points, e.g. North,

South, East or West, whichever is the most suitable; or walks can also meander and

follow a particular feature in the landscape such as dongas, trees, water points.

Here is an example drawing or diagram of a transect walk in an area called

Tsupaneng in KwaZulu-Natal.

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Figure 4: Transect walk diagram, Tsupaneng, KwaZulu-Natal 1993. (Eds Cousins, T.;

Kruger, E. 1993

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Activity 4:

Read a transect diagram

Aim

Extract information from a transect diagram.

Instructions

Examine the Tsupaneng transect diagram (See Figure 4) to find answers to the

following questions:

1.What kind of soil did the group find in the valley floor, the donga floor and the

homestead garden?

2.What kind of trees and plants can be found in the woodlot?

3.What crops are grown in the homestead garden?

4.What are the problems in the upper and lower slopes?

5.What suggestions did the group have for the valley floor that is now a donga?

6.What features and issues did the group focus on in their transect walk?

7.Did you have any problems answering the above questions? Explain.

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Purpose of transect walks

Before a transect walk is undertaken, you have to be clear about the information

you want to gather. The group in Tsupaneng, for example, decided to focus on

observing and recording soils and soil erosion, which was a big problem in their area.

They also recorded the natural vegetation and cultivated plants that are growing

there. In any transect walk, people discuss problems, opportunities and possible

solutions, and record these in their diagram.

Transect walks can be useful to:

Identify issues related to land such as land use, crops cultivated, local cultivation

patterns, local technology used for irrigation, water/plant/soil conservation,

erosion, soil types, local vegetation, use of wild plants, and resources in disrepair,

e.g. dip tanks, fences, etc.

Identify issues related to other resources/facilities such as state of roads, problems

and opportunities with water points, plotting water distribution systems, etc.

In a village or homestead area it is used to discuss drainage and sanitation, use of

back yard space, location of taps, household chores, state of living structures,

interactions between different groupings, etc.

You can use transect walks at any point during an intervention or project cycle:

Assessment to establish what the present situation is;

Planning to identify what needs to be done to improve things; and

Monitoring and evaluation of resource management and development, to

check how successful a project has been.

Activity 5:

Draw a transect walk diagram

Aim

To practise drawing and using a transect walk diagram.

Instructions

Practise in a group of 3-5 people how to do a transect walk, and finalise a transect

diagram that focuses on specific features and issues.

Here are suggestions to guide you through a process consisting of the following

steps:

Plan  Do  Reflect

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Plan

1. Decide on a suitable place where you can do your transect walk. It can be one of

the group members’ home villages or an area all group members know.

2. Discuss in your group what the purpose is of the transect walk and what

information you want to gather. Choose 2 or 3 features and issues that you want to

explore. Look at this list for ideas:

-Land use: Crops cultivated, local cultivation patterns, local technology used for

irrigation, water/plant/soil conservation, erosion,soil types, local vegetation, use of

wild plants, resources in disrepair, e.g. dip tanks

-Resources or facilities: State of roads, problems and opportunities with water points

and sources, plotting gravity fed water system, etc.

-Village or homestead areas: Drainage and sanitation, use of back yard space,

location of taps or water point, household chores. State of living structures,

interactions between different groupings.

3. Draw up a list of questions to which you want to find answers.

1.Take a walk across the area in a straight line and make notes on relevant features

that you observe. The idea is to stop at regular intervals, say every 500 meters, or

every 10 minutes, or whenever a particularly interesting feature is observed.

2.Use the opportunity while you are there to get clarity about the issues and discuss

problems and opportunities to investigate.

3.After the walk, share the notes you have made with the rest of the group and

refine your ideas.

4.Involve everyone in the group in making the transect diagram. During this time

you will continue to discuss the issues and sharpen your ideas.

Reflect

Reflect on the transect walk and making the diagram:

1.What worked well?

2.What did you find most difficult?

3.What changes would you make to a transect walk activity in the future?

4.What have you learned from your experience?

Time: 5 hours

Ranking (preference and pair wise) and scoring (simple and matrix)

Ranking and scoring methods give participants an opportunity to assess the relative

importance of different items. It elicits people's own assessment of a situation, and

the importance of features, items and issues within this situation.

Through interviewing or questioning the assessment criteria used (the information or

opinions used to make the assessments/ judgements), a whole lot of information is

gleaned. This helps the facilitator and the local people to all deepen their

understanding of the situation. Our reasons for making choices are not always very

clear – not even to ourselves.

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If someone says for example “I prefer oranges to apples” and you then ask them

why, they may respond unexpectedly with an answer such as the one below:

World Vision participant, Bergville KZN.

(Photo: E. Kruger, 2007)

And you thought they would say oranges taste better than apples!!

There are many different ways in which ranking and scoring can be done. Here we

will look at a few different processes. Each process has a slightly different intention –

and way in which it needs to be facilitated. Once you start to feel confident with

ranking and scoring and you have facilitated these processes with a number of

groups, you can start to use your own variations – the process is flexible. For the

moment, let us look at the following ranking and scoring methods:

i.Preference ranking

ii.Pair wise ranking

iii.Simple scoring

iv.Matrix scoring

i. Preference Ranking

Ranking usually involves placing items in order of importance (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.).

Preference ranking is the simplest form of ranking where a list of needs, desired

outcomes, objects or features are arranged in order of priority or preference.

Each person basically votes yes/no or 1/0 (one or zero) for each item in the list.

Orange trees are hardier

than apple trees.

Birds do not eat oranges on

the trees.

Orange trees do not need

pollinators; so we only need

one tree in our garden.

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As an example, let us assume we did a water inventory with a small group of

community members, using a resource map and transect walk exercise. From these

two exercises, the following list of issues with water in the area was made:

A number of borehole pumps in the area are broken;

Borehole environments are dirty, muddy and unhygienic;

Spring sources have been trampled and fouled by cattle and people cannot use

them;

The wetland is not in a good condition and is eroding;

Flash floods coming down the dongas are washing away the fields; and

Water run-off on the roads does a lot of damage.

Now, we may want to prioritize the issues according to urgency for action.

For each item, each participant needs to give a yes or a no (a one or a zero). They

can do this by a show of hands, or by placing a stone or a seed or a tick or other

mark on a chart where the items are listed.

Let us assume our group consists of 10 people. We will ask them “Which is your most

critical issue?” and ask individuals to raise their hands if the issue you are calling out is

the most important. Then we will move on to the next issue and ask “Which is your

next critical issue or your 2nd most important issue?” and ask individuals to raise their

hands if the issue you are calling out is the next most important.

Now our list may look like this:

Table 5: Preference ranking example

Item to be ranked No of votes

for each item

Rank

A number of borehole pumps in the area are

broken

9 1

Borehole environments are dirty, muddy and

unhygienic

2 5

Spring sources have been trampled and fouled

by cattle and people cannot use them

5 4

The wetland is not in a good condition and is

eroding

1 6

Flash floods coming down the dongas are

washing away the fields

8 2

Water run-off on the roads do a lot of damage 6 3

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ii.Pair wise Ranking

This is a slightly more complicated version of preference ranking. Here, each

individual compares two items on a list at a time and decides which of the two

is preferable. This is done for each pair of items in turn. Remember that the

most interesting part of this exercise would be to unpack the reasons why

people have chosen specific items, in other words, their criteria for assessment

and the reasons for using these criteria.

Let us do an exercise in pair wise ranking:

Activity 6:

Do a pair wise ranking exercise

Aim

Practise as an individual or in a group of 3-5 people how to do a pair wise ranking

exercise.

Instructions

The key question for this exercise is:” What are your food source preferences?” (From

a livelihoods project in Niger (Catley et al., 2007). Answer the following questions and

fill in the pair wise ranking matrix (See Table 6) below.

If you are working in a group, allocate roles for the group members: one interviewer,

one recorder and a few informants.

Now, the interviewer asks the informants to suggest the sources of food in their

homesteads or village. Ask them to choose a maximum of six items for this exercise. If

there are too many items, then the exercise can become unwieldy.

The recorder may then make the list. Let us assume in this case the list is as follows:

-Millet (own farm production)

-Vegetables (own production)

-Purchased food (excluding cereal bank)

-Cereal bank (millet) purchases

-Livestock production (milk and meat)

Then the recorder sets up the pair wise ranking matrix as follows:

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Table 6: Pair wise ranking matrix

Food source Millet Vegetables Purchases Cereal bank Livestock

Millet - Millet

Vegetables -

Purchases -

Cereal bank -

Livestock -

The informants are then asked pair by pair which they prefer most. For example, the

interviewer may start by asking: “Which food source, between millet and vegetables

do you prefer most?” The answer may be “millet” and that is then written into the

appropriate block.

NOTE: It does not make sense to compare millet with millet, etc., and therefore the

blocks on the diagonal would be left open. Also, the blocks below the diagonal are

a repetition of those above the diagonal, and need not be filled.

Now continue to compare the items pair by pair until the table has been completed.

The recorder needs to write down all the reasons the informants gave for their

preferences.

At the end of the exercise you may want to ask the following reflection questions:

Did the criteria and preference lists vary greatly between the informants? Why was

this so?

-What worked well?

-What did you find most difficult?

-What changes would you make to a pair wise ranking exercise in the future?

-What have you learned from your experience?

Below are the actual outcomes for the pair wise ranking exercise that was carried

out in Niger. You can compare them with yours and check the accuracy of your

exercise. (See Table 7)

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Table 7: Pair-wise ranking showing food source preferences in Niger

Food source Millet Vegetables Purchases Cereal bank Livestock

Millet - Millet Millet Millet Millet

Vegetables - VegetablesVegetables Vegetables

Purchases - Cereal Bank Purchases

Cereal bank - Cereal Bank

Livestock -

(Burns et al., 2007)

An overall preference score can then be calculated by counting the number of

times each food source was ranked the highest.

See if you can work out what the overall ranking is and fill it in the table below: (The

answers are given in small print at the end of this activity)

Table 8: Preference score, based on pair wise ranking

Food Source Score

Millet

Vegetables

Purchases

Cereal bank

Livestock

Answer to preference ranking score: Millet (4), vegetables (3), cereal banks (2), purchases (1),

livestock (0).

Time: 3 hours

iii.Simple Scoring

Ranking involves placing items in order of importance, whereas scoring

methods assign a value (or a score) to a specific item. Scoring is usually done

by using numbers or counters such seeds, stones, nuts or beans to attribute a

specific score to each item or indicator.

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Example 1

In a food security project, which aims to establish homestead food gardens, you may

want to measure the impact of the gardens on household food security. A simple

scoring exercise could be done as follows:

1.Ask project participants to identify all the food sources that contribute to the

household food basket.

2.Use visual aids to represent each of the different food sources.

3.Then ask the participants to distribute the counters amongst the different

variables to illustrate the relative proportion of household food derived from each

source.

Now look at the diagram below (See Figure 5) that shows what the results may be of

such a scoring exercise (Catleyet al., 2007).

Figure 5: An example of scoring food sources using proportional piling

Top right shows the exercise as it was done with the group: picture cards of the food sources,

with the counters (in this case beans) piled on each picture card.

On the left is the matrix of food sources and the number of counters that had been piled on the

picture cards.

Bottom right is a pie chart with percentages that have been worked out from the piles of

counters for each food source.

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Questions:

1.What percentage of food comes from the project garden in the example given

above?

2.Which food source makes up the largest proportion of a household’s food? What

percentage can be allocated to this food source?

3.What percentage of food for the household comes from outside the community?

(HINT:This is a combination of two food sources mentioned in the example

above)

With simple scoring each participant's preferences can be scored, and then added

together to create the overall score. In the example above a joint pile of counters

was created. Look at the example below to see how the two exercises would differ.

A NOTE ON COUNTERS:

When doing scoring on a community level, we usually give people counters

such as beans, small stones, etc. It is sometimes difficult to know how many

of these counters to give each person that is involved and one does not want

to be doing a lot of counting of beans while doing your exercise. Many of

your participants may also not be literate enough to be doing lots of

counting themselves.

Proportional piling is a nice way around this difficulty. Here the participants

are asked to distribute 100 counters (that you have given them pre-counted

– their pile) amongst the different variables or indicators in the table/

matrix, with the largest number of counters (the largest pile) being assigned

to the most important indicator or item, and the smallestnumber of

counters (the smallest pile) being assigned to the least important indicator

or item.

Although using 100 counters makes it easier to automatically assign a

percentage score to the results of your scoring exercise, it is not essential that

you use this many. Often it is quicker to use fewer counters (say 20 for

example). As a general rule, you can use 10 counters for every two variables

that are being compared.

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Example 2:

The question asked here is: “What are the most serious constraints to agricultural

production in your area?”

Five participants make a list of constraints and agree on five constraints to compare

and score. Each participant then scores the constraints individually. They are given 5

counters (stones …) each. These 5 counters are divided among the five constraints

according to each participant's preference. See the Table 9 below for a possible

outcome of their scoring exercise.

Table 9: Table of individual participant scoring of agricultural constraints

Constraints

Participants Total

Score Ranking

A B C D E

Drought 2 3 5 1 2 13 1

Pests 0 2 0 3 1 6 2

Weeds 2 0 0 0 0 2 4

Costs of inputs 1 0 0 1 1 3 3

Labour shortage 0 0 0 0 1 1 5

(RUAF, March 2004)

iv Matrix scoring

In matrix scoring or ranking we are now comparing a number of items with a

number of criteria against which each item is scored. (In the previous ranking

and scoring exercises, the items were either scored against each other, or

against one criterion, such as importance.)

This exercise is often done after the issues of importance to a community or group

has been discussed and provides for a more in-depth analysis or investigation of the

issues.

Let us continue with our investigation of food sources that we started under the

heading of pair wise ranking (Burnset al., 2008).

From further discussions related to the pair wise ranking and scoring of preferred food

sources, it became clear that the overall preference for millet from own production

was largely attributed to the volume or quantity of food that is produced from this

source. The assessment team also asked the participants what sources provided the

most nutritious or healthy foods, as opposed to just largest quantities.

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Consensus:

Agreement.

Based on the discussion, the facilitation team and the participants agreed on the

following four broad categories of food preference indicators:

1.Availability (quantity/volume);

2.Income earning or savings potential;

3.Accessibility; and

4.Nutrition/health value.

Participants were then asked to score the five food sources against each of these

four food preference indicators.

This was done using visual aids to represent each food source (Remember from

Figure 5, picture cards of the food sources were used). A millet stem was used to

represent millet from own production, a broad green leaf was used to represent

vegetable production, a handful of coins was used to represent food purchases, a

small bag of ground nuts was used to represent cereal bank purchases and a bottle

top was used to represent livestock production (milk and meat).

After carefully explaining what each visual aid symbolised, the facilitation team

asked the participants to use fifty counters to score each of the food sources (millet,

vegetables, purchases, cereal bank and livestock) against the first food preference

indicator (availability).

The exercise was then repeated for each of the other three

food preference indicators. The physical distribution of counters

was done by one volunteer, but this was based on group

consensus.

Table 10 below shows the outcome of the matrix ranking exercise:

Table 10: Matrix scoring of different food sources against indicators of preference.

Millet Vegetables Purchases Cereal

Bank Livestock

Availability

(quantity/volume) 1512 5 13 5

Access

(easy to come by) 22 8 3 12 4

Income earning and

savings potential 12 13 0 8 17

Nutritional

value 6 17 6 6 15

TOTAL55 50 14 40 41

(Catley et al., 2007)

Note: Although livestock ranked the lowest during the pair wise ranking (See Figure 5 above),

against specific indicators such as income potential and nutritional value, it ranks much higher

than some of the other food sources.

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Transect:

A straight line that

cuts across a piece of

land or terrain.

Matrices:

Plural of matrix.

Questions:

1.What rank does livestock as a food source have in the matrix scoring exercise in

Table 10? (HINT: Compare the totals in the bottom row and rank them, giving 1 as

the highest rank and 5 as the lowest.)

2. Why do you think the ranking for livestock is different in the matrix ranking

exercise as compared with the pair wise ranking exercise?

Many different issues related to resources can be explored using resource matrices.

Some examples are:

Uses of different types of water sources (boreholes,

rives, springs) for different needs (drinking, cattle,

washing);

Types of natural vegetation and their uses;

Sources of income from natural resources and their uses (or importance);

Ranking the severity of diseases within the community, and where and how they

are treated;

Different assets in the community and how access is managed (who has access);

and

Different types of crops grown and different uses of these crops.

Activity 7:

Draw a matrix ranking diagram

Aim

To practise matrix ranking.

Instructions

Practise in a group of 3-5 people a matrix ranking activity

that focuses on a resource issue.

Here are suggestions to guide you through a process

consisting of the following steps:

Plan  Do  Reflect

Plan

1.Decide on the resource issue that you want to explore. It could be land use,

water use, erosion, and sources of income. Look at the above list for additional

ideas. Choose one that your group can do easily.

2.Where possible find a person (informant) who has local knowledge and is willing

to discuss the issues with your group

3.Then decide on the criteria you want to use to explore these issues. For example,

if you want to explore land-use then you might list the following criteria:

landownership and access, income generation, food production, wild foods,

fodder, firewood, problems.

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4.Agree on the scale you will use to score or rank the items. You can rank out of five

or more; where 1 is the least preferred option and 5 is the most preferred. You can

also use the proportional piling method that was described under the heading

simple scoring in the text above.

5.Collect the counters for ranking. You can use beans, small stones seeds, or any

other small objects that are easily available.

1.Prepare your matrix diagram.

Along the top of your matrix, write the categories showing different types of land use.

Along the side of your matrix, write the criteria you have listed.

Here is an example of how a group started preparing their matrix and what it looked

like when they had completed it:

Figure 6: An example of a group busy with a matrix ranking exercise

(Pretty et al., 1995)

2.Each person uses the counters to show how they would score the items.

Discussion takes place until there is agreement in the group about the ranking of

each item. The agreed number of counters I then places in each block

3.The final results are now recorded and the diagram is completed.

Reflect

Reflect on the matrix ranking activity:

-What worked well?

-What did you find most difficult?

-What changes would you make to the matrix ranking activity in the future?

-What have you learned from your experience?

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Methods for assessing stakeholder involvement

Venn diagrams and institutional profiles help us to better understand the role and

nature of organisations in a village. We are now looking at participatory methods

that will help us with the stakeholders’ section of our Scoping report framework

(Table 2)

Venn diagrams

Venn diagramming is a method that is used to understand organisations (local and

others), their linkages and their relationships. It is often used in a situation analysis or

assessment to find out what the roles of the different organisations are, how they get

on and how this impacts on what happens in the community. It is often easy to see

from this exercise where the gaps or the major stumbling blocks are.

Venn diagrams can be used with individuals and small groups. If you are working

with a large group of people, you will have to divide them into smaller groups (5-8

people). You can organise separate focus groups of men and women. Be sure that

the poorest and most disadvantaged are included, or have their own groups, as

appropriate.

In this exercise, you will use circles of varying size, which you have cut out of paper or

carton beforehand.

With Venn diagramming, you can investigate two questions or criteria.

The two criteria are reflected by:

(i)The size of the circle; and

(ii)The relative distance of the circles from each other, or from a

central point on the chart where they will be placed.

For example the size of the circle could reflect the relative size of the organisation,

while its distance from a central point on the chart could represent its

impact/importance to daily life in the village.

Or the size of the circle could mean the relative importance/impact of this

organisation to village life, while the distance between the circles could show how

closely the various organisations work together.

FACILITATOR’S NOTE

You have to carefully think through which

two aspects you want to investigate otherwise

the exercise can become confusing and

frustrating for participants!

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Using the criteria from the last example, i.e. size – relative importance and distance =

how closely organisations work together the procedure is as follows:

1.First, participants are asked to name the various organisations that have an

influence on life in the village, and these are listed.

2.Next, participants are asked to choose a circle for each organisation, based on

the first criterion, e.g. showing the relative importance of each organisation to the

group. The more important the organisation, or the greater its impact on their

lives, the larger its circle.

3.These circles are then placed in relationship to each other, based on the second

criterion, e.g. how well they work together. Theycan overlap, be next to each

other, close to each other or far away from each other, depending on their

degree and type of contact in the real world.

This means for example if organisations are working together closely, their two

circles will overlap. If an organisation is important to a community,but they do

not have a good relationship, the organisation is given a large circle, which is

placed, far away from the central circle representing your group or community.

The Venn diagram can be traced on the ground, but it is especially clear (and fun) if

coloured paper circles are used on a large sheet of paper. As mentioned above, it is

helpful to cut out the circles of paper in different colours and sizes ahead of time.

Facilitation Tool 1:

Facilitation of a Venn diagram exercise

1.Start by asking the participants to list the local groups and organisations, as well

as outside institutions, that are most important to them. Which organisations and

groups work with the community? Are they organised according to economic,

social, environmental, other issues? What is the relative importance of the

organisations?

2.Which groups assist households to overcome keyconstraints (e.g. related to land,

livestock, sickness, nutrition, domestic violence, lack of income)? What services

do they provide (information, training, projects, credit, and other kinds of

assistance)?

3.What groups are exclusively for women? For men? Youth? Are certain groups

excluded from some of the organisations (e.g. men, women, the landless, certain

ethnic groups)? If so, which ones and why? What are the implications of non-

participation?

4.Are there any groups that provide advice on HIV/AIDS prevention? Or on living

with HIV/AIDS? Or mitigation, e.g. are there support groups or programmes for

individuals or households affected by HIV/AIDS? Who has/does not have access

to such services? How can the extension services link up with these groups?

5.Then, ask the participants to decide whether each organisation deserves a small,

medium or large circle (to represent its relative importance). The name (or

symbol) of each organisation should be indicated on each circle. (Make sure

each organisation has a different colour, if possible.)

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6.What are the linkages between local groups and outside institutions? Ask which

institutions work together or have overlapping memberships. The circles should be

placed as follows:

-Separate circles = no contact

-Touching circles = information passes between institutions

-Small overlap = some co-operation in decision making

-Large overlap = a lot of co-operation in decision making

7.Discuss as many institutions as possible and ask the participants to position them in

relation to each other. There may be a lot of debate and repositioning of the

circles until consensus is reached.

Below is a diagram of what a completed Venn diagram might look like.

Figure 7: Venn diagram of institutions in a Santiago Island village.

(Wilde, 2001)

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Institutional profiles

Institutional Profiles are tools that help us to learn more about the nature of the

institutions/ organisations identified in the Venn Diagrams.A chart or table is created,

and each institution is added: We examine what they have accomplished, and

what they would further need to foster their development work.

Whereas the Venn Diagrams reveal the importance of local and other institutions

and the degree of interaction between them, the Institutional Profiles show details

about how these institutions function, and for what purposes. This information will be

very important when the community is planning development activities.

The following organisations or institutions are often active in the broader food security

environment, and some of them may also be active in your area:

Government Departments:

–Department of Social Development (e.g. grants, soup kitchens, community

centres, pre-schools),

–Department of Health (e.g. mobile clinics, school nurses, Community and

Home Based Carers),

–Department of Education (e.g. National School Feeding Programme,

school gardens, local facilitators)

–Department of Agriculture (e.g. support for community gardens and dip

tanks for cattle, food security projects, land care projects)

Local Municipality (provision of services such as water, in conjunction with the

Department of Water Affairs and Forestry), electricity, roads, support for some

projects in the community;

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs); and

Community-Based Organisations (especially burial societies, churches, drama

groups, women’s groups, water committees, etc.).

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Below (Table 11) is an example of an institutional profile of a women’s group.

Table 11: Institutional Profiles of Jeded Village, Somalia: Women's Organization

Group Foundation and

Goals

Management Achievements Need

Women's

Organization

Founded in 1991 Chairwoman

Goals:

-Solve women's

problems

-Advocate rights

of women and

children

-Participate in

implementation of

development

projects.

-Solve problems

among

themselves.

-Serve as link

between women

of Jeded and aid

organizations

-Initiate income

generating

projects

-Care for

displaced families

-Elected in Congress

of women of Jeded

-Annual elections for

Chair and other

leaders

-Any woman 20

years or older may

be a member

-Membership fee is

1000 Somali Shillings

-Meets once a

month

-Links with women's

groups in other

villages

-Helped to

resettle families

coming from

the Civil War in

the South

-Sanitation

activities

-Created

income

generating

projects such

as weaving

mats

-Fund raising

for business

activities

-Training

-Space

-Equipment

-Income

generating

activities

(Wilde, 2001)

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Activity 8:

Create an institutional profile

Aim

To use an example of a known organisation or local institution and to develop an

institutional profile for this institution. Design a set of questions that you would need to

ask to get the required information.

Instructions

1. Think about a local or community based organisation that is WELL known to you. Fill

their details in the table below.

2. Then write down which questions you would need to ask this organisation to get

the required information.

Table 12: Institutional profile

Group Foundation and

Goals

Management Achievements Need

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE ORGANISATION

6.…

7.…

8.….

9.….

10.…. What are you planning to do to solve your issues?

Time: 2 hours

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Facilitation Tool 2:

Community action plan -

Ideas for running a planning workshop

Community action plan

This is a planning method or process. It can help communities, groups or even

individuals to formulate concrete and realistic plans for implementing development

activities and identify needs for other services. The action plan builds on the situation

analysis or scoping exercise, and should focus on the development activities most

likely to succeed.

Examples of questions to ask while facilitating an action plan:

1. Which plans include activities that will directly benefit women, men or both?

2. Which action plans include development activities that will directly benefit the

most disadvantaged (e.g. the landless), or most, or all of the community?

3. Which benefits/costs will the proposed activities implyfor households with

chronically ill members or households affected by HIV/AIDS?

4. Are there criteria or requirements that would exclude the poorer or vulnerable

households from participating? (See note below.)

5. Are the time lines, cost estimates and responsibilities well described and clarified in

the matrix? What needs to be added or clarified?

6. What are the next steps necessary for all role players to take in order to make this

happen?

- What are households themselves planning to do immediately?

- What ideas can they come up with to go as far as possible without assistance?

- What are community leaders planning to do next?

- What are the next steps that rural extension workers will take?

- What will other organisations need to do/ commit themselves to?

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NOTE: Including the poor:

Barnett & Grellier (2003) quote several examples of project conditions or

requirements that have tended to exclude the poorest households from

participating, saying:

“There are exciting stories of smallholder farmers across the region who are

now achieving improved production and market access, but we have

scrutinized those reports to see – do, and if not, then at least, could the

hungry also benefit from this? If we don’t ask this question rigorously – and

act on it right now – then what hope do we have of achieving the MDGs by

2015?”

Examples of project criteria that exclude the poorest households:

Typically assets are required for project participation in Uganda,

Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia:

Zero grazing: Access to grass and other fodder or land on which to

grow elephant grass before the arrival of livestock is required; as is

labour to cut grass; shelter and fencing for livestock and access to

water.

Conservation agriculture: Requirements include access to land, access

to labour, access to cash or credit for pesticides, equipment, etc.

Irrigation: requirements include access to land, access to water, access

to irrigation equipment, e.g. treadle pumps, drip irrigation system,

time for management and maintenance.

Micro-credit: Requires access to approx. $0.5 per week, access to

savings groups.

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Table 13: Community action plan – example format

Priority

problem Solutions Activities Beneficiaries Who will

do it?

Costs

(who/how)

Duration/

Start

Now, while facilitating an exercise like this is not too difficult, it will be much harder to

get people to commit themselves to actions and dates. You are likely to find that

most of the problems are likely to be deferred to an outsider or someone else to

solve.

In that case you can use the ‘river-crossing’ role-play below to help people consider

their own involvement. This is a simple and useful role-play to use during a community

meeting to explore the ideas of development and change and where it comes

from.

Facilitation Tool 3:

Local involvement in development -

Crossing the River Role-Play

Facilitation of Crossing the River Role-Play (Carter, I)

This is a simple and useful role-play to use during a community meeting to explore

the ideas of development and change and where it comes from.

Three people are needed for the role-play. One person acts as the outsider who

comes to a community and offers to help someone cross the river. The river has

several useful stepping-stones. The outsider quickly carries the person on his/her

back, but gets tired and leaves them in the middle of the river on a stepping-stone,

saying he/she will return later. The person cannot find their way across the river on

their own.

The outsider returns and offers to show a second person the way across the river.

They move slowly together with the outsider holding the person's hand or pointing to

where it is safe to step. They reach the other side safely. The other person is still stuck

in the middle of the river.

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Discuss the meaning of this role-play with the group. The following questions could

guide or assist you:

What types of outsiders come to our local area to offer help? Do people ever feel

like the first person who was left in the middle of the river? Have they begun to

take action on some initiative but have then been unable to continue on their

own? Why? How could it have been better?

What was different about the approach of the outsider during the second role-

play?

What knowledge did the outsider share, and how?

How can local people make sure that they remain in control of new knowledge

and ideas?

Discuss how sharing knowledge can help many people, while doing something

for people can help only a few. After sharing knowledge (of making bread for

example), you still have as much to share. After giving away loaves of bread,

there are no more left for sharing.

Crossing the river role play

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Adding local information into the Scoping Report

Remember that before you started your scoping exercise in the community, you

prepared a framework for your scoping report. By then, you had already:

1.Done your ‘homework’, by looking at external sources of information, documents,

maps, etc., and noted this information into your Scoping Report Framework.

2.Identified, in your report framework, which local information needed to be

collected and analysed in the participatory scoping processes with the

community, and which methods you were planning to use to get this information.

Then you presented the scoping report framework and your proposed Facilitation

Plan to the leadership and other relevant organisations, and undertook that the

information would be reported back to them.

Once you completed the scoping exercise with the community, you need to add

the new information into your reporting framework. At this point you need to use your

judgement to see whether the scoping exercise succeeded in the following key

aspects:

Did it generate enough information and analysis so that all participants have a

sufficient understanding of the food security situation in the village, and the

resources (natural, human, financial, social and physical) that people could use

to improve their situation?

Did the participatory process involve a representative cross-section of households

(especially the poorest households) and organisations in the village, so that a

wide range of viewpoints was considered?

Did this result in adequate interest among households to participate in the

proposed intervention?

If the scoping exercise achieved these objectives, the Scoping Report can now be

developed, and the necessary arrangements be made to report on the results of the

scoping.In the next section, we will look at this process in more detail.

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Participatory reporting: using the Sustainable

Livelihoods Framework

Where to report findings?

When you have concluded your scoping or situation analysis/ assessment, it is a

good idea to call a meeting of potential participants, local leadership and other

stakeholders to present to them the findings and outcomes, and discuss together the

validity of these findings and possible interventions. This is also the place where you

will suggest the intervention of intensive homestead food production and water

management, as a way of dealing with SOME of the constraints and issues raised in

your scoping exercise.

At this workshop/ meeting you can also make a call for initial homestead volunteers

who would be interested in participating in a learning and mentoring process. You

can augment this list later with other volunteers or interested homesteads suggested

by role players and stakeholders. Examples could be the home-based care group,

vulnerable families who are part of a feeding scheme or soup kitchen. Government

Departments (Social Development, Health), HIV/AIDS support groups, farmers'

organisations and the like could also help to identify homestead volunteers.

Who is reporting? Those ready to say: ‘I am/we are going to…’

The facilitator should be careful NOT to always be speaking on everyone’s behalf. In

participatory processes it is customary for the local people who do an analysis, to

also report back on it to the village meeting.

Where practical, this same principle should be carried through to reporting to

leadership structures (especially in their own village) and where possible, also with

official structures.

When village people do the reporting, they need to do so as fully mandated

representatives of those who participated in the analysis.

Reporting carries the most weight (and generates the most energy) when the

reporting is done by a person who is ready to say: “I am/ we are going to…” This

implies the following:

1.The speaker has the authority to speak on behalf of him/herself or on behalf of

the group he or she is representing; and

2.He/she/they are committing themselves to act on their decision.

The content of reporting should also be action-oriented:

First: what I/we are planning to do, and by when (i.e. without outside assistance);

Then: what we need “you” and “others” to do so that I/we can do more;

Encourage them to be as explicit as possible about timing (immediate and longer

term goals); and

Ask them to describe the expected impacts of their planned actions. This implies

a visioning process, or reinforcement of the vision, thereby getting themselves

and others on board with the dream. It also provides the facilitator an opportunity

to mitigate unrealistic expectations.

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What to report: The building blocks for sustainable livelihoods –

assets

Using the assets pentagon to report on the Development Context information

For this exercise, you will take the information you gathered on the development

context for the area, as shown in the excerpt of your Scoping Report framework

table below.

Table 14: Using the Scoping Report framework

Issue Description Questions that are

being answered

Methods used for

analysis and

reporting

Development

context

For learning about the

economic,

environmental, social

and institutional

patterns that pose

supports or constraints

for development

What are the

important economic,

institutional, social and

environmental

patterns in the village

or community?

What is getting better?

What is getting worse?

What are the supports

and constraints for

development?

Natural resource

assessments

(Chapter 5)

Resource mapping

(Chapter 2)

Transect Walks

(Chapter 2)

Assets pentagon

(Chapter 2)

Take the information you gathered in your natural resources assessments section

(such as rainfall, soil types, general farming, run-off potential), and your resource

mapping and transect walks, and summarise them into the assets pentagon from the

Sustainable Livelihoods Framework.

Here is the assets pentagon

diagram to remind you what it

looks like. We considered the

five elements of this pentagon

at the beginning of the scoping

and situation assessment

section of this chapter.

In the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) the Asset Pentagon (DFID), is used to

visually represent information about people’s livelihood assets. It therefore shows the

important inter-relationships between the various assets for a household or a

community.

Let us now analyse the five livelihood assets (natural, human, financial, social and

physical): Then we can do Activity 9.

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Table 15: Analysis for the Asset Pentagon on the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

Social What are they? How can we increase or provide benefit

to these assets?

Horizontal and vertical networks, such

as farmers' associations, municipal

forums, etc.

Membership of groups.

Relationships of trust, reciprocity

(ubuntu), and exchange.

Improve internal functioning of

groups.

Extend external linkages.

Mutual trust makes working together

easier

Human What are they? How can we increase or provide benefit

to these assets?

Peoples’ skills and knowledge.

Their ability to labour/ work.

Good health.

New options for supporting

information networks.

Compliment existing knowledge.

Increased health and nutrition.

Increased ability to work, labour

saving technologies, or more

efficient ways of working.

Natural What are they? How can we increase or provide benefit

to these assets?

Natural resources, e.g. land, water,

plants, animals, air, and the quality and

sustainability of these.

Resource flows, e.g. nutrient cycle,

erosion protection.

Natural shocks, e.g. droughts.

Conserve resources and biodiversity.

Provision of services; supply and

access.

Support to market development.

Remember: Organisations and

processes exist that define how

natural capital is used.

Financial What are they? How can we increase or provide benefit

to these assets?

Money, availability of stocks and

savings, and liquid assets, e.g. livestock.

Access to and use of credit.

Regular inflows of money, remittances,

pension, etc.

Savings and lending schemes;

institutionalstability is important.

The flow of remittances in families is

important.

Physical What are they? How can we increase or provide benefit

to these assets?

Basic infrastructure and producer

goods (tools, equipment).

Transport, shelter, water, energy

infrastructure.

Access to information.

Basic needs to be met as a priority.

Issues of access, and processes for

use and maintenance of

infrastructure needs attention.

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People use the assets that they have to survive. They use different strategies for

survival. These strategies depend on their access to assets, their vulnerabilities and

opportunities, and the livelihood outcomes that they want or need.

Activity 9:

Doing a Sustainable Livelihoods assets analysis

Aim

To explore the different types of assets in the area, take the information you have

gathered and fill them into the assets pentagon. In this way information can be

presented in a report or when enlarged in a report back meeting by participants

themselves.

Instructions

-Make a list of each type of asset that you can think of, from your information.

-Work out roughly what you want to include for the different assets in your diagram.

-Fill in the assets on the diagram.

-Make arrows to represent where the asset is increasing or decreasing. Indicate

whether the resource is abundant or scarce.

-This diagram can now be drawn on a large sheet of paper to be presented in your

workshop meeting.

Time: 2.5 hours

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Finalising the Scoping Report

You can now add the institutional profile and stakeholder analysis to your report and

your report back. Any other exercises, such as matrices, flow diagrams and farming

systems diagrams can also be added. The community action plan and volunteer

listing concludes the workshop.

Most probably, you would want to adapt the framework for the Scoping Report as a

result of the information that emerged during the scoping exercise and the

discussions at the report-back meeting. That is normal.

The Community Action Plan builds on the findings of the scoping exercise, because

villagers do this planning during the community report-back meeting, with the

scoping results fresh in their minds.

The preliminary Facilitation Plan for homestead food gardening can now be refined

by aligning it to the findings of the scoping exercise and the relevant portions of the

Community Action Plan.

The first steps in creating an enabling environment in the village have now been

taken. It is worthwhile to consider how continued focus on an enabling environment

can assist the implementation processes.

Further facilitation plans

can be developed by

relevant stakeholders to

address other initiatives

identified in the

Community Action Plan.

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2.4 Creating an enabling environment in the

village

Cultivating local awareness and support for

household self-help efforts

The scoping exercise goes a long way to create local awareness and support for

homestead food gardening. This does not apply only to households who may

potentially decide to participate in the learning and gardening process, but also to

their neighbours and leaders.

You need the agreement of the local leadership. Build up relationships with them.

Make sure you are aware of all the important people – not just political leadership,

but also traditional leaders, leaders of other community groups and religious leaders

of all faiths.

The scoping exercise provides one in-depth way of engaging and getting

agreement from the local leadership. If this is difficult in your area, due to conflicts or

lack of organisation for example, the very least you need to do is to inform the local

leadership of your intentions.

One of the hardest things for poor people, is that almost anything they do which is

slightly out of the ordinary, tends to be viewed with suspicion.

Example 1:

When Eva Masha in Sekhukhune, Limpopo started to dig an excavation to build her

own underground rainwater tank, people walking by, day after day, for weeks on

end, ridiculed her. They were asking cutting questions about what crazy thing she

was trying to do now, and so on. Many others would not have held been able to

continue as determinedly as she did, and complete her excavation and build the

tank. Today, thanks to her perseverance, many other households in her own village

and across the country have rainwater tanks like hers.

Example 2:

When five women in northern Limpopo started digging planting trenches in their

backyards to establish their homestead food gardens, they were viewed with severe

suspicion. Other villagers accused them that they were “digging graves to bury our

children.” To counteract these suspicions, once they had harvested their first huge

spinach leaves, one of these women took a bunch of beautiful spinach to the local

radio station to be interviewed so that the whole area could hear that there was

indeed ‘method in their madness’. The radio jockey said on air that he had never

seen such huge spinach leaves in all his life!

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The facilitator should be aware of this tendency to belittle and put down poorer

people, and should continually be on the lookout for opportunities to affirm the good

work of participating households – to themselves and to the community at large.

Here are some ideas that help with this process:

If leadership is sympathetic, they can be made aware of this difficulty and asked

to do their part in providing moral support and recognition of households’ self-

help efforts;

Occasional reporting to leaders and other organisations keeps them aware of

progress and problems, and gives the households a chance to talk about what

they have achieved and still plan to do; and

Celebrations like harvest festivals, where people display and celebrate their

achievements, are very useful, and

great fun for all.

Sometimes, leaders may also offer

physical support. This is usually most

welcome, but care should be taken

that the promised help is shaped in

such a way that the process with the

households will not get stuck if these

commitments should fail to materialise.

Also, the assistance should in no way

take any of the hard-won control over

their livelihoods away from the

households!

Support groups like Garden Learning Groups

The establishment of Garden Learning

Groups (or support group with

whatever name is preferred by the

member households) creates a ‘safe

circle of friends’ for participating

households. This is one of the most

important elements of the ‘enabling

environment’ that a facilitator can

help create for disempowered

households.

The establishment process and typical

tasks of a Garden Learning Group are

laid out in the diagram below and

discussed in the following sections.

‘Human beings of all ages are

happiest and able to deploy their

talents to best advantage when they

are confident that, standing behind

them, there are one or more trusted

persons who will come to their aid

should difficulties arise (Bowlby, in

Braun, 2003).’

Facilitator’s note:

Take care not to fall into the trap of

singing the praises of only a single

successful individual or household, as

this quickly creates jealousy and

resentment among other

households.

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Figure 8: Establishment and tasks of a Garden Learning Group

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2.5 Learning and support processes with

Garden Learning Groups

Waiting for change to be brought into the community by outsiders may take a very

long time indeed. It may also not bring the changes that people long to see. It is

possible for a small committed group in a community to bring about real changes for

the better, on their own. This is called mobilisation.

As discussed above:

The support of local leaders is very important in the process of mobilisation; and

By creating a local support group (e.g. Garden Learning Group), the mobilisation

of households, the learning workshops and follow-up support can be better

coordinated; and the support group can help maintain sustainability even after

the facilitator completed his/her work in the area.

Establishing Garden Learning Groups

A Garden Learning Group would normally not exist yet, as it will be created as part of

your facilitation process. However, it is important to find out what local interest

groups exist, and what they do. There is the possibility that an existing forum could

function as a Garden Learning Group, but even if not, it has to be debated and

agreed how a new Garden Learning Group would relate to existing organisations to

nurture harmonious relationships in the

community.

The role of the Garden Learning Group to the

member households is:

1.To provide a safe base of friendship for

member households, to share

experiences among themselves and to

provide mutual moral support;

2.To reach out to more and more food

insecure households to spread the

message of hope and skills for food

security;

3.To mobilise outside support to the

group and/or specific member

households as needed; and

4.To do regular internal review (See Table 21: Self-Evaluation Tool) and re-

planning to ensure renewal and continuity of the group.

Remember the importance

of harmony and good

relations to help support the

confidence of the

mothers/caregivers of food

insecure households.

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Joint planning with a Garden Learning Group

An introductory session is held with households and community members who have

shown an interest in a focus on gardening. All people who have shown an interest

are invited.

At this stage, the season-long ‘learning group approach’ is introduced to provide

households with training in rainwater harvesting and intensive food production. The

content and timing (schedule) of the learning workshops are agreed with Garden

Learning Group members in accordance with their own learning needs. The

processes used to identify and recognise prior learning (RPL) and decide the learning

content, are described in more detail below. Household experimentation and follow-

up visits to the household gardens form an integral part of the learning process.

Later in the season, once the learning processes are running smoothly, and

households’ gardening is in full swing, the facilitator can help the Garden Learning

Group to:

Plan their own outreach activities; and

Introduce regular self-monitoring and re-planning – by individual households and

the Garden Learning Group itself – as a way to ensure renewal and increase the

chances of sustainability for the gardens and the support group.

The Learning group approach, workshop content and schedule

The recommended learning approach for homestead food gardening is called

experiential or action learning. It is a hands-on, interactive learning process and is

shown in Figure 9 as the action learning cycle for farmer groups.

Figure 9: Action learning cycle for farmer groups

UKWENZA ActHLELA Plan

WHAT are the implications

for the project?

Pho ke, kuthiweni

ngalokho maqondana

nomthintela kwi

projekthi?

NOW WHAT, what action

will we now take to make

improvements?

Manje

kuzokwenziwani,

yikuphi esingakwenza

ukwenza ushintsho?

WHY have we had

success or failure?

Kungani

siphumelele noma

sehlulekile?

WHAT has succeeded

or failed?

Yikuphi

osekuphumelele

noma

okwehlulekile?

ACTION LEARNING FOR FARMER GROUPS

BHEKA ObserveUKUBUYEKEZA Reflect

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In this process we analyse a situation (observe), make a plan, act on that plan and

review how well the action has worked, so that we can go into the next cycle of

observing, planning, acting and reviewing. It is an ongoing cyclical process.

This cyclic process fits into the overall facilitation of the Garden Learning Group in the

following way:

Figure 10: Cyclic process for learning in Garden Learning Groups

Figure 10 shows us that there are four steps in the process:

1.A situation analysis (this aspect was covered in detail in section 2.3 Scoping);

2.A learning needs assessment is done with the prospective learners

(households) themselves. It includes a skills audit to enable recognition of prior

learning (RPL). In the process it becomes clear what participants want and

need to learn; also what they want and can expect from the process. They

define their learning agenda/ training needs. The skills audit refers to a group

process through which members can express their know-how (what they know

well and can do already) in gardening. This provides a way to recognise prior

learning (RPL) in the group and to avoid repeating information that is known.

CYCLIC

PROCESS

OBSERVE

REFLECT PLAN

Learning Needs

Further dicsussions,

conversations and meetings to

determine:

-Aim/overall goal of training

-Specific targeting of the training

-What people know already

(recognition of prior learning)

-Training needs and wants in the

context

Learning & Action

Agenda

Design of the curriculum

rocess and content using

the six elements of process

as a checklist, namely:

-process design

- the content

- the materials

- the implementation

- the people

- the venues

Learning through

training &

experimentation

Use and refinement of the

curriculum in practice

-Implementation of the training

and learning process over time

-Include household visits with

more formal evaluations to

determine whether the overall

goal of the training is being met

and how the learnings from

experimentation are being

integrated.

Situation Analysis

Formal or informal

conversations, with many

stakeholders, walk-abouts,

observations

-Expressed need for gardening

-Context: socio-political

-Context: physical and resource

constraints or opportunities

more problems there.

Many young people come

back home, ill with

HIV/AIDS.

We need opportunities

here to make an income

from our farming and

work.

Food availability

can be affected

by climatic

fluctuations, soil

fertility depletion or

the loss of a

household’s

productive assets.

A woman from Qumbu,

EC, in her garden.

Photo: E Kruger, 2006.

For people producing a surplus for sale, market access can be affected by

changing global terms of trade, market disruption during crisis, or non-farm

employment insecurity.

Lack or loss of income to purchase food, i.e. access to food is negatively

influenced by physical insecurity (conflict, illness and death), loss of coping

options (i.e. loss of part time employment), or the collapse of safety net institutions

and arrangements (stokvels (local saving clubs), social security systems).

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3-22

Facilitator’s Note:

Be sure to emphasize that

nutrition plays a buffering

role in slowing the course

of HIV/AIDS.

Government spending on direct

transfers in terms of grants and

food parcels, is ten times higher

than its spending on assistance for

productive activities such as food

gardening and it is still not

adequate in terms of the demand

and in terms of rapid increase in

food prices.

Food utilization is often impaired by epidemic (e.g. cholera) or life threatening

disease (HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria), lack of appropriate nutrition knowledge or

culturally prescribed taboos that affect access to nutritious foods according to

age or gender (Webb & Roger, 2003).

Reducing vulnerability rests on helping communities better predict and manage the

many risks they face on a daily basis. Many organizations have been promoting

livelihood diversification. This means the use of a number of different ways by

households to earn a living and create assets for themselves. It has been shown that

livelihood diversification helps to increase the amount of money a family can earn

and can also increase the ability of a family to withstand shocks and crises. For

example also growing a field of traditional drought tolerant crops such as sorghum,

millet, cow peas and squash can ensure some food for the family, even if the maize

crop fails. Skills and nutrition are prerequisites for adults to be able to work

productively.

It has been estimated that money invested in early childhood nutrition programmes

in developing countries could potentially return at least three times its worth in terms

of academic achievement, without even considering the other social and

economic impacts (Behrman and Rosenzweig cited in Webb & Roger, 2003). This

underpins the importance of nutrition interventions for the under 5-year category, as

the most crucial target group.

While the negative impacts of HIV/AIDS on food

security are clear, the required response is less so. A

public health approach alone is insufficient. Nutrition

plays a buffering role in slowing the course of

HIV/AIDS. Offering food parcels through clinics and

providing take home resources for foster families

through schools, could help to maintain resource flow

for the affected families. Of course, any action in this

area raises questions about targeting, as well as exit strategies.

Given the long-term nature of the epidemic,

activities built around short project cycles may

not be an appropriate response. Perhaps a

focus on homestead food gardening could

greatly assist towards adequate nutrition for

HIV/AIDS affected adults and orphans. This can

be seen as an asset building and asset

protection input that looks after available

resources (food gardens) and builds on it.

Chapter 3: Living and Eating Well

3-23

I am looking after two orphans. Help is

difficult to get. Sometimes we can get food

parcels from the clinic. Often they have run

out. Now they have changed and only

give fortified porridge. I have to produce

food and find food in other ways.

Above: Mrs. Mdletshe from Hlabisa. Photo: E Kruger, 2008.

Focusing on asset building and protection measures (looking after available

resources), income diversification activities and certain kinds of food insurance

capabilities (grain banks, consumption credits and meals in schools) in HIV-affected

areas, would serve to reduce some of the uncertainty that increases as more adults

fall sick.

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3-24

A student from UKZN. Photo: E Kruger, 2006.

Service delivery by government is now

linked directly to party politics – there is a

bias towards short term, visible

interventions, rather than more long-term

sus

int

nti

Our political system means that urban,

business people are more important

voters than rural farming people.

Consequently development has

focused more in the cities.

Some economic decisions by our

Government have made it much more

difficult for poor people. An example is

their choice not to control the price of

maize. This has meant large price

increases in a short time.

Lindiwe shares some ideas on government policies and interventions

Activity 4:

Analyzing food insecurity in South Africa

Aim

Think through the impact of rising food prices, reliance on wages and HIV/AIDS on

poor households in South Africa.

Instructions

Read through the following statements until they make sense to you:

35% of the SA population is vulnerable to food insecurity and live off less than

R20/day.

11% live off less than R10/day.

Social grants form the main income for around 12 million people (29%) at a cost

of around R60 billion/ year.

5.3 Million people are living with HIV/AIDS. (South Africa's population at the

moment is about 48 million people). There are around 500 000 new infections per

year. Only 1 in every 5 of these people has access to ARV treatment.

There are 1 million double orphans in South Africa (this means children who have

lost both their parents).

Poorer households spend around 71% of their income to purchase food.

Chapter 3: Living and Eating Well

3-25

Now (individually or in a group), try to think of interventions, both by government and

by people themselves, which could alleviate these problems.

Record your ideas in the table below. One example has been provided.

(Kruger, E. 2009)

Table 3: Food security issues and interventions

Problem/issue Possible intervention

Poorer households spend around 71% of

their income on purchased food.

Assist households to produce some of

their own food, so that income can be

spent on other necessary items

Assist households to buy cheaper food

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The strategy broadly follows international

trends, but does not incorporate the issues

of risks, shocks and vulnerability. It also does

not activate or support informal social

safety nets such as saving clubs.

A student from UKZN.

Photo: E Kruger, 2006.

South African Food Security Interventions

In South Africa, food security has

increasingly become a central focus of

many Government and Non-Government

programmes.

The Integrated Food Security Strategy falls in the Social Cluster of Government

services (Health, Welfare, Education, Agriculture, Local government, Labour and to a

lesser extent Water Affairs & Forestry, and Land Affairs). It was put together in the

year 2000 by the Department of Agriculture, which is the lead department of this

initiative.

This strategy outlines a framework for analysis and interventions. It defines linkages

between different government departments and other stakeholders and describes

their roles and responsibilities.

The goal of the Integrated Food Security Strategy is to eradicate hunger, malnutrition

and food insecurity by 2015. Thestrategic objectives are to:

Increase household food production and trading;

Improve income generation and job creation opportunities;

Improve nutrition and food safety;

Increase safety nets and food emergency management systems;

Provide capacity building; and

Provide stakeholder dialogue.

Lindiwe shares her idea on the Integrated Food Security Strategy

There is a confusing array of interventions around food security. Coherence in

strategies and interventions that consciously tackle multiple elements and levels of

food security, however, are sorely lacking (Empowerment for Food Security

Programme, KZN, 2008).

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3-27

Any one of the interventions at any one of

the levels as set out in Table 4 will have

gaps. Interventions need to be combined

and cooperation between departments

and levels of government is needed...

A student from UKZN.

Photo: E Kruger, 2006.

Projects in food gardening for example, are being implemented in ad hoc ways by a

number of different Government Departments (Health, Social Welfare, Agriculture,

Water Affairs and Forestry, Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Public Works,

Education, Housing, Land Affairs and District and Local Municipalities) as well as Non-

Government groups such as World Vision and CINDI (Children in Distress Network)

and many others. In all cases, there appears to be a lack of clarity around the

expected contribution towards food security that food gardens could or should

provide.

On the following page, Table 4 gives a summary of the different food security

interventions in South Africa, how they would fit into the international perspectives,

and their overall contribution towards a more holistic concept of food security.

Homestead food gardening is used as a specific example.

Lindiwe shares ideas on the summary food security interventions in Table 4

A government programme to support Intensive Homestead Food Production would

be a good example of a strategy that addresses all three aspects of food security

(i.e. availability, access and utilization) in an integrated way.

Table 4: Summary of Food Security Interventions at National Provincial and Household levels in South Africa (Kruger, E. 2009)

Chapter 3: Living and Eating Well

3-29

Activity 5:

The scope for interventions at a household level

Aim

To understand the possibilities of interventions for food security in terms of availability,

access and utilization at a household level.

Instructions

Have a good look at the Table 4 above. Then answer the following questions.

Write down the interventions related to food availability mentioned in Table 4? Which

ones of these have a direct impact at household level? What might that impact be?

For example: Programmes to provide inputs could have a direct impact on

homestead gardeners if seed is provided. More food could be grown.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………

Write down the interventions related to food access mentioned in Table 4? What is

the likely impact of these interventions at a household level?

For example: Programmes for assistance in small business development that are

related to farming enterprises, will impact positively on the incomes of those

farmers in rural areas that can take advantage of such opportunities. It is

important to increase the productivity and economic activity in the rural areas.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………

Write down the interventions related to food utilization mentioned in Table 4? What is

the likely impact of these interventions at a household level?

For example: Vitamin enriched maize meal is a staple food of the majority of

South Africans and as such has a strongly positive impact on nutrition.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………..

Now write down your thoughts relating to Intensive Homestead Food Production.

How will this address availability, access and utilization in an integrated way? What

could the government programme look like that could support this?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...............

...................................................................

NOTE: ‘Impact’ means results or outcomes of an

intervention or action that are either expected or

unexpected, and both positive or negative.

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Facilitator’s Note:

The first step in working with households

towards food security is to focus on

nutrition. Be sure to emphasize nutrition

by discussing foods and eating habits.

Facilitator’s Note:

These guidelines assume a basic

understanding of food groups, which

are discussed in the section below.

3.3 Food security and nutrition

Tools for nutritional

analysis and advice

This section will thus focus on tools that

facilitators can use to help households to

assess and analyse their nutritional habits.

Food Based Dietary Guidelines

The latest way of working with nutrition is to follow food based dietary guidelines

(Ferreira, 2008), rather than focusing on individual nutrients, as has been the case in

the past. This is particularly important when working with small-scale farmers and rural

people who may or may not be aware of the different vitamins, minerals, fatty acids

and the like.

The food based dietary guidelines also

represent a national effort of academics and

policy makers to put forward a unified set of

guidelines, appropriate to all, which our health

and nutrition sectors could use. These food-

based guidelines are summarized below.

1. Enjoy a variety of foods

- Eat a number of different foods from all the different food groups.

- Give attention to methods of preparation.

- Address chronic diseases of lifestyle such as diabetes

Eat 20-30 different foods in a week.

2. Be active

- Do 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity on most days. Daily household tasks,

and especially working in the garden, would already make up more than 30 minutes!

- Being active protects against chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes,

heart disease and cancer.

Do 30 minutes of exercise on most days.

3. Make starchy foods the basis of most meals

- Consume cereals and root vegetables in unprocessed or minimally processed form

(high in fiber). This will also contain some micronutrients, fat and protein.

- About 1 cup per day is recommended for adult women, about 1.5 cups per day for

adult men. This should be at least 55% of one’s total energy intake.

Eat at least 2 large spoonfuls of starch every day.

Chapter 3: Living and Eating Well

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4. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit every day

- Eat citrus, onions, garlic, carrots and tomatoes (high in vitamin C and A) and

crucifers (cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower).

- Consume dark green (e.g. spinach) and orange (e.g. pumpkin) vegetables.

- A minimum of 5 portions or about 2 cups per adult per day is recommended.

Eat 2 fruits and 5 vegetables every day.

5. More legumes for better overall health

- Eat dry beans, peas, lentils and soy regularly.

- Grain legumes are beans, lentils, cow peas, chickpeas, peas, etc.

- Oil seeds are soya beans and peanuts for example.

- This provides good quality protein, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Eat up to half a cup of legumes per day.

6. Food from animals can be eaten every day

- This includes meat,fish, chicken, milk and eggs.

- Besides protein, this contributes towards the intake of calcium, iron, zinc and

omega-3 fatty acids.

- Eat low fat meats and use fats sparingly in preparation.

- Add small amounts to a plant based diet.

Take about 2 cups of dairy per day (milk, yogurt, maas, cheese…)

Eat 4 eggs per week

Eat 2-3 servings of fish per week

up to 4-5 servings of meat (chicken and red meat) per week.

7. Eat fats sparingly

- Lower the fat intake from meat.

- Non-dairy creamers should be avoided, as they have no nutrients and can be

harmful.

- Eat low fat margarine.

Use little fat and oil.

8. Eat salt sparingly

- High salt intake can lead to hypertension. For hypertension eating a diet high in

vegetables and fruits,with low fat dairy products, for 8 weeks will significantly reduce

the blood pressure.

Sprinkle, don’t shake

9. Water, the neglected nutrient.

Drink at least 2 liters of water per day

10. If you drink alcohol, drink sensibly.

Figure 3: The Ten Food Based DietaryGuidelines

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The Five Food Groups

Another way of introducing the concepts of the Five Food Groups in nutrition at a

community level is to use the idea of“Go, Grow and Glow” foods. Foods are

grouped according to their functions in human health and wellbeing. Here, there is

still not a focus on nutrients, but rather a focus on food-based recommendations.

When introducing nutrition concepts at a community level, the handouts on the next

pages, prepared for LIRAPA (2008), could be useful.These introduce the different

food groups in a way that is easy to remember, without going into too much detail

regarding the nutrients, vitamins and minerals supplied by each group.The

handouts can be used in a workshop situation or with individuals and households.

Figure 4: The Five Food Groups: choices and proportions needed daily

(Diagram: M.E. Botha, 2009)

Chapter 3: Living and Eating Well

3-33

Variety is the key to good nutrition:

Three Food Groups Five food Groups Food Based Dietary GuidelinesDietary diversity

Figure 5: Food Groups Diagramme

If you drink alcohol drink it in

moderation

Make starchy foods the basis

of most meals

a variet

of food

Be active

Use food and drinks

containing sugar sparingly

and not between meals

Eat plenty of vegetables and

fruit every day

Chicken, fish, meat, milk or

eggs can be eaten daily

Eat dry beans, split peas,

lentils and soya beans

regularly

Drink lots of clean safe

water

Use salt s

arin

Fats sparingly

Dark-yellow and orange

fleshed vegetables and tubers

umes, nuts and seeds

Dark-green leafy vegetables

Vegetables other than dark-

green leafy and dark-yellow /

orange

Yellow / orange fruits

Fruits other than yellow /

orange fleshed

Meat and poultry (flesh meats)

Cereals

White roots and tubers

Milk and milk

an meats

ars and sweets

Eggs

Fish

Spices, relishes and beverages

Fats and oils

Protective

(Glow)

Building

(Grow)

Energy

(Go)

Vegetables and

fruit

Meat, chicken and

fish, milk, amazi,

eggs

Legumes and

nuts

Carbohydrates,

staples

Fats, oils and

sugar

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Chapter 3: Living and Eating Well

3-35

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3-36

People with HIV/AIDS need about 9 cups of liquid every day. If it's very hot or a

person is doing a lot of exercise they will need another 3 cups of liquids. If a person

has diarrhea, he or she will need to drink even more. Drinking water should be

encouraged between meals, as too much liquid with meals can spoil the appetite.

The water should be clean. If no clean water is available, boil it for at least 5 minutes

to kill most germs.

Chapter 3: Living and Eating Well

3-37

Helping households to achieve balanced diets

It is important that there is a variety of each type of food. There should be a variety

of starches, animal proteins, plant proteins, fruits and vegetables and oils, fats and

sugars in a balanced diet.

A balanced diet contains all the essential nutrients and energy a person needs to

grow, develop and stay healthy. Eating a balanced diet means that individual meals

are also balanced, that is, each meal contains a proportion of the nutrients that a

person needs every day. There are many ways of combining foods to make a

nutritious meal. The basic nutrients of starch, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals need

to be kept in mind.

The diagram below can be given as a handout to individuals to signify how much of

each kind of food they will need “on their plates”.

Copy & Handout 1: What

should I eat each Day?

Figure 6: Proportion of foods to be eaten every day and mealtime

This “plate” can be used with monitoring forms to provide an analysis of what

different members in the family is eating, how this fits into the recommended

amounts and how the food garden contributes towards the nutrition of the family.

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3-38

Table 5: What did we eat today? (1 portion = 1 typical serving).

We draw a circle around foods we got from our garden.

Adults Sick/old/

pregnant

Small

kids Adults Sick/old/

pregnant

Small

kids

1.5-2 cups/day

1 cup/day

5 portions/day

Monday Tuesday

Fats and oils:

sunflower oil, butter, margarine, animal fat

Sugar

in tea and porridge

softdrinks such as Coke and SweetAid; biscuits, sweets

GLOW foods (vegetables and fruit)

Vit C, Vit A

carrots, orange sweet potato, orange

pumpkin,

tomato,oranges, naartjies

vitamins and minerals

cabbage, onions,

green beans, lettuce, beetroot

GO foods (starch)GROW foods (protein)

maize, potato, sweet potato

Eggs

Milk products; milk, maas….

Meat; chicken, red meat, fish

peanuts, dry beans, peas

Chapter 3: Living and Eating Well

3-39

Dietary Diversity

Dietary Diversity is another way in which one can work with a household to analyze

their food and eating habits, with the intention of increasing diversity and balanced

nutrition in the family.

Dietary diversity questionnaires assess the variety of the diet by summing the number

of food groups eaten by household members or individuals in the 24 hours prior to

the interview. The assessment includes not only the number of different food groups

consumed (variety), but also the types of food groupsconsumed (quality). The

twelve major food groups inquired about are cereals, tubers, vegetables,fruits,

meat, fish, eggs, legumes, milk and milk products, fats and oils, sugar and sweets,

beverages. (See Table 6 below)

From this questionnaire, a household dietary diversity score (HDDS) is calculated by

the facilitator. It gives a good “objective”, internationally recognized indication of

the access of a family to a varied diet and the nutritional quality of their diet. It can

also give you a way of working with the family to improve or change their situation.

The same questionnaire can also be used to assess an individual’s score.

At the household level one can measure economic access to a varied diet,

because food groups that are not necessarily nutritionally sound are included

such as sweets, beverages and alcoholic drinks.

At the individual level one can measure nutritional quality because the

questionnaire differentiates between food groups containing certain micro-

nutrients, in particular vitamin A rich fruits and vegetables, and iron-rich organ

meats. (FAO, 2007).

Activity 6:

Working with a dietary diversity score

Aim

To look at the DDS questionnaire and think through how you could use this at a

household level as a facilitation tool.

Instructions

Look at the questionnaire below. The simplest version of creating a score is simply to

make a number 1 for a yes answer and a number 0 for a no. There are however

many different versions. Most of them have the intention of analysing specific

aspects, for specific reasons. Your challenge is whether having a score like this can in

fact help you to intervene at a household level. What do you think?

The dietary diversity questionnaire can be used at either the household or individual

level. If assessment of the nutrient adequacy of the diet is of primary concern, it

would be best to collect the information at individual level by choosing one or two

target individuals per household

Ask your respondents to:

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Please describe the foods (meals and snacks) that you ate yesterday during the day

and night, whether at home or outside the home.

– Start with the first food eaten in the morning.

– As the respondent recalls the food, underline the corresponding foods in the list

under the appropriate food group and write “1” in the column next to the food

group if at least one food in this group has been underlined. If the food is not listed,

write it in.

– Probe for snacks eaten between meals.

– Probe for special foods given to children or lactating/ pregnant women.

– Probe for added foods such as sugar in tea, oil in mixed dishes or fried foods.

– If a mixed dish was eaten, ask about and underline all the ingredients of the dish.

– Once the recall is finished probe for food groups where no food was underlined.

Write “0” in the right hand column of the questionnaire when it is ascertained that no

foods in that group were eaten.

[Household level: consider foods eaten by any member of the household, and

exclude foods purchased and eaten outside of the home.]

Table 6: Dietary Diversity Questionnaire

Question

number Food group Examples Yes=1

No=0

1 CEREALS Corn/maize, rice, wheat, sorghum, millet or any other

grains or foods made from these (e.g. bread,

porridge, ‘amahewu’ – fermented maize based

drink, pasta, biscuits, etc.) Insert local foods such as

ujeqe and others

2 VITAMIN A RICH

VEGETABLES

AND TUBERS

pumpkin, carrots, squash, or sweet potatoes that are

orange inside + other locally available vitamin-A rich

vegetables(e.g. sweet pepper)

3 WHITE TUBERS

AND ROOTS

white potatoes, white fleshed sweet potatoes, or

foods made from roots.

4 DARK GREEN

LEAFY

VEGETABLES

dark green/leafy vegetables, including wild ones +

locally available vitamin-A rich leaves such as

amaranthus leaves, and other types of ‘imifino’, etc.

5 OTHER

VEGETABLES

other vegetables (e.g. tomato, onion, eggplant) ,

including wild vegetables

6 VITAMIN A RICH

FRUITS

ripe mangoes and papayas, dried fruit such as

apricots and peaches + other locally available

vitamin A-rich fruits

7 OTHER FRUITS other fruits, including wild fruits

8 ORGAN MEAT

(IRON-RICH)

liver, kidney, heart or other organ meats or blood-

based foods

9 FLESH MEATS beef, pork, lamb, goat, rabbit, wild game, chicken,

duck, or other birds

10 EGGS Chicken or any other egg

11 FISH fresh or dried fish or shellfish

12 LEGUMES, NUTS

AND SEEDS

beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds or foods made from

these

Chapter 3: Living and Eating Well

3-41

Question

number Food group Examples Yes=1

No=0

13 MILK AND MILK

PRODUCTS

milk, cheese, yogurt or other milk products such as

‘amazi’

14 OILS AND FATS oil, fats or butter added to food or used for cooking

15 SWEETS

sugar, honey, sweetened soda (cool drinks) or sugary

foods such as chocolates, sweets or candies

16 SPICES,

CONDIMENTS,

BEVERAGES

spices(black pepper, salt), condiments (soy sauce,

hot sauce), coffee, tea, alcoholic beverages OR

local examples

Individual level only Did you eat anything (meal or snack) OUTSIDE of the home

yesterday?

Household level

only

Did you or anyone in your household eat anything (meal or

snack) OUTSIDE of the home yesterday?

?FAO. Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division, Version 4, December 2008.

Guidelines for measuring household and individual dietary diversity. Rome, Italy.

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Meeting the food needs of different family

members

Different family members have different food needs. Some specific aspects are

discussed below:

Infants from birth to 6 months: Infants from birth to 6 months should receive breast

milk only. It is the best food for a baby and provides all the nutrients infants need.

Infants from 6-12 months: By 6 months babies should be introduced to other

foods that supplement the energy, protein, vitamins and minerals provided by

breast milk. This will accustom the baby to varieties in food flavours and textures.

These supplementary foods are called weaning foods.

Food for babies needs to be clean, soft and easy to chew and digest. At this

age a baby should receive a porridge made from the staple or main food, twice

a day.

By the time the child reaches 1 year, the complementary foods should be

increased to 4 or 5 times a day, in addition to breast milk. Once a baby is

accustomed to liquid foods, and as the teeth appear, semi-solid and then solid

foods can be introduced.

Staples like maize meal cooked with water are bulky. This means they have little

nutrients or energy, compared with their volume. They need to be combined

with nutrient-rich foods. These include for example mashed beans or groundnuts,

mashed green leafy and orange coloured vegetables (which are rich in vitamin

A), and soft fruits, such as pumpkin and papayas, with plenty of Vitamin C.

An excellent way to enrich porridge is to eat it with small amounts of animal or

dairy foods such as cooked and mashed fish, chicken, meat or eggs, as well as

milk and “maas”.

To increase the energy content in porridge, make the porridge from fermented

or germinated cereal flour and add a little vegetable oil to it.

Children from 1-5 years of age: Young children are often the most at risk of

malnutrition. They have very high energy and nutrient needs for their body size, in

comparison with adults. Young children should eat 4-5 times a day. A simple way

to do this is to prepare nutritious snacks between the main meals.

Eating habits are established early, so it is important to introduce young children

to a large variety of flavours and textures of food.

School age children: Children from school age onwards, need two to three

meals per day, plus snacks between meals.

Pregnant or breastfeeding women

Requirements for iron and calcium in pregnant and breastfeeding women are

particularly high. If the mother does not satisfy the needs of her baby, the baby

will draw on and reduce the mother’s own store of nutrients. This puts the mother

at increased risk of illness.

A varied and nutritious diet, with adequate staple foods and relishes/stews made

from vegetables, legumes, eggs, meat and fish, and plenty of fruits should be

eaten. Breastfeeding women should also drink plenty of water and other fluids

(soup, milk…)

Chapter 3: Living and Eating Well

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The elderly: If they cannot eat a lot at a time, elderly people need frequent,

small meals that can be easily chewed. Foods for the elderly should include a

wide variety of grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and if available, dairy

products.

Except for young children who need to be fed 4-5 times a day, each family

member should receive 2-3 main meals per day; ideally in the morning,at

midday, and in the evening.

Copy & Handout 2:

Special dietary needs

Special dietary needs of people living with HIV/AIDS

EATING WELL TO STAY HEALTHY

It is especially important that people living with HIV/AIDs eat healthy, balanced diets.

Good diets prevent weight loss and help people to stay healthy longer. Losing

weight is part of the disease process of HIV.

From: Cindi Nutrition Working Group, 2005.

People infected with HIV lose weight from their muscles, rather than fat. It is important

to eat foods high in protein such as meat and beans. Also eat lots of energy foods

such as pap, bread, rice and potatoes.Make sure you eat lots of fruit and

vegetables as well. So, the point is to eat as varied a diet as possible and as often as

possible. What matters is not so much what you eat, as long as you eat enough. For

example a plate of soft porridge with a tablespoon of cooking oil added is more

nutritious than a plate of cornflakes. (TAC, 2007)

Feeding young children over six months of age

Complementary feeding means giving other foods in addition to breast milk. Most

babies should start complementary foods when they are six months old. Now breast

milk alone cannot supply all the nutrients they need.

Try to eat 5-6 small meals every day, even if

you don't feel like eating.

Eat the foods you like eating and make meals

sociable events.

Take your time.

Drink lots of water, especially when you have

diarrhoea.

Eat cooked vegetables, as liquid and soft

foods are easier to swallow.

Take vitamin tablets.

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Ways to make porridge more energy and nutrient-rich

include:

Add oil, butter, margarine or ghee (energy) and

flour made of legumes such as peanuts, beans

(protein).

Make porridge with germinated or fermented

cereals.

For germinated flour – soak your maize or sorghum

grains in water for 1 day. Dry them and leave in a

cool, dark place to germinate. Then dry these

sprouted grains. Grind into flour.

For fermented porridge – soak the flour in water (3

cups flour to 7 cups water) and leave to ferment

for 2-3 da

s before cookin

Start by giving 1-2 teaspoons of semi-solid food, for example porridge or mashed

potato and add other foods to make good complementary meals. These foods

need to be rich in energy and protein (i.e. thick not thin porridges) and need to

include fat (like a bit of oil or margarine), fresh fruit and vegetables (like mashed

banana, butternut or carrots), eggs, milk foods and iron-rich animal foods (like meat,

fish and poultry). More semi-solid foods are given over time. By the age of eight

months, babies also like finger foods that they can hold themselves and by the age

of 1 year they can eat family meals with snacks.

Recipes for feeding young children over six months of age (FAO, 2001)

Nutritious porridge

INGREDIENTS

5 Tablespoons of thick porridge (made with germinated, fermented or plain

maize meal/ flour)

1 Tablespoon of peanut/ groundnut paste or flour

1 Egg

1 Handful of chopped spinach

PREPARATION

Add the groundnuts to the porridge. Add the raw egg and spinach and cook for a

few minutes.

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Small children also need snacks in between their 3 main meals of the day. Snacks

can include fruit, boiled eggs, soured milk, bread with peanut butter (or groundnut

paste), orange fleshed sweet potatoes, boiled or roasted green maize and roasted

peanuts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds

Peanut biscuits that children will enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

12 Tablespoons of crushed, raw peanuts

4 Tablespoons of sugar

1 egg

6 Tablespoons of maize flour (mealie meal)

1 Tablespoon of sunflower oil

Water

PREPARATION

Mix the ingredients together. Shape the mixture into flat cakes. Cook the cakes

slowly on a greased hot plate or frying pan.

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3.4 Facilitating changes in food behaviour

for improved food security

The role of food behaviour in food security

We know that food security is about availability,

access and utilisation of food. This chapter will

look at how the facilitator can help households

improve utilisation of food.

When we help households to discover that they

can grow a lot of food at home with their ‘ten

fingers’ (i.e. without the need for money,

tractors, or outside assistance), this provides

them with a sustainable way to increase the

amount and variety of food available to the household. Improved availability is

achieved.

Alsoimproved access is achieved because production is right there at home, fully

under the household’s own control, meaning that they have easy access to the food

produced. They need not ask permission, walk long distances, or take out money to

get hold of the food.

-A variety of fruit with different ripening times is particularly useful in this regard –

especially for children’s access – because it can be eaten straight from the tree

without having to cook or prepare it first.

-A tower garden next to the cooking area or kitchen further makes it very easy to

harvest a variety of greens (imifino/morogo), even while cooking a meal.

This leaves the facilitator with the question of how to help the household achieve

improved utilisation of the food.

The challenge of changing food habits

Food habits are established very early in life, and are very hard to change.

Working with households in communities, you will witness how the Nutrition

Workshop, described on the next page, helps people to discover the link between

what they eat and their household’s levels of health and energy.

As a facilitator, you will have to help them to quickly channel the excitement and

energy generated by this discovery, into a process that can bring changes in how

they use food.

Then you will have to work with them until these changes become new habits – to

permanently replace the old habits – otherwise you will find that most of them fall

back to their familiar ways very quickly.

Food Security is about whether

food is available (availability),

whether a person can get hold of

it (access) and about how the

food is prepared and stored

(utilisation)

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Some methods of mobilisation for change and establishing new habits are discussed

below to facilitate improved food utilisation towards improved food security.

Mobilising households for food security:

The Nutrition Workshop

Mostly people can be mobilized into action if they see the need for change and if

the change seems possible. Towards this end a person needs to get sufficiently

uncomfortable with a present situation before they would make the required effort

to, for instance, lose weight, stop smoking, change jobs, or relocate. Problem solving

starts with knowing and acknowledging that there is a problem.

In the development field, ‘creating discomfort’ is a recognized strategy to

catapult people into action.

From discomfort, a person needs to move to the hope that change is possible.

The life stories of other people who had been in the same position and have

been successful in changing their circumstances is one of the most powerful

sources of hope.

Further, people change more easily if they can clearly envision their ‘desired

future’. In development, various methodologies are used for ‘vision-building’. The

more concrete and personal this vision-building process can be, the more

powerful its effect. Also, itis critically important that a person believes that s/he

knows what to do, how to do it, and that it is within his/her power to make the

necessary changes.

In development, it is recognized that an ‘enabling environment’ is important.

For home food production, this would include the physical means(e.g. access to

water for production), the knowledge and know-how (e.g. through training and

information sharing among friends and neighbours), and themoral support (e.g.

from family, neighbours and leadership).

The Nutrition Workshop is an innovative mobilization tool, which creates discomfort

(by leading people through a process of discovering how their diets fall short of their

nutritional needs), and then gives people hope and knowledge on how to address

Facilitator’s Note:

To help the household achieve food security

(availability, access and utilisation) the facilitator

needs to:

1.Mobilise households into action: and

2.Help households to establish new habits.

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their shortfalls – and how to do so within their means.

This ‘discovery phase’ is followed by:

Personal vision-building and planning (the Helicopter Planning)(This is discussed in

detail in Chapter 2), and

Enabling of production by addressing:

–The physical limiting factors (water availability, climate, land availability,

soil type, slope of land, pests and diseases, time and labour);

–Training needs identified by the participating households; and

–Moral support (especially through the Garden Learning Group processes)

(See Chapter 2 for details).

Below is an example of a community workshop process that allows such an analysis.

This process can be used for groups of community members, but can also be used at

a household level.

The Nutrition Workshop:

1.The first step is to outline with the community members what their food

habits, choices and their nutrition concerns are.

2.The next step is to analyse their nutrition and food habits by comparing it to

the guidelines for good nutrition (e.g. Go Glow and Grow foods, on my plate

guideline as well as ten guidelines – discussed earlier.) This creates discomfort

when there are significant deviations.

3.The third step is to come up withideas how households can improve their

situations through their gardening practices and their food preparation,

preservation and storage processes.

The outcome of this process is a list, generated with the households, of

additional crops, fruit and livestock production options to fill the nutrition

gaps that were identified during the workshop. This helps the household to

intensify and diversify their production and therefore their diets and ultimately

their livelihood strategies.

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Facilitation Tool 1:

Nutrition Workshop

–

outline and process

Introduction to Nutrition

Each participant names something interesting that they know/ use or do regarding

nutrition. Each person offers a different comment that is recorded on newsprint.

Group discussions on food that is eaten

Participants are divided into groups of 7-10 members. They discuss and record for

report back in plenary (the larger group) the following topics:

1.What we eat every week

2.What we rarely eat

3.What we would like to eat but do not have access to and

4.What we feed the young children (ages 1-5yrs)

5.Special foods for sick and old people

Input from facilitators on food groups

Using the LIRAPA handouts (discussed above in section 3.3), facilitators go through

the go foods, grow foods and glow foods; this is done through a short introduction

and then by participants selecting food items they mentioned in their report backs

that fit into those categories.

Here, depending on the information given by participants, discussion is held on

traditional foods and their role and value in modern society.

Facilitator’s Note:

Keep your input on the food groups simple

and understandable. People are easily

overwhelmed or bored by too much

technical information, and then you will

miss your objective...

REMEMBER: You are trying to empower

people not make them feel more powerless.

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Nutrition gap analysis and how this can be rectified by homestead food gardening

practices

Participants analyze their selection of different food groups and look at what they

eat regularly. They then offer suggestions of where they may be missing food types

that may provide them with a more balanced diet.

A list is made of the food types people would like to try and grow to augment their

present range of food types. Each individual puts their name against the food type

they would like to include in their homestead systems.

Input on new things to try

Facilitators introduce, through discussions and sending around samples and or

photographs, a few vegetables, herbs and fruits that could add variety to the diet of

the participants.

Participants are then each given a chance to choose a small sample of seed for

each type that they want to try and grow at home. Their names are recorded and

their progress in terms of production from these seeds is then monitored.

A list of new crops participants would like to try is put together. Usually this will include

a list for orders of fruit trees.

Evaluation and future learning topics

The workshop is closed with a brief evaluation and asking for suggestions from

participants for further learning around nutrition.

Below is a case study for the Potshini Community in KZN, where this workshop was

held. It gives an idea of the kinds of outcomes that are possible for this workshop.

Case study 1:

Nutrition workshop held in Potshini

Food gap analysis

In a community called Potshini near Bergville in KwaZulu-Natal a learning group was

formed, consisting of individuals interested in homestead food production. These

individuals wanted to produce food for their families and produce some extra

vegetables to sell. The group consisted of men and women of varying ages.

The learning group process was started with a focus on nutrition. The intention was to

focus attention on two sets of needs at the same time:

- The soil, water, and diversity management needs of the gardens, and

- The food and nutrition needs of the learning group members and their households.

As a group, we analysed the food and eating habits of the group members, and

identified gaps in nutrition and food types.

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Food given to children < 5 years

Mother’s milk initially;then augmented with:

- Soft porridge; to which Rama margarine could be added

- Amasi (sour milk)

- Eggs (when available)

- Pumpkin, beans, potatoes

-Juice (Sweet aid) and Umdoko (maize drink – not

fermented)

In a discussion held some mothers said they feed their

children in the traditional way, but when they go to the

clinic the doctors say the children have “Kwash” – meaning

they have kwashiorkor.

Children’s diets were lacking in

fresh vegetables and fruit.

Children are rarely given meat to eat.

Right: A list of food

given to children under

5 years of age, as

provided by the

members of the

Potshini learning group.

They realized in their

nutritional gap analysis

that children are

lacking in fresh fruit,

vegetables and meat.

To do this analysis group members explored the following:

What foods they eat often,

What they rarely eat,

What they would love to eat but do not have access to,

What they feed their young children, and

Special foods for sick and old people.

Input on healthy eating

As facilitators we also gave a short presentation of nutrition and what a balanced

diet would consist of (food groups, dietary diversity and food variety).

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List of foods needed to

provide a more balanced diet

(especially for children <

5years).

This list was prepared by the

participants:

-Amadumbe (taro)

-Indlubu (jugo beans)

-Amatongomane (peanuts)

-Sweet potatoes

-Carrots, beetroot, spinach

-Lettuce, tomatoes

-Garlic, onions

-Eggs

-Meat: beef and chicken

-Fruit: apples, oranges,

lemons, pears, grapes, plums,

peaches

Traditional Foods

- Isijabane: Mixture of maize meal

and imifino (wild spinach)

- Isijingi: Mixture of maize meal and

- Intshuku: Type of herb used as

imifino

- Isinjela nkobe: Maize, sorghum,

bean mixture

- Ujeqe: Steamed bread

- Isikwamba: Sorghum (amabhele);

after sifting umqombothi (sorghum

beer), use the dregs for porridge

-Aqebelengwane: Maize cakes

(pancake type)

-Umbhaqanga wamazambane: Maize

meal porridge with potatoes

-Umcaba wamabele: Sorghum

porridge

Choosing crops to fill the nutrition gaps

We then developed a list of new and different food types they would like to

introduce into their gardens through the learning group process.

The workshop participants’ thought about crops that they could grow that could

help them specifically to deal with the gaps in their family's nutrition. For example, if

protein (grow food) was lacking, they tried to think of crops that could add protein

to their diets.

Right: The list of foods that learning group

members wanted to grow, or incorporate into their

farming, in addition to the vegetables that they

normally would grow, to provide a more balanced

diet for their families.

Left:

The list of

traditional

foods that

were

discussed

in the

Potshini

learning

group

process.

Later in

our

process,

we had a

celebra-

tion,

where

partici-

pants

cooked and shared these traditional foods.

Adding healthy traditional foods

We also explored traditional foods that are grown and consumed by people. We

discussed the nutritional benefits of these traditional foods.

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Vegetable types required for a balanced

nutritious diet:

- Leafy green vegetables for iron and other

micro-nutrients (spinach, lettuce, pumpkin

leaves, broccoli, green beans)

- Yellow vegetables for a supply of beta-

carotene and vitamin A (Carrot and pumpkin)

- Legumes for protein (peas, beans

groundnuts)

- Fibrous vegetables and tubers (Cabbage,

sweet potato, potato

- Vegetables for flavour: (onions, garlic,

chillies)

- Other (tomato, green peppers)

Adding their new crops to their Garden Plans

Once the nutritional gap analysis was done, an input was given of the vegetable

required for a balanced nutritious diet. There was also a discussion of the ideal crop

mix to yield a year round supply of vegetables and it was emphasised that crop mix

also depends on personal preference. Based on this the workshop participants

added the new crops they wanted to grow, into their visioning drawing.

Salphina Raphela’s

Helicopter Plan. Notice the

arrows indicating where

the water flows during a

rainstorm. Also notice

where she has started to

draw where she wants to

plant her crops close to

the kitchen, which is

conveniently also the point

where the rainfall run-off

water collects.

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Activity 7:

Traditional crops and vegetables

Aim

To think about the traditional crops and foods still being cultivated and used in your

home area. Think about the nutritional benefits of promoting these practices.

Instructions

Consider and answer the following questions.

Make a list of traditional foods that you grew up with, or that people in your area

still eat today. List the ingredients for each dish (or meal) and explain how these

foods are prepared.

Think about the nutritional advantages of using these foods. Mention at least

three foods and their nutritional advantages. Write specifically about nutrition for

children under 5 years of age.

How would you go about re-introducing some of the traditional crops into an

area or village where you are working?

Research result 4:

Improvements on the Nutrition Workshop

and workshop processes

In our work in Potshini, we were pleased with the way in which the Nutrition Workshop

mobilised households into production. Also, the attendance and impact of the

follow-up workshops on people’s food gardening efforts were very encouraging. Two

years later,two independent impact surveys in Potshini, confirmed the long-lasting

effect of this approach on the level of gardening activity in households in this village.

However, the surveys showed an interesting result: Although people were eating

better and had more ready access to a variety of fresh food through their gardening

efforts, much of the nutrition knowledge imparted at the original Nutrition Workshop

had actually already been forgotten.

In general, people were not necessarily selecting the crops they were planting with

specific nutrition gaps in mind.

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We concluded that:

The Nutrition Workshop was very effective in mobilising people into production by

‘creating discomfort’ in people’s minds about the deficiencies in their families’ diets;

but the once-off workshop was not enough to create a lasting change in how

people were thinking about healthy diets.

On the production side, we MOBILISE and then go several steps further to establish

new habits… on the nutrition side we MOBILISE, and then.. no further steps were

taking place to establish new eating patterns.

So for the next round of workshops in Potshini we planned to change the learning

programme to include something on food in every workshop, for instance:

- Introduce herbs and bring seedlings to plant

- Cook and taste alternative legumes, e.g. dahl, lentils, soyabeans, etc.

- Drying of vegetables – demonstrate drying of potatoes, sweet potatoes, brinjals

and green pepper.

- Cook and taste greens with new herbs added (parsley, spring onion, coriander,

thyme)

- Drying fruit

- Making a preserve and or making jam

- Cook and taste a fortified porridge

In the Nutrition Workshop itself, we included an exercise in recognizing symptoms of

malnutrition in children, and what people in the area normally do when they find

signs of malnutrition.

Facilitation Tool 2:

Monitoring nutrition at a household level

Aim

To use a food intake monitoring chart as the basis for a discussion about family

nutrition and interventions that can improve the situation.

Instructions

Encouraging families to engage with the idea of improving household nutrition

usually takes more than a presentation on food groups! In this activity you will work

closely with a few different households to help them keep track of the weekly food

intake for all members of the family in order to analyze where their gaps are. In a

later activity, you can work with these same volunteers again to develop a planting

plan that addresses those nutritional gaps.

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1.Choose a volunteer or volunteers who are willing to keep track of their weekly

diet in order to analyze household nutrition. The idea will be to analyze their diet

initially for one full week and then alter again, once the volunteers have

implemented their desired changes.

2.Familiarize your volunteers with the “What did we eat today” chart. (Table 5) OR

make up your own from the example shown below. Assist them in estimating cups

and spoonfuls. If the spaces are too small for them to write in, help them to set up

each day on a separate page of an exercise book. For example, page one

might look like this:

MONDAY

Adults Sick/ old/ pregnant Children under 5

(cereal)

Mama-1 cup jungle oats

Baba-10 piece white

bread

Mama-2 cups rice

Baba-2 cups phuthu

(Maizemeal porridge)

Gogo-1 cup

umdogo

(Fermented maize

meal drink)

Gogo-2 cups

phuthu

Thandi-1/2 cup

umdogo

Sibu-1 amagwinya

(small fried

breads/cakes)

GLOW Mama-1 cup spinach

Mama-1/4 cup carrot

Baba-3 spoons beetroot

Sibu-2 peaches

Sibu-

GROW Mama-1 piece chicken

Baba-2 cups beans

Gogo-1 cup amasi

(sour , thickened

milk)

Sibu-3 pieces cheese

Sibu-1 piece polony

Thandi-3 bottles milk

Fats/ Oils Baba-3 spoons oil in

beans

Sibu-2 spoons Rama

Sugar Mama-3 spoons sugar

Baba-8 spoons sugar

Baba-2L coke

Gogo-6 spoons

sugar

Thandi-1/2 cup juice

Sibu-1 sucker

Note: Mama = mother; Baba = father; Gogo = granny; Thandi & Sibu = children.

3.At the end of the week, sit with the volunteers to examine their charts. Ask the

following questions:

-Which people in the household gets the most go/glow/grow food?

-Which category gets the least go/glow/grow food?

-Do you see anything you would like to change/improve?

Make a plan with the volunteers around what they are going to change and how,

taking care to be clear between you how this is going to improve the nutritional

situation.

(N.B. Don’t lose these charts, because you’ll use them again for the planting activity).

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For Rural Households

The best way to improve food

security is to have an intensive

homestead food garden that provides

some food all year round.

3.5 Growing a healthy diet

in an intensive home food garden

Households can obtain their food supplies either from their own food production, or

from food purchases, but more often it is through a combination of both. The

following factors can help to assure that communities have enough of a variety of

foods at the household level: access to sufficient water, fertile land, seeds, planting

materials, agricultural implementation, extension advice, credit, good storage and a

sufficient number of family members who are healthy and strong enough to work on

the farm and undertake off-farm employment.

Many rural communities however do not have year-round access to adequate

amounts of fresh or processed staple foods, and their access to fresh vegetables and

fruit tends to be seasonal at best. Frequently, households also sell too much of the

food they have produced, either because they need cash, or because the

necessary facilities for storing or preserving food for longer periods, are poorly

developed.

Households can use several strategies to help ensure continuous access to a variety

of nutritious foods. These include the year-round production of a variety of home

garden foods (provided some water is available) in an intensive homestead food

garden, and the preservation, processing and adequate storage of foods.

Why intensive?

An intensive garden (planting lots of crops in a

small space, and growing them in such a way

that they produce high yields) provides more

food for the effort put in. We want to create a

‘healthy little forest’ rather than ‘a few

struggling plants in a desert’. We put all our

effort into a small area, and look after this

small area very well, by making the soil very

fertile and protecting it well against pests and

diseases.

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My child needs a variety of

foods: Vegetables and fruit to

eat with foods rich in protein.

I can grow these crops to add to

our daily maize porridge staples.

Why year-round?

The family needs good fresh food the whole year round, therefore the garden

production should provide the necessary quantities and variety of foods the whole

year round.

Young mother in Gogela, Eastern Cape.

Photo: E Kruger, 2008.

Research Result 5:

Smallholder Agriculture in South Africa

Research shows that small-scale producers are often highly productive and make a valuable

contribution to the economy. Some rural households can secure more than half their total

livelihood from the land, and others regularly sell surpluses to earn sizeable cash incomes.

Natural resource harvesting from communally held resources also makes a significant

contribution. Hard evidence indicates the real potential for a revival of small-scale

agriculture.

Delali Dovie, of Wits University, for example, recently found that maize yields in Thorndale

village in Bushbuckridge averaged 4,3 tons a hectare. The net value of cropping for each

household was more than R4,000 a year, from an average of 1,86 ha under crops. These are

comparable to yields and returns from commercial farms. More than 22% of the harvest was

sold for cash. The value of crops constituted about 15% of the total valueof household

livelihood activities, with livestock contributing 22% and woodland resources another 19%.

Land-based livelihoods thus made up about 56% of total livelihood value.

Smallholder agriculture is labour-intensive, uses few external inputs and is potentially

productive. It does, however,require an enabling economic environment (credit, inputs

supply, extension services, markets) that is largely absent at present, as in the past.

Government’s land reform and rural development policies have failed to address this

challenge to date.

(Cousins,B. 2005)

Planning for a Green Garden Year-Round

Planning a home garden to provide a continuous supply of foods all year round is a

process that requires managerial skills, and knowledge of:

The types of crops that grow well in the area;

The appropriate planting dates of different crops to ensure the best yield;

The length of the growing periods of different types of crops;

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How long a crop can supply food to the household before it requires

replacement; and

The crops that are more drought/frost/moisture tolerant (depending on season

and area).

This knowledge allows the farmer to select the types of crops to grow and when,

where and in which mixtures to grow them. With this knowledge in mind, a home

gardener can design planting patterns that provide for adequate quantities of fresh

or preserved foods all year round.

In this section, we will give some ideas of the kinds of decisions that need to be

made. The actual growing of crops will be explored in later chapters of this resource

pack.

Fruit Trees

Some fruit trees provide fruit throughout the year, others only during specific seasons.

It’s important to select fruit trees that produce fruit at different times of the year, and

some that bear fruit all year if possible (like bananas). Some fruit trees (mangos,

citrus, avocado) take many years before they start to bear fruit, but when they do,

they will bear for a long time without needing replacement.

Green Leafy and Yellow Vegetables

Many green leafy vegetables can be harvested many times before replanting.

Many are ready for harvest as soon as 3-4 weeks after planting. Some, like amaranth

(imbuya) and rape or kale grow quickly, but can only be harvested 2-4 times before

replanting. If possible, plant a mixture of fast and slow-maturing leafy vegetables.

The slow-maturing varieties provide a household with vegetables for a long time, so

household members save labour in the long run.

Legumes

Select legumes according to the season and what grows well in the area. Legumes

such as cow pea, groundnut, and pole- or broad bean are often intercropped with

field crops such as maize to assist with nitrogen-fixing in the soil. If there is access to

sufficient water, these legumes can flourish in a home garden. Some early-maturing

varieties of green beans, for example,can be planted at the onset of the rains,and

then a second crop can be planted later in the summer.

Most home gardens can be improved to do a better job of meeting the household

food needs. Improving the home garden often means improving upon its structure

and function. The following questions need to be considered by the household:

How much food and income is the home garden producing?

How much food and income would the home gardener like the garden to

produce?

How is the home garden contributing to the nutritional needs of the family?

What additional crops would the household members like to produce?

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What types of changes need to

be made?

What inputs are required for the

desired improvements?

A young community facilitator in Potshini,

KZN. Photo: E Kruger, 2008.

Below is a list of foods within the different food groups to help you think through some

crops that can be grown at homestead level. These crops contain key nutrients and

can provide food variety within each food group:

Go (Energy) foods: maize, coconut, rice sorghum, wheat, millet, sweet potato,

‘amadumbe’ (taro), banana, avocado, bambara groundnut, peanut

Go foods high in fats and oils: avocado, bambara groundnut, jugo beans,

soybeans,

Grow (Building) foods: bambara groundnut, jugo beans, beans, peas, cowpeas,

peanut (groundnut), pigeon pea, soybeans, lentils, melon or pumpkin seeds

Glow (Vegetables and fruit) foods, high in vitamin C: cabbage, sweet potato

leaves and tuber, tomatoes, sweet peppers citrus (orange, naartjies, lemons),

guava, mango, papaya, peaches, plums, apples, pears, pineapple, passion fruit

(granadilla), tree tomato

Glow (Vegetables and fruit) foods, high in vitamin A: amaranth or ‘imifino’, other

wild leafy vegetables, carrots, sweet potato leaves and tubers (especially orange

fleshed), maize, pumpkin, rape, kale, mango, papaya

Foods high in iron: beans, peas, some green leafy vegetables, e.g. spinach or

swiss chard . Absorption of iron from these foods is increased by combining them

with Vitamin C rich foods.

Vitamin A is very important for young

children. It prevents infection and keeps

their skin, eyes and lungs healthy.

Iron is also important, as it keeps their

blood strong. It allows their muscles and

brains to work properly.

Vitamin C helps to absorb the iron. It

fights infections and helps children to

feel strong and happy.

Chapter 3: Living and Eating Well

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Facilitation Tool 3:

Growing a larger variety of food

in the home garden

Aim

This activity assists farmers in intensifying their garden (growing more and more

efficiently) according to the gaps in household nutrition. It can follow on the nutrition

monitoring activity (“what do we eat” charts) presented earlier.

Instructions

1. Review the “What do we eat” charts with each volunteer. Prompt discussion

with the following questions:

What is missing in the diets of adults/old/sick/pregnant/children under 5?

What can you do to improve household nutrition?

What can you grow in your garden to improve household nutrition?

2. Assist each volunteer to fill out the “What we plan to plant each week” chart.

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Date:

Week:

123 45 67

Type

Type carrotcarrotcarrot

Type

Vitamins and minerals

cabbage, onions,

green beans, lettuce, beetroot

GLOW foods (vegetables and fruit)

Vit C, Vit A

carrots, orange sweet potato, orange

pumpkin,

tomato,green pepper

fruit; oranges, naartjies, peaches, tree

tomatoes, plums….

GO foods (starch)GROW foods (protein)

maize, potato, sweet potato,

amadumbe,

peanuts, dry beans, green beans,

peas

Table 7: What we plan to plant each week

Example: plant some carrots every three weeks to eat carrots all year. Choose

different varieties to suit the season.

Chapter 3: Living and Eating Well

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3.6 Stretching the benefits: Food

Preservation, Storage and Preparation

Food Preservation and Storage

Excess seasonal produce can be preserved and stored for later use. We will look at

preservation and storage options in Chapter 4 – Diversifying production in

homestead farming.

Food Preparation

When preparing food, there are a few things to consider to make sure we do not

lose the nutrients in the food. Below is a list with some suggestions:

Buy or pick vegetables on the day you use them.

Store vegetables and fruit in a cool, dry place.

Clean and cut vegetables immediately before cooking. Most of the nutrients are

in the outside parts of the vegetables and fruit. Try not to peel them. Cut the food

into big pieces if possible – small pieces lose more vitamins.

Cook vegetables in just a little water or in a stew, until just tender. Don’t cook too

long, or in a lot of water.

Other ways to preserve nutrients are frying very quickly over high heat or in a little

oil.

Eat the food as soon after cooking as possible.

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Some recipes for nutritious dishes

Here are a few fun ideas of nutritious dishes that can be tried out! (FAO, 2001)

Mashed Pumpkin with peanut butter

INGREDIENTS: 1 medium pumpkin or bitter melon, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes

3 cups maize meal

¼ cup peanuts or 3 tablespoons of peanut butter

½ teaspoon of iodized salt

Sugar to taste (for bitter melon)

PREPARATION:

1. Boil pumpkin in salted water until soft

2. Mash until smooth

3. Add maize meal and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally

4. Add peanuts or peanut butter.

Green Leaves with Peanut Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

750 g (3 cups) of leaves (amaranth, black jack, wild lettuce, kale, cow pea, taro, pumpkin,

bean or any other) washed and cut

½ cups of peanuts or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter

Medium onion

Large tomato

Vegetable oil

Iodized salt to taste

PREPARATION:

1. Sort the leaves and steam them in a pot until tender

2. Roast peanuts and grind to a paste

3. Cook onion and tomato in vegetable oil

4. Add steamed leaves and more water. Add salt to taste

5. Serve with peanut paste.

Chapter 3: Living and Eating Well

3-65

Nutritious snacks

Small and school going children need to eat some snacks in between their main

meals. It is good for them to eat little bits often, rather than large meals. Nutrient rich

snacks should be preferred.

Peanut sweets

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 cup shelled and roasted peanuts

Vegetable oil

PREPARATION:

1. Dissolve the sugar in a pan of water

2. Heat the pan and stir until a syrup forms. When the syrup is golden brown, add the

peanuts and mix well.

3. Pour the firm mixture on to a large oiled dish, spreading it into a 1-1.5 cm thick layer.

4. Let the mixture set, but before it gets hard, cut it into small squares.

Banana scones

INGREDIENTS:

2 bananas

½ cup milk

30 g butter (2 tablespoons)

2 cups self raising flour

Salt

PREPARATION:

1. Mash bananas

2. Add milk and mix

3. In a separate bowl, cut butter into flour and salt

4. Add bananas and milk mixture to flour and butter mixture. Mix well

5. Roll out dough. Use a glass or a jar to cut it into round pieces.

6. Bake in a hot oven (230°C or 450°F) for about 15 minutes.

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Steamed bean flour cakes

INGREDIENTS:

Bean flour

Water

Pepper (ground)

Onion (ground)

Salt (optional)

Banana leaves

Dried fish or boiled eggs (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Mix the bean flour with water to form a paste (a little cassava or maize flour

(maizena) can be added to bind the mixture).

2. Add pepper, onion and salt (and other ingredients, if desired) to the paste.

3. Wrap the paste in banana leaves and steam

Sweet potato pastry

INGREDIENTS:

Sweet potato (preferably yellow fleshed) grated

Sugar

Some wheat flour

Pineapple juice or coconut milk (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Mix ingredients together

2. Bake as you would other biscuits.

Chapter 3: Living and Eating Well

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3.7References and Additional Reading

African Development Bank, 2002. Africa: Progress towards the Millennium Development

Goals. Statistics Division, Development Research Department, African Development Bank.

Behrman and Rosenzweig in Webb P, Roger N. 2003. Addressing the “in” in Food

Insecurity. USAID Office of Food for Peace. Occasional Paper 1. February 2003.

Chopra, M. 2004. Food security, rural development and health equity in Southern Africa.

Regional Network for Equity in Health in Southern Africa. EQUINET Discussion Paper

Number 22.

CINDI Nutrition Working Group. 2005. Children in Distress. www.cindi.org.za

Cousins,B. June 2005. There is a Future for South Africa’s Small Farmers. Business Day,

Johannesburg, on 14 June 2005. Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies (Plaas),

School of Government, University of the Western Cape.

De Onis, M. Frongillo, E.A. Blossner, M. 2000. Is malnutrition declining? An analysis of

changes in levels of child malnutrition since 1980. Bulletin of the World Health

Organization, 2000, 78: 1222–1233. Special Theme – Child Mortality.

Department of Health. 2005. National Food Consumption Survey. (NFCS).

Department of Health; Nutrition Directorate KwaZulu-Natal. 2005. Implementation

guidelines for nutrition interventions at health facilities to manage and prevent

malnutrition

DIFD. 2002. Eliminating Hunger. Strategies for Achieving the Millenium Development Goal

on Humger.

Empowerment for Food Security Programme, KZN. Baseline study and report. Compiled by

E. Kruger. 2008 (LIMA).

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation). May 2007.Nutrition and Consumer Protection

Division – poster printed May 2007.

FAO, 2004. Family Nutrition Guide. By Ann Burgess and Peter Glasauer

FAO, 2006. The State of Food Insecurity in the World. Eradicating world hunger – taking

stock ten years after the World Food Summit. Rome, Italy 4.

FAO. 2001. Improving Nutrition Through Home Gardening.

Ferreira, F. 2008 Personal communication. Human Ecology Department, UNISA.

From: “Improving Nutrition through home gardening. A training package for preparing

field workers in Africa”. FAO, 2001.

Hendriks, SL and Maunder E (2006). Reflecting on the FIVIMS/ZA pilot and food insecurity

and vulnerability: Modeling approaches to advise on future directions. Paper prepared

for WFP. African Centre for Food Security, University of KwaZulu-Natal.

IFAD, 2006. Corporate strategy Unit. Press release prepared by the Communications and

Public Affairs Unit. Rome, Italy.

Kruger, E. 2009. Baseline Study for the Formulation of a Programme for Empowerment for

Food Security in KwaZUlu-Natal, South Africa. KZN Department of Agriculture and

Environmental Affairs. FICA Press (Flander Internaltional Cooperation Agency)

LIRAPA (Livelihoods improvement through Agriculture programme, Care, Lesotho): How to

get the best from our garden. A manual for farmers and their service providers. 2008.

Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Lesotho, Ed. E Kruger.

Agricultural Water Use for Homestead Gardening Systems – Resource Material

3-68

Misselhorn, M. 2006. Unpublished MSc Dissertation. Dietetics and Human nutrition. African

Centre for Food Security. University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Professor James Blignaut, University of Pretoria. Personal communication, March 2009.

Richter, L.M. and Griesel, R.D. 1994. Meeting the Needs of Young Children. For The

Carnegie Task Force.

TAC (Treatment Action Campaign. 2007. HIV in our lives. A Book of Information Sheets for

People Living with HIV, Support Groups and Clinics.

Webb P, Roger N. 2003. Addressing the “in” in Food Insecurity. USAID Office of Food for

Peace. Occasional Paper 1. February 2003.

Zere, E.; McIntyre, D. 2003. Inequities in under-five child malnutrition in South Africa. D. Int J

Equity Health. 2003; 2: 7.

Additional Reading:

Home food gardening for nutrition

Burgess A., Maina G., Harris P. & Harris S. 1998. How to grow a balanced diet: a

handbook for community workers. London, VSO Books.

‘Intensive home food gardening’

IIRR. 1991. The biointensive approach to small-scale household food production.

Silang, Cavite, the Philippines. International Institute for Rural Reconstruction.

Jeavons, J. 1995. How to grow more vegetables than you ever thought possible on

less land than you can imagine. 5th ed. Published by Ecology Action of the Mid-

Peninsula. Berkeley, California, Ten Speed Press.

Nutrition education

FAO. 1997. Agriculture food and nutrition for Africa: a resource book for teachers of

agriculture. Rome.

FAO/ILSI. 1997. Preventing micronutrient malnutrition: a guide to food-based

approaches: a manual for policy makers and programme planners. Washington, DC,

International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI).

Mobilisation

FAO. 1994. Social communication in nutrition: a methodology for intervention, by M.

Andrien. Rome. Reprinted 1998.

www.tearfund.org/tilz : This website has many useful resources; books, manuals

newsletter and training material for health and development workers worldwide. the

PILLARS Guides are designed for facilitators

www.leisa.info : The Centre for Information on Low External Input and Sustainable

Agriculture provides information about successes in sustainable smallholder farming

www.fao.org/sd/seaga : Socio-Economic and gender analysis programme have

produced various guides for facilitators in working with rural households and resources

Chapter 3: Living and Eating Well

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Index (Chapter 3)

Anaemia 3-10

Assets 3-18

Balanced diets 3-35

Dietary diversity 3-2

Facilitation Tools 3-46, 3-48, 3-58

Food based dietary guidelines 3-2, 3-29

Food behaviour 3-43

Food groups 3-2, 3-31

Food preservation 3-60

Food security 3-1, 3-5, 3-15, 3-43 -

-interventions 3-25, 3-27

Fruit production 3-56

HIV/AIDS 3-21, 3-40

Hunger i-42, 3-1, 3-5

Income 3-14

Intensified production 3-54

Iron 3-10, 3-57

Kwashiorkor 3-8

Legumes 3-56

Livelihoods 3-18

- diversification 3-21

Malnutrition 3-3, 3-7

Marasmus 3-8

Marketing 3-19

Micronutrient deficiency 3-10

Millennium development goals 3-6

Nutrition

-security 3-1

- gap analysis 3-47

- workshop 2-3, 3-2, 3-44

Nutritious snacks 3-61

Planting calendars 3-59

Protein energy malnutrition 3-8

Stunting 3-8

Traditional foods 3-49

Traditional practises 3-49, 3-52

Vitamin A 3-9, 3-11, 3-57

Vitamin C 3-57

Vulnerability 3-2, 3-15

Water 3-34

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Homestead Food Gardeners’

Resource Pack (Handouts)

–

Chapter 3:

Living and eating well

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handouts

Resource Material for

Homestead Food Gardeners

Chapter 3: Handouts

(English)

Handout 1 Living and eating well

Handout 2 The 10 food-based dietary guidelines

Handout 3 What did we eat today?

Handout 4 Planting Plan

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

1. Living and Eating Well

What is nutrition?

We all need to eat. Our bodies need food

to stay alive, for energy and to grow and

recover from illness. The food that we eat

is used by our bodies in many different

ways. Different parts of the food are used

for different things like giving us energy

and helping us to get better.

We need to eat lots of different and

healthy foods so that our bodies get all

the things that they need. If we eat well

we have a better chance of feeling good

and living a better life.

It is best for babies to drink breast

milk only. Babies get all the things

that their bodies need from their

mothers’ milk.

Children need to eat vegetables

and fruit to keep them healthy.

They also need to eat foods that will

help them to grow like egg, cheese,

meat, peanut butter, beans, lentils

and soya. Small children need to eat

five times a day.

Adults need to eat lots of different

kinds of food to keep their bodies

functioning well.It is most important

to do this if you are sick or if you are

pregnant.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Eat each day:

Grow foods – three of the following:

One cup of beans or peas (plus one tablespoon of uncooked sunflower oil); two

eggs; a large piece of meat, chicken or fish; one tablespoon of sunflower seeds;

nuts such as almonds or brazil nuts; one cup of milk or maas (sour milk); a big

piece of cheese.

Glow foods

Three whole fruits and one and a half cups of vegetables. Eat more vegetables if

you do not have fruit.

Go foods – any or all of the following:

Bread; half a cup of pasta, rice (preferably brown rice), potato, maize; a cup of

cereal such as oats or sorghum porridge or maize meal.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Some common traditional foods

ngekoe beans and sorghum/mabele leaves

likhetso unpeeled pumpkin portions with seeds

lepu young pumpkins with pumpkin leaves

lithotsi roast, cooked pumpkin seeds

lehala lesheleshele – maize or sorghum porridge made with milk

Legebekoana, ujeqe steamed wheat bread

Motoho fermented maize/sorghum porridge

Likhobe, isinjela nkobe maize/maize with peas/maize with beans

setampo tša koro whole wheat

mabele a tša batsoeng half opened sorghum, ground and cooked to make buns

Make sure you keep the goodness in …

Fresh fruit and vegetables have lots of vitamins and minerals in them. But these

vitamins and minerals can disappear very quickly if you are not careful about how

the food is prepared and cooked. Here are some tips to help you keep the goodness

in:

Eat raw fruit and vegetables whenever it is possible.

Eat as much of the fruit or vegetable as possible – including the skin.

Most of the vitamins are in the outside parts of the fruit and vegetables. Try not to

peel.

Try to buy and eat fruit and vegetables as fresh as possible.

Cook the vegetables in big pieces. Small pieces will lose more vitamins.

It is best to steam vegetables.

Cook vegetables very slowly over a low heat until they are just cooked.

Use the vegetable cooking water to cook other foods in or to make soup or gravy.

Eat the vegetables as soon as they are cooked.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Herbs, spices and medicinal

plants

Spices, especially sweet spices like

cinnamon, can help to make food taste

better. You can buy cinnamon sticks which

you add to food while it is cooking.

Eating parsley after you have eaten will help

to freshen your mouth and it is good for you.

It’s easy to grow at home too.

Ginger helps if you are feeling nauseous and

for colds. You can make a ginger tea.

Garlic helps to fight infections. Make a tea

or add garlic while you are cooking.

Thyme helps with digestion. You can add

thyme leaves to food.

Other good herbs to eat are sweet basil, coriander, oregano and fennel. They

are all easy to grow and can be added to your food.

What to eat when you are sick

Often when you feel sick the last thing on your mind is eating, but it is very important

to eat well when you are sick. Good eating will help you to:

Keep up your body weight and strength.

Fight the infection.

Take in enough vitamins and minerals to get better.

If you do not eat well when you are sick, it will take longer for you to get better.

What happens to your body when you get sick?

When your body is trying to fight off an illness it has to work harder than usual.This

means that you need to take in more good food than usual for your body to have

enough energy, vitamins and minerals to cope.

Food safety tip

You must eat meat on the day that you buy it if you cannot keep it in a fridge.

You can only keep meat in the fridge for two days. After two days it must be

frozen.

Cook all types of meat well. Don’t ever eat raw eggs, meat, chicken or fish.

Don’t use eggs that are cracked.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

When you feel sick though, you may:

feel too tired to prepare food and to eat,

find that the medicine you are taking might make food taste strange.

have nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea which make it difficult to eat.

have sores in your mouth which make it difficult to eat.

Even though it is difficult, you should try to eat well when you are sick.

The best way to eat well when you are sick is to:

Have small meals often.

Make sure you get extra energy.

Fever and night sweats

Fever is the natural way your body will fight an infection. Fevers are actually good

because the heat destroys the germs. But you need to be careful that the fever does

not become too high, as this can cause damage as well. Make sure that you drink

lots of water. Eat lots of glow foods and grow foods to get back your strength.

Stomach problems

A very common kind of stomach problem is diarrhoea. Diarrhoea is very dangerous

because our bodies lose a lot of the water we need. It is especially dangerous for

babies, children and people who are sick.

What causes diarrhoea?

Drinking dirty water

Not washing hands well before eating and after

using the toilet

Not washing fruit and vegetables and cooking

utensils well.

Some medicines

Infections in the stomach

Stress

Food that is rotten or bad

Some types of food cause stomach problems in

people whose bodies cannot cope with that food.

Why is it important to eat well if you have

diarrhoea?

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Diarrhoea can cause weight loss. The body loses too much water and salt and

becomes weak. It is very important to drink a lot of fluids when you have diarrhoea.

Eat more after you have diarrhoea. A baby with diarrhoea should be fed often.

Good foods for diarrhoea

Eat soft, mashed, moist foods like soft fruit and vegetables, porridge and stews.

Peel and cook vegetables and fruit.

Eat warm food.

Eat small meals often throughout the day.

Drink diluted fruit juice

Soups

Unripe Banana, Mangoes, Orange, Grapefruit

Potato, Pumpkin, Tomato, Carrots

White rice

Mealie meal

White bread

Pasta (macaroni)

Nausea and vomiting

If the medicine you are taking causes nausea try to take it at a time when it will

not affect meals.

Eat small amounts of food often throughout the day. Even if you eat a small

amount of food it might help to settle your stomach.

Try eating cold food.

Some foods can make diarrhoea worse.

Avoid cereals like bran flakes, raw

vegetables, fruit and vegetables with the

skin on, spicy foods with chillies or curry

powder, dried fruit or fruits with small

seeds like berries, tea and coffee. You

can also try and have less milk, milk

powder and milk drinks and see if it helps.

Water is important

If you have diarrhoea you

should drink about 3 litres of

fluid during the day and the

night. It is

best to drink

something

with salt and

ar in it. 8 level spoons of sugar ½ teaspoon salt 1 litre of water

A good drink to have is to add ½ teaspoon

salt and 8 teaspoons of sugar to 1litre of

water.

You can also have fruit juices and soups that

will help replace the water as well as some of

the other things your body has lost.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Some people find fried foods, fatty food and cheese difficult to digest. Try cutting

out one food at a time and seeing if it makes a difference.

Don’t eat beans. Eat only small amounts of onions, green peppers, broccoli, and

cauliflower.

Only use a small amount of margarine or oil when you are cooking.

Try dry foods like toast, biscuits or dry cereals.

Avoid food that has a strong smell. Sometimes the smell of food can make you

feel sick.

Good food to help with nausea and vomiting

Nausea: Vomiting:

Lemon juice in hot water or soda water Water

Rooibos tea with sugar and lemon Soups

Puddings and custards Soft foods like bananas, pumpkin

Rice or pasta and avocado

Boiled eggs

Diluted fruit juice

Bananas

Boiled chicken

Baked or mashed

potatoes

Toast

Well cooked vegetables

Mouth problems

Sometimes we don't eat well because of

sores in our mouths, or because food tastes

different or strange. You might not enjoy

your meals as much as you used to, or find

it too painful to eat. If this happens you

don't eat enough to give you energy and

to help fight infection.

What can I do about it?

Taste change

Cinnamon Tea

Make a tea with ¼ teaspoon of

powdered (ground) cinnamon in a

cup of boiling water.

Garlic Tea

Make a tea with 2 chopped

cloves of garlic in a cup of boiling

water. Use this to rinse your

mouth.

Lemon Tea

Add the juice of a lemon to ½ cup

of boiling water. You can add

sugar, and try to drink it when it is

ver

hot.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Try rinsing your mouth with ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda dissolved in a cup of warm

water before you eat, or with lemon added to water.

Food should be warm, not too hot or too cold.

Eat foods that you like. Experiment with new foods and spices until you find foods

that you like.

If red meat tastes bitter, try chicken, fish and eggs.

Dry mouth

Rinse your mouth with salted warm water, or lemon water.

Drink lots of water between meals to keep your mouth moist.

Don't eat dry, rough and crumbly foods. Eat soft, mashed, moist foods like

avocados, pumpkin, bananas, soups, minced food or food with sauces

and gravies.

Don't eat sugar. It will make your mouth drier.

Mouth sores

Eat soft, mashed, moist foods like avocados,

pumpkin, bananas, soups, minced food or

food with sauces and gravies.

Use a straw to drink liquids, and a cup to drink

porridge and soups.

Drink soups, vegetable and fruit juice.

Good food for sore mouths

Try soft, smooth foods like soup and mashed

potatoes.

Minced meat

Pasta dishes like macaroni and cheese

Soups

Custard

Foods to avoid

Spicy food like chillies and curries.

Sour food like tomatoes, oranges and pineapple

Food and drinks that is too hot or too cold

Foods that need to be chewed a lot like raw vegetables, or food that

sticks like peanut butter.

If you have thrush cut down on sweet food, sugar and bread.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Eating well to gain weight

Why do we lose weight?

There are many reasons why someone can lose weight. If

you do not eat enough food you will lose weight.

Sometimes people don't really feel like eating. We say that

they have a poor appetite. This can happen if you are very

tired or you feel depressed or sick. It can also happen if

eating is difficult because of things like nausea or sores in

the mouth.

You might also lose weight because you are sick with infections, diarrhoea, nausea

or vomiting. When you are sick your body does not take in the goodness that it needs

from food very well. At the same time, it needs more of this goodness to get well

again.

Tips for gaining weight and increasing appetite

Try to eat 5 or 6 small meals every day even if you

don't feel like eating.

Try lots of different foods until you find those that you

like.

Exercise will improve your appetite. Try to have a short

walk before a meal.

Don't eat lots of fried food or fatty meats.

Add flavour to food to make it look and taste

interesting. Try things like lemon juice, and sweet spices like cinnamon. Or add

herbs like parsley, thyme, oregano and sweet basil.

Try rinsing your mouth out with bicarbonate of soda or lemon juice in water before

you eat to help the food taste better.

Examples of good foods for weight gain

Eat more samp, rice, brown bread,

oats, potatoes and bananas.

Eat chicken, fish, eggs, meat, beans

and soya as often as possible.

Eat snacks like fruit, carrots, maas

and peanut butter or jam

sandwiches between meals.

The most important ways to

gain weight are:

Stop diarrhoea

Treat any infections you

might have

Make sure that you are

eating enough of the

right things

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

How to improve what we eat at home

Here are some ideas to add 'weight gain food' to

things you eat at home.

Add sugar or jam to your porridge

Put a teaspoon of margarine into your

porridge.

Cook beans and mix in with rice. Add a

teaspoon of margarine as well.

Add margarine or oil to potatoes.

Add meat or chicken whenever you can. Even a small amount in soups

and gravies is good.

Eat beans with pap, sorghum and samp.

Add a teaspoon of dry milk powder to any porridge, soup or stew.

Living well by growing your own food

One of the ways to make sure you always have plenty of cheap, fresh food available

at home is to grow your own vegetables.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

What can I grow?

You can grow nearly all kinds of vegetables and herbs.

These vegetables and herbs are all good for you and are easy to grow:

carrots thyme

cabbage sweet basil

spinach fennel

onions coriander

garlic beetroot

potatoes cauliflower

tomatoes kale

broccoli rape

pumpkin mustard greens

mealies turnips

beans leaks

parsley peas

If you have enough space you can also plant some fruit trees.

Remember that you should

be eating some of these

foods every day. It is easier to

make sure you do this if you

can pick the vegetables from

your garden, rather than buy

them from the shops!

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 2

2. The Ten Food based Dietary Guidelines

1. Enjoy a variety of foods

Eat different foods from different food groups

Give attention to methods of preparation

Address low micronutrient and low energy intake

Address chronic diseases of lifestyle.

Eat 20 - 30 different foods in a week

2. Be active

Do 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity on most days. This protects

against chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and

cancer.

Do 30 minutes of exercise on most days

3. Make starchy foods the basis of most meals

Consume cereals and root vegetables in unprocessed or minimally processed

form (high in fibre). This will also contain some micro-nutrients, fat and protein.

Amounts of around 260gram/day are recommended for adult women and 325

gram/day for adult men. This should be at least 55% of one’s total energy

intake.

Eat at least 50 gram/adult/day of starch

4. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit every day

Eat citrus, onions, garlic, carrots and tomatoes (high in vitamin C and A) and

crucifers (cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower).

Consume dark green and orange vegetables.

A minimum of 5 portions or 400gram/adult/day is recommended

Eat 2 fruits and 5 vegetables every day

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 2

5. More legumes for better overall health

Eat dry beans, peas, lentils and soy regularly

Grain legumes are beans, lentils, cowpeas, chickpeas, peas etc.

Oil seeds are soya and peanuts for example.

This provides good quality protein, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Eat 100-200gram of legumes /adult/day. This is 0.5 to 1 cup.

6. Food from animals can be eaten every day

This includes meat, fish, chicken, milk and eggs.

Besides protein this contributes towards intake of calcium, iron, zinc and

omega-3 fatty acids.

Eat low fat meats and use fats sparingly in preparation.

Add small amounts to a plant based diet.

Take 400-500ml of dairy/day (milk, yogurt, maas, cheese…)

Eat 4 eggs/week

Eat 2-3 servings of fish per week

Do not have more than 560 grams or meat (chicken and red meat) per week

7. Eat fats sparingly

Lower the fat intake from meat and non dairy creamers.

8. Eat salt sparingly

High salt intake can lead to hypertension. For hypertension eating a diet high in

vegetables and fruits,with low fat dairy products for 8 weeks will significantly

reduce blood pressure.

Sprinkle, don’t shake

9. Water, the neglected nutrient

Drink at least 2 litres of water per day

10. If you drink alcohol, drink sensibly.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 3

Adults Sick/old/

pregnant Small kidsAdultsSick/old/

pregnant

1.5-2 cups/day

1 cup/day

5 portions/day

Monday Tuesday

What did we eat today?

we draw a circle around food

we got from our garden

Wednesday ThursdayFridaySaturday

Fats and oils:

sunflower oil, butter, margarine, animal fat

Sugar

in tea and porridge

softdrinks such as Coke and SweetAid; biscuits, sweets

Sunday

GLOW foods (vegetables and fruit)

carrots, orange sweet potato,

pumpkin,

tomato, oranges

cabbage, onions,

green beans, lettuce,

beetroot

GO foods (starch)

GROW foods

(protein)

maize, potato, sweet potato

eggs, milk, maas

chicken, red meat, fish

peanuts, beans, peas

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 4

Week:

12345678910111213 141516

Planting Plan

Type

carrot

Type

carrot carrotcarrotcarrot

Type

carrot

Type

Vitamins + minerals

cabbage, onions,

green beans, lettuce,

beetroot

GLOW foods (vegetables and fruit)

Vit C, Vit A

carrots, orange sweet potato,

orange pumpkin,

tomato,green pepper

fruit; oranges, naartjies, peaches,

tree tomatoes, plums….

GO foods (starch)GROW foods (protein)

maize, potato, sweet potato,

amadumbe

peanuts, dry beans, green

beans, peas

Type

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handouts

Resource Material for

Homestead Food Gardeners

Chapter 3: Handouts

(seSotho)

Handout 1 Phepo e Nepahetseng (Living and eating well)

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

1. Phepo e Nepahetseng

Phepo e nepahetseng

ke eng?

Phepo e nepahetseng ke tokiso e

nepahetseng ea lijo, ho lipheha ka

tsela e nepahetseng le ho lija ka

litekanyo tse nepahetseng. Hona ho

kenyeletsa nako e nepahetseng ea

ho lipheha ka litekanyetso tse

nepahetseng ho motho ka mong ho

ipapisitsoe le ts’ebetso le lilemo tsa

hae.

Phepo ea

mokhachane

O lokela ho ja lijo tse nang le matsoai

le matsoaeana ohle a hlokoang ke

‘mele joalo ka; lithibela mafu

Lesea le fumana litlhoko tsa lona ho

tsoa lebeseng la ‘ma lona. Haele ba

seng ba holile bona ba lokela ho

fumantšoa litholoana le meroho hore

ba lule ba sireletsehile mafung. Ntle le

mono ba lokela ho fuoa liaha-’mele

tse kang mahe, chisi, botoro, linaoa,

‘lensisi’ le linaoa tsa ‘soya’. U lokela ho

fepa bathonyana bana

makhetlonyana a maloa ka letsatsi,

bonyane makhetlo a mahlano. Le

uena ‘moho le thaka tsa hau le

tlamehile ho fumana lijo tse nang le

lihlopha tsohle hore le tsebe ho pheta

mesebetsi ea letsatsi le letsatsi. Ntle le

mono Bakuli ‘moho le Baimane ba

lokela ho ja ka mokhoa o

khothaletsoang.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

(meroho le litholoana); liaha ‘mele (mahe, tlhapi, linaoa le nama) le limatlafatsi

(papa, setampo, bohobe). Matsoaieana ke; ts’epe e fumanoang sebeteng,

spiniching, nameng e khubelu joalo-joalo); calcium e fumanoa ho ‘moko, lebese le

chisi; iodine e fumanoa letsoaing le ntlafalitsoeng le tlhapi; folic acid e fumanoa

merohong e metala ‘me le thusa hore mokhachane a seke a senyeheloa nakong

ea bokhachane.

Phepo ea lesea

Lesea ha le hlaha ho fihlela likhoeling tsa pele

tse ts’eletseng le fumana lijo (lebese) ho tsoa

ho ‘ma feela. Le se fuoe le ha e se ele metsi

feela. Ho tloha likhoeling tse ts’eletseng le fuoa

lijo tlatsetso ebile le ntse le tsoela-pele ho

anya. Lijo tsena ekaba litapole tse khotliloeng,

lesheleshele le ntlafalitsoeng, mokopu o

khotliloeng, kholu ea

linaoa kapa ea meroho esita le lero la

litholoana.

Phepo ea bana (Lilemo tse 1-5)

Bana le bona ho tloha lilemong tse peli ho isa tse 18 ba hloka

phepo e nepahetseng.

Phepo ea batho ba baholo

Batho ba baholo le bona ba lokela hoja lihlopha tsohle tsa

lijo, ho ipapisitsoe le mosebetsi oa motho ka mong. Mohlala

Seahi le mosebeletsi oa sechaba kantorong ba keke ba ja ka

ho lekana, ka hona batla boeletsi ho ‘Maphepo motseng.

Phepo ea maqheku le maqhekoana

Maqheku le maqhekoana le ona ka mokhoa o ts’oanang ba lokela hoja lihlopha tsa

lijo empa le ha ho le joalo ba lokeloa ke matsoaeana akang calcium bakeng sa ho

matlafatsa masapo le letsoai la vitamin A ho matlafatsa pono.

Phepo ea mokuli

Mokuli le eena o ts’oanela ho hlokomeloa haholo ka phepo e nepahetseng hore a

tsebe ho hlaphoheloa ka pele. Hona ho thusa litlhare ho sebetsa hantle ‘meleng.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Eja mefuta e fapakaneng ea lijo molemong oa

bophelo bo botle

Re lokela ho ja mefuta e fapakaneng ea lijo e fanang ke litlhoko tsohle tsa ‘mele. Ho

phethahatsa hona ha u hloke hore u reke lijo tse theko e holimo haholo. Ka khetho e

nepahetseng uena le ba lelapa la hau le ka phela bophelo bo botle bo

amohelehang bo senang litšenyehelo tse holimo.

Lijo li arotsoe lihlopha tse tharo tsa mantlha, ‘me tsona ke: limatlafatsi, liaha-’mele le

lithibela mafu. U khothaletsoa hore khetlo le leng le le leng ha u ja sejaneng sa hau

ho be le mofuta o mong le o mong o boletsoeng kaholimo. U lokela ho noa metsi a

mangata, onyane mabekere a robeli letsatsi le leng le le leng.

Limatlafatsi:

‘Lipatata’

Litapole (ho sa

tsotellehe hore

li pheuoe joang).

‘Rice’ e tšoeu

kapa e sootho.

Mabele

‘Macaroni’

Bohobe

‘Oats’

Lijo thollo

Libanana

Lihaha-’mele

Ke mofuta oa lijo kholong ea

mele bakeng la kholo e ntle ea

mesifa le likarolo tse ling. Li

bohlokoa ho batho bohle, ho

akareletsa bakhachane le

bakuli, ba lokelang ho li fumana

nako eohle eo ba jang.

Limatlafa

Sehlopha sensa sa lijo se fana ka

matla. U lula u le mahlahahlaha ha

u phela ka tsona

Lihaha-'mele

Kaofela ha tsona lijo tsena li fana ka

matla. Leha ho joalo u ntse u lokela

ho li

a ‘moho le tsa lihlo

ha tse lin

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Lethathamo le latelang ke la lijo tseo u ka li sebelisang ele mehloli ea liaha-’mele:

linaoa

lierekisi

linaoa tsa ‘soya’

makotomane

nama ea khoho

le mefuta e meng ea nama

tlhapi

mahe

chisi

mafi

botoro

makotomane

peo ea moora-tsatsi

(sonoblomo)

Lithibela mafu

Sehlopha sena sa lijo se fana

ka lithibela mafu. Ke sehlopha

se nang le makhabane a

mangata ka hona u

khothaletsoa ho ja mefuta

eohle e oelang tlas’a

sehlopha sena.

Lithebela Mafu

Mefuta ea lijo e oelang tlas'a sehlopha sena e

sireletsa 'mele khahlanong le

amfu ka mefuta e fapakaneng. E fana

ka matsoai le li “vitamin”

Mahe a bohlokwa hoholo-holo

bakeng la bana le bomme ba

mmeleng jwalo kaha ana le

proteins, vitamins, fats and

calcium.

Bana ba loketse hape hoja

dinawa kappa dierekisi kamehla.

Ho bohlokwa hore bana baje dijo

tse nepahetseng tse lekaneng

kgafetsa.

Reisi e sootho le dinawa di

nonne ho feta nama. Reisi e

sootho e tshwana feela le e

tshweu, ntle fela hobane e

sootho ha eya tloswa

makgapetla. Hona ho

bolela hore reisi e sootho

ena le protein,minerals and

vitamins tse ngata, ho feta

ena e tshweu.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Lethathamo lena ke la meroho le litholoana tse fanang ka lithibela mafu:

lamuni

morara

peneapole

granadilla’

liperekisi tse tšehla

mabolilane

apole

pere

‘lemons’

libanana

sepinache

tamati

litapole

‘broccoli”

lihaba

lihoete

linaoa tsa lehoetla

lirekisi tsa lehoetla

betiruti

Hlatsoa litholoana le

meroho hantle ka metsi

a hloekileng pele u ka li

sebelisa.

Meroho e metala le

litholoana ka mebala e

fapakaneng li bohlokoa

‘meleng.

Ka hona bana le

bakhachane ba lokela

ho li fumantšoa kamehla.

Leka hore u je moroho

kapa litholoana nako

eohle ha u ja lijo tsa

letsatsi. Ntle le tsona u

ntse u ka ja tlhapi,,

linaoa, le nama ka

mefuta ea eona.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Mefuta ea lijo-tse ka fumanehang lapeng

Malebela a ho hlokomela lijo

Tlama leqeba kapa seso pele u

tšoara lijo. Kamehla hlapa

matsoho ka metsi a sesepa le

pele u tšoara lijo. U khothaletsoa

hobala ho tloha ho ‘ngoe ho ea

ho leshome le metso e mehlano

nakong eo u ntseng u hlapa

matsoho. Ona ke mokhoa oa ho

netefatsa hore u ipha nako e

lekaneng ea ho hlapa matsoho.

Litekanyo tsa lijo tsa letsatsi le letsatsi’

Limatlafatsi – E le ‘ngoe kapa kaofela hoa tse latelang:

Bohobe; Halofo ea lebekere le tšetseng ‘macaroni’, ‘rice’ e sootho,

litapole, poone, kapa; Lebekere le tletseng ‘oats’, lesheleshele kapa

phofo ea poone.

Liaha-’mele – Khetha tse tharo lethathamong lena:

Lebekere la linaoa kapa lierekisi, ‘moho le oli ea moora-tsatsi e bongata bo

lekanang le halofo ea khabana ea tee; Mahe a mabeli; Leqa le leholo la tlhapi,

khoho kapa mefuta e meng ea nama; Khaba e tletseng ea oli ea moora-tsatsi,

makotomane; Lebekere le tletseng lebese le motsilili kapa mafi; selae sa chisi.

Lithibela mafu

Litholoana tse tharo tse feletseng; Lebekere le halofo tsa meroho. Eketsa bongata

ba mooratsatsi haeba u sa atlehe ho hoja litholoana.

Malebela

U khothaletsoa ho sebelisa nama

hang ha u qeta ho e reka kapa u e

boloke ka sehatsetsing. Haeba u ka

e boloka nako e telele ho feta

matsatsi a mabeli u lokela ho e

boloka ka moo ho batang haholo. E

phehe nako e telele ka mocheso o

sa phahamang ho fihlela e lokile.

Qoba ho ja nama e sa butsoang

hantle kapa ho pheha mahe ao

likhaketlana li peperaneng.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Lijo tsa sesotho

nyekoe mokopu, linaoa le mabele tse phehuoeng ‘moho

likhetso mokopu o sa eboloang oa phehelloa’ moho le lithotse

lepu mabolotsane a kopantsoeng le lihaba

lesheleshele motsoako o belisitsoeng oa phofo ea poone kapa ea mabele le metsi

leqebekoana bohobe ba koro bo phehuoeng ka metsi

motoho motsoako o belisitsoeng oa phofo ea poone kapa mabele, tomoso le

metsi

likhobe e kaba tsa poone, koro kapa motsoako oa poone le linaoa/lierekisi tse

phehuoeng

setampo poone e haitsoeng

lipolokoe bohobe ba mabele a macha

Khetho le tokiso ea lijo

Etsa bonnete ba hore u boloka makhabane a matle a litholoana le meroho

Litholoana le meroho tse sa tsoa khuoa serapeng li na le matsoai a mangata ho

lekana. Ho qoba hore matsoai ana a lahlehe ka lebaka la tšoaro e mpe le mokhoa

o mobe oa ho pheha u khothaletsoa ho etsa tse latelang:

Ja meroho le litholoana li ntse li le tala.

Kaha boholo ba matsoai bo fumaneha letlalong u se ke ua li ebola.

Khothaletso ke hore meroho le litholoana li lengoe malapeng.

Ha u lokisetsa ho pheha qoba ho li

khabela hasesanyane kaha li lahleheloa

ke matsoai ka bongata ho feta tse

khabetsoeng ka botenya.

Pheha moroho nako e khutsòanyane ka

mocheso o seng bohale haholo ho fihlela

li lokile. U sebelise oli e tlhotliloeng

limeleng ha u pheha lijo tse ling.

Ja lijo hang ha u qeta ho li tšola.

Litlama tse ka sebelisoang e

le linoko

 Limela tse sebelisoang ele linoko joalo ka

‘cinnamon’ li ka sebelisoa ho eketsa tatso

lijong.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

‘Parsley’ e nkhisa lehano hamonate ha u eja haholo kamor’a lijo.

‘Ginger’ e ntle bakeng la ho phekola ho nyekeloa ke pelo hape le serame.

‘Garlic’ e ntle bakeng la ho loantsa mafu. U ka e phehella le lijo tse ling kapa

ua e ritela ka metsing a chesang.

‘Thyme’ e matlafatsa tšilo ea lijo. U kopanya makhasi a eona le lijo tse ling.

Tse ling tseo u ka li sebelisang lijong tsa hau ebile u ka itemela tsona ke:

‘coriander’, ‘oregano’, ‘sweet basil’ le ‘fennel’.

Phepo ea mokuli

Hangata ho u ena le maloetse u ka lebala

ho ja, empa ele ntho ea bohlokoa aholo

nakong ena ea ha u kula. Ho ja hantle ka

nepo nakong eona ena ho na le melemo e

latelang:

‘Mele oa hau o tla matlafala.

‘Mele o tla atleha ho loantsa mafu.

U tla atleha ho ja matsoai le lithibela

mafu.

Ha u hloloa ho fepa ‘mele oa hau ha u kula u tla lieha ho fola.

Ho etsahalang ‘meleng ha u kula?

Nakong eo ‘mele oa hau o loantšang likokoana hloko o hloka bongata ba mefuta

ea lijo e oelang tlas’a lihlopha tse tharo tsa lijo, e leng limatlafatsi, liaha-’mele le

lithibela mafu.

Nakong eo u kulang ho ka nna hoa etsahala hore:

U ikutloe u khathetse hoo u leng botsoa ho lokisa lijo.

Moriana oo u o noang o etse hore lijo li latsoehe ka mokhoa o sa tloaelehang,

‘me li be bohla.

U be le letšollo, lehlatso kapa ho nyekeloa ke pelo ho ka ‘nang hoa etsa hore u

lahleheloe ke takatso ea lijo.

U be liso ka hanong hoo u hloloang ho hlafuna.

Leha ho le thata, u iqobelle ho ja lijo. U ka ntlafatsa mokhoa oa hau oa ho ja ha u

kula ka ho:

Jaha meroho le litholoana tse phehoang ka bongata.

Etsa bonnete ba hore u fumana limatlafatsi.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Mocheso o holimo le ho fufuleloa ha u robetse

Ho phahama hoa mocheso oa ‘mele ke tsela eo ‘mele o loantsang likokoana hloko

ka teng. Leha ho le joalo u lokela ho ela hloko hore mocheso o seke oa phahama

ho feta moeli. Ka hona u tlameha ho lula u ntse u noa metsi a mangata le ho ja

liaha-’mele ‘moho le lithibela mafu.

Bothata ba ka maleng

Bothata bo ikhethang ke letšollo, e leng tahleho ea metsi le matsoai ‘meleng.

Letšollo le kotsi haholo ho masea, bana ba ntseng ba hola le bakuli ka kakaretso.

Letšollo le bakoa ke eng?

Ho noa metsi a sa hloekang

Ho se hlape matsoho kamor’a tšebeliso ea ntloana,

eba u tšoara lijo ka ona a ntse a le joalo

Ho sebelisa thepa ea ho pheha e sa hlatsuoa

hantle, kapa ho ja litholoana u sa li hlatsoa.

Meriana e meng

Tšoaetso ka maleng

Khatello ea maikutlo

Lijo tse bolileng

Lijo tseo ‘mele u sa li tloaelang.

Hobaneng ho le bohlokoa ho ja hantle ha u tšoeroe ke letšollo?

Ka lebaka la letšollo ‘mele o lahleheloa ke metsi le matsoai a mangata, ‘me o

qetelle o fokola. U lokela ho noa metsi a mangata ‘moho le lero la litholoana.

Kamor’a lekhetlo le leng le le leng la letšollo u lokela ho ja u be u noe metsi. Bana ba

tšoeroeng ke letšollo ba lokela ho fuoa motsoako le lijo

khafetsa.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Lijo tse khothaletsoang bakeng sa ho loantša

letšollo

Lijo tse bonolo joalok’a lesheleshele, sechu sa meroho le litholoana.

 Meroho le litholoana tse phehiloeng li ebotsoe.

Lijo tse futhumetseng.

Lijo tse fokolang ka bongata khafetsa ka letsatsi.

Lero la litholoana le hlapollotsoe ka metsi

Sopho

Libanana tse sa butsoang hantle

 Litapole, mokopu, tamati, lihoete

 ‘Rice’ e tsoeu

Papa

Bohobe bo bosoeu

Mak’haroni

Lehlatso le ho nyekeloa ke pelo

Haeba u nyekeloa ke pelo kamor’a ho noa moriana u khothaletsoa ho o

noa ka nako e ke keng ea ama ho ja lijo tsa hau.

Itloaetse ho ja hangata ka letsatsi, feela u ja lijo tse fokolang lekhetlo le

leng le leng.

Ja lijo tse batang.

Haeba u belaella lijo tse mafura joalo ka chisi kapa tse halikiloeng, u ka

leka ho li tlohella ka bo’ngoe ho fihlela u beha boemo tlas’a taolo.

U se ke ua ja linaoa. U je meroho ekang ‘broccoli’, ‘pepper’, ‘cauliflower’,

le hanyanese.

Sebelisa mafura a fokolang ka bongata.

U ka sebelisa lijo tse ommeng joalo ka li ‘biscuits’, bohobe bo besitsoeng

kapa lijo thollo.

Qoba ho ja lijo tse nang le monko o ka ‘nang oa mpefatsa maemo.

Mefuta e meng ea lijo e ka mpefatsa

boeme ba letšollo, ka hona u olkela ho

qoba ho li sebelisa. Tsona ke: moroho o

tala, litholoana le meroho e meng tse sa

ebolang, poone, lijo tse nang le linoko,

mangangajane, tee kapa kofi, 'berries'. U

ka fokotsa bongata ba lebese (le le

mokeli-keli kapa phofo) leo u le jang.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Lijo tseo u ka loantšang ho nyekeloa le lehlatso ka

tsona

Ho nyekeloa ke pelo: Lehlatso:

Metsing a chesang kapa ‘soda water’ Metsi

tse tsoakuoeng le lero la ‘lemon Sopho

Tee ea maotoana e kopantsoe Litholoana tse bonolo joalo ka

le tsoekere ‘moho le lero la ‘lemon’ libanana, mokopu

‘Pudding’ le ‘custard’

‘Rice’ kapa ‘macaroni’

Mahe a belisitsoeng

Lero la litholoana le

tsoakantsoeng le metsi

Libanana

Nama ea khoho e pheuoeng ka metsi

Litapole tse besitsoeng kapa tse khotliloeng

Bohobe bo besitsoeng

Meroho e pheuoeng nako e lekaneng hantle

Bothata ba lehano

U ka hloloa ho khotsofatsa litlhoko tsa ‘mele ka lebaka la liso ka hanong kapa u sa

thabele mofuta oa lijo o teng. Ka hona ‘mele o tla fokolloa ke matla le mokhoa oa

ho u sireletsa khahlanong le mafu ka mefuta-futa.

Seo u lokelang ho se etsa ha?

U lahleheloa ke tatso

Tsukunya lehano ka motsoako oa ‘bicarbonate of

soda’ le metsi a fofo pele u ja lijo. Tšela halofo ea

khabana ea tee e tšetseng ‘bicarbanate’ ka metsing.

U ka sebelisa metsi a kopaneng le lero la ‘lemon’.

Qoba ho ja lijo tse chesang haholo kapa tse batang

haholo.

U ka ithuta mefuta e meng ea lijo ho fihlela u ka etsa khetho ea tseo u li

thabelang.

Ha u hloloa ke tatso ea mofuta o itseng oa nama, mohlala khomo kapa nku, leka

mefuta e meng joalo ka khoho, kolobe, tlhapi le ona mahe.

Lehano le omellang

Itsukunye ka metsi a letsoai kapa a kopaneng le lero la ‘lemon’.

Noa metsi a mangata kamor’a lijo. Lehano le tla lula le le mongobo.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Qoba ho ja lijo tse ommeng, tse nang le litlheferetsi li bile li hoasha ka hanong.

Bonyane u ka ja tse bonolo, tse khotluoeng kapa litholoana tse bonolo joalo ka,

mokopu, banana, sopho, nama e khabetsoeng ha sesanyane kapa u tšele lintho

tse nolofatsang lijo joalo ka tamati ‘sauce’ le sopho.

Qoba ho ja tsoekere hoba e tla mpefatsa maemo.

Lehano le liso

Ja lijo tse bonojoana joalo ka mokopu, banana, sopho,

nama e khabetsoeng ha sesanyane kapa u tšele sopho

lijong.

Noaha lesheleshele kapa sopho ka lebekere haele

bakeng sa linoamapholi u sebelisa lelana (straw).

Noaha sopho, lero la litholoana le la

meroho.

Lijo tseo u lokelang ho li ja ha u le liso

ka hanong

Lijo tse bonolo tse kang litapole tse

khotliloeng kapa sopho.

Nama e khabetsoeng ha sesanyane

‘Macaroni’ le chisi

Sopho

‘Custard’

Tseo u lokelang ho li qoba

Lijo tse linoko li bohale joalo ka chilisi le

‘curries’.

Lijo tse bolila joalo ka tamati, peniapole le

mefuta ea lilamune.

Lijo tse batang kapa tse chesang haholo.

Lijo tse khoramelang joalok’a ka botoro

kapa tseo u tlamehang ho li hlafuna nako

e telele pele u li koenya joalo ka moroho o tala.

Fokotsa bongata ba lijo tse tsoekere haholo ‘moho le bohobe haeba u ena le

makhopo.

Tee ea ‘cinnamon’

Tšela phofshoana ea ‘cinnamon’

ka ntlha (1/4) ea khabana ea

tee ka metsing a chesang a

tletseng lebekere la tee.

Tee ea ‘garlic’

Tšela likotoloana tse peli tsa

‘garlic’ ka lebekereng le tletseng

metsi a chesang. U ka itsukunya

ka eona.

Tee ea ‘lemon’

Tšela lero la ‘lemon’ ka

lebekereng la tee le tšetseng

halofo ea metsi a chesang. U ka

tšela tsoekere e be u enoa e ntse

e chesa.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Ja hantle u tsebe ho atleha

‘meleng

Hobaneng u ka theoha ‘meleng?

U ka fokotseha ‘meleng tlas’a mabaka a maloa a

kenyeletsang ho seje hantle hobane u sena takatso

lijo, u nyekeloa ke pelo kapa u ena le liso ka hanong.

Tlhokahalo ea takatso ea lijo e ka bakoa ke

mokhathala o mongata, khatello ea maikutlo kapa

ferekana.

Lebaka le leng e kaba hore ua kula, ua hlatsa kapa u na le letšollo. Tlas’a boemong

bona ‘mele ha u thabele lijo tseo o hlileng o li hlokang hore o tsebe ho fola.

Malebela a ho ntlafatsa ‘mele le takatso ea lijo

Ja lijo makhetlo a ‘maloa, makhetlo a mahlano ho isa

ho a tšeletseng, ka letsatsi. Etsa joalo le ha u sa lapa.

Leka ho fumana mefuta ea lijo eo u ka e thabelang ka

ho latsoa mefuta e fapakaneng.

Boikoetliso pele ho lijo bo eketsa takatso ea lijo.

U se ke ua ja lijo tse halikiloeng le nama e mafura

haholo.

U ka sebelisa mefuta e mengata

ea litlama tse eketsang tatso ea

lijo. Tsona ke ‘cinnamon’,

‘parsley’, ‘thyme’, ‘oregano’ le

‘sweet basil’. Ntle le mono u ka

sebelisa lero la ‘lemon’.

Itsukunye ka metsi a kopantsoeng

le lero la ‘lemon’ kapa

‘bicarbonate of soda’.

Mehlala ea lijo tseo u ka lijang hore u

eketse ‘mele

U je setampo, ‘rice’, bohobe bo bosootho, ‘oats’, litapole le libanana ka

bongata.

U je lijo tse latelang khafetsa: nama ea khoho, tlhapi, mahe, mefuta e meng ea

nama, linaoa ka mefuta ea tsona.

Lipakeng tsa linako tsa lijo tse tloelehileng u je litholoana, lihoete, ‘peanut butter’

le lilae tsa bohobe tse tlotsitsoeng ka jeme kapa u noe mafi.

Methati ea bohlokoa eo u ka

ikatlehisang ‘mele ka eona ke ena:

Qoba tahlehelo ea metsi le

matsoai ho tsoa ‘meleng ka

mokhoa oa letšollo.

Phekola mafu ohle

Ja tsohle tseo u lokelang ho li ja

ka bongata bo khothaletsoang.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Mekhoa ea ho matlafatsa seo u sejang lapeng

Tšela tsoekere kapa jeme leshelesheleng

Fuluhella mafura leshelesheleng la hau.

Jaha motsoako oa linaoa, ‘rice’ le mafura.

Tšela mafura kapa oli litapoleng ha u li pheha.

E ba le maqa a nama ka sophong ea hau.

Ja papa (ea poone kapa mabele) kapa setampo ka linaoa.

Tšela lebese le phofo leshelesheleng, sechung kapa sophong.

Natefeloa ke bophelo ka ho itlhahisetsa lijalo tsa

hau

Mokhoa o bobebe oo u ka netefatsang

hore u na le mefuta e fapakaneng ea

meroho le litholoana ke ho itlhahisetsa

tsona serapeng sa hau, ‘me ho bobebe

ho etsa joalo.

Tse ka hlahisoang:

lihoete ‘thyme’

k’habeche ‘sweet basil’

sepinache ‘fennel’

anyanese ‘coriander’

‘garlic’ betiruti

litapole ‘cauliflower’

tamati ‘kale’

‘broccoli’ rapa

mokopu sepaile

poone rapa e putsoa

linaoa ‘leek’

‘parsley’ lierekisi

Haeba serapa sa hau se le seholo ho lekana u ka itemela lifate tsa litholoana.

Hlokomela bohlokoa ba ho ja

meroho le litholoana tse ntseng li le

boemong bo botle nako eohle. U

ka atleha ho etsa joalo ha feela u

ena le serapa moo u itlhahisetsang

tsona e seng u li reke.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Ho tlaba le sehloho se seng seo u tlang ho ithuta ho itlhahisetsa lijalo.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handouts

Resource Material for

Homestead Food Gardeners

Chapter 3: Handouts

(isiZulu)

Handout 1 Ukuphila kanye nokudla ngendlela efanele (Living and eating well)

Handout 2 Izincomo ezilishumi zokudla ukudla okunomsoco( The 10 food-based

dietary guidelines)

Handout 3 Ukugcina imininingwane yokudla okudliwa ekhaya nsuku zonke (What

did we eat today?)

Handout 4 Engihlela ukukutshala kulelo nalelo sonto (Planting Plan)

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

1. Ukuphila kanye nokudla ngendlela efanele

KUYINI UKONDLEKA

KAHLE?

Sonke siyakudinga ukudla. Imizimba

yethu idinga ukudla ukuze ihlale

iphilile, ibe nomfutho futhi ikhule ibuye

ikwazi ukwelapheka uma igula. Ukudla

esikudlayo kusetshenziswa imizimba

yethu ngezindlela ezahlukene.

Izingxenye ezahlukene zokudla

esikudlayo zisetshenziselwa izingxenye

ezahlukahlukene emizimbeni yethu

njengokusinika amandla nokusisiza

ezifeni ukuze sihlale siphilile.

Sidinga ukudla okuningi

okunhlobonhlobo futhi okunempilo

ukuze imizimba yethu izokuthola konke

ekudingayo. Uma sidla kahle

sisemathubeni angcono okuphila kahle

futhi siphile impilo engcono.

Kunconyiwe ukuba umntwana ancele

ubisi lukamama kuphela. Abantwana

bathola konke abakudingayo obisini

lukamama.

Izingane kudingeka ukuba zidle imifino

nezithelo ukuze zihlale ziphilile. Kudingeka

futhi ukuthi zidle ukudla okuzobasiza ukuba

bakhule okunje namaqanda, ushizi,

inyama, ibhotela lamantongomane,

ubhontshisi, ama “lentils” kanye

nobhontshisi okuthiwa yi Soya, Izingane

ezincane kumele zihle kahlanu ngosuku.

Abantu abadala kudingeka ukuba badle

ukudla okuningi okunhlobonhlobo ukuze

imizimba yabo ihlale isebenza ngendlela

ekahle. Kubalulekile kakhulu ukwenza

lokhu ikakhulukazi uma ugula noma

ukhulelelwe.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Singadla kanjani ngendlela efanele ukuze siphile

kahle?

Ukudla ngendlela efanele kusho ukudla izinhlobo ezahlukene zokudla ukuze

umzimba uthole konke okuhle okukudingayo. Lokhu akusho ukuthi kumele uthenge

ukudla okubizayo. Ngokucabangisisa kahle ngalokho okudlayo, nalokho

ozokulungisela umndeni wakho, kanye nokukhetha kahle ukudla ungakwazi ukudla

ukudla okufanele nsuku zonke ngendlela engembi eqolo.

Kunezinhlobo ezintathu ezibalulekile zokudla:

Okukunika amandla (Go Foods)

Okukhulisa umzimba (Grow foods) kanye

Nokusivikela ezifeni (Glow foods).

Kumele udle ukudla okunakho kokuthathu okungenhla nsuku zonke. Kufanele futhi

uphuze izingilazi zamanzi ezingu 8 ngosuku nsukuzonke.

Ukudla okusinika amandla (Go Food):

Ukudla okusinika amandla (Good energy/Go Foods)

Ubhatata; Amazambane noma ngabe alungiswe ngayiphi indlela

Ilayisi elinsundu noma elimhlophe

Imacaroni noma ispagethi

Isinkwa

Ubhontshisi owomile noma uphizi

Ukudla okuyo “oats”; Amabele

Amacereal (ukudla kokwenza idokwe)

Ukwatapeya

Ubhanana

Okudla okusinika amandla

Okudla okusinika amandla Lokhu kudla kusinikeza

amandla. Kungukudla okubalulekile ukuba sikudle,

kodwa khumbula ukuthi kumele ukuthole futhi ukudla

okukhulisa umzimba nezicubu kanye nokuvikela

ezifeni.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Ukudla okukhulisa umzimba nezicubu (Grow Food)

Lolu wuhlobo lokudla olunama “protein”

amaningi. Loluhlobo lokudla lugcina

umzimba wakheke kahle futhi lusiza

umzimba ukuthi ube nezicubu ezomelele.

Luyasiza futhi ekuvikeleni umzimba

ekuhlaselweni yizifo. Kubalulekile ukuthi

udle ukudla okukhulisa mzimba nsuku

zonke ikakhulukazi uma ugula. Izingane

zidinga ukudla okunamaprotein amaningi

ngoba zisakhula. Nakanjalo nabesifazane

abakhulelwe.

Izinhlobo zokudla okwakha umzimba

Ubhontshisi

Uphizi

Undumbanjane (Soyabeans)

Amantongomane

Inyama yenkukhu

Isibindi senkukhu

Inyama yenhlanzi

Inyama ebomvu

Amaqanda

Ushizi

Amasi

Ibhotela lamakinati (peanut butter)

Ama - nati akhiwa esihlahleni

Ujikanelanga noma ubhekilanga

Ukudla okukhulisa

umzimba

nezicubu

Lokhu kudla kusisiza ukuba sikhule kahle.

Kwakha imizimba yethu futhi kuyenze

ibenamandla.

Ukudla okwenziwe ngelayisi

elinsundu nobhontshisi

kunomsoco kakhulu

kunenyama! Ilayisi

elinsundu liyinto eyodwa

nelayisi elimhlophe

umahluko kuphela ukuthi

elinsundu alingasuswanga

isikhumba. Lokhu kusho

ukuthi leli elinsundu linama

protein, amaminerali kanye

namavithamini amaningi

kunaleli elimhlophe.

Amaqanda mahle kakhulu

ezinganeni nakwabesifazane

abakhulelwe, njengoba enama

“protein”, amavithamini,

amafutha, nesiqinisamathambo

(calcium).

Izingane zingadla nobhontshisi

noma uphizi nsuku zonke.

Kuncomekile ukuthi izingane

ziphakekelwe ukudla okuncane

kodwa izikhathi eziningi ngosku.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Ukudla okusivikela ezifeni (Glow Foods)

Loluhlobo lokudla ukudla okusiza ekulweni nezifo ezihlasela imizimba yethu. Lokhu

ukudla okunamavithamini kanye namaminerali amaningi. Kumele udle izinhlobo

eziningi ezahlukene zokudla okusivikela ezifweni ngoba zonke zinibuhle bazo

ngokwehlukana kwazo.

Izinhlobo zokudla okusivikela ezifweni

Ama - olinshi,, Ama “grape fruits”

Amagilebhisi noma Umvini (grapes)

Ubhanana

Amagranadela

Amapentshisi aphuzi, Amabhilikosi (apricots)

Ama – aphula, Amaganandoda (pears)

Ulamula (lemon),

Uphayinaphula

Isipinashi

Utamatisi

Amazambane

Ubrokholi

Amaqabunga amathanga

Iziqathi (Carrots)

Ubhontshisi oluhlaza

Uphizi

Umbila

Ubhitrudi

Ukwatapheya

I stambu

Imbuya, Amarabha (Rape)

Ukudla

okusivikela ezifeni

Lokhu kudla kusiza kugcina umzimba

wethu uphilile. Kuna mavithamini kanye

namaminerali amaningi adingwa

imizimba yethu ukuze ihlale iphile kahle

Imifino enamaqabunga

aluhlaza nezithelo

eziphuzi kubalulekile

ezinganeni.

Izingane

kanyenabesifazane

abakhulelwe kubaluleki

ukuba badlelokudla

nsuku zonke.

Khumbula ukugeza

izithelo nemifino

kahle ngaphambi

kokuba uzidle

ngamanzi

ahlanzekile.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 1

Ukukhetha nokulungisa ukudla ozokuphekwa

Phuza amanzi kakhulu

Udinga okungenani amanzi angamaglazi ayisishiyagalombili ngosuku. Kumbe

awuzukucabanga ukuthi udinga amanzi angaka. Kodwa ungazama uzibonele

ngokwakho. Phuza amaglasi amanzi ayisishiyagalombili ngosuku izinsuku

ezintathu zilandelana. Lokhu akuhlanganisi iukuphuza itiye noma

ikhofi. Ngemuva kwalezonsuku ezintathu, uzizwa njani? Ngabe uzizwa unomdlandla

noma uphile kahle?

Isixwayiso esiphephile sokudla.

Amanzi ompompi aphephile. Uma usebenzisa

amanzi omfula noma ipitsi kumele uwabilise

noma ufake I – tea spuni likajikhi emanzini

angango 25litha ngaphambi kokuba

uwaphuze. Gcina amazi akho esitsheni

esihlanzekile.

Izaluleko zokuphepha ezibalulekile

Njalo kumele ugeze izandla zakho ngensipho

nangamanzi ngaphambi kokuba uthinte

ukudla nangemuva kokuya endlini yangasese.

Geza izandla zakho nhlangothi zomabili

uthathe isikhashana ngokubala ka uze ufike

ku15 ngesikhathi ugeza.

Bopha izilonda noma wemboze lapho ulimele

khona ngaso sonke isikhathi lapho upheka

noma unikeza abantu ukudla.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 2

2. Izincomo ezilishumi zokudla ukudla

okunomsoco

1. Thokozela ukudla okunhlobonhlobo

Yidla ukudla okunhlobonhlobo okunezondlo ezinhlobonhlobo

Qikelela indlela okupheka ngayo ukudla kwakho

Kugweme ukudla ukudla ukunezondlo ezincane nalokho okungakuniki

umdlandla owenele

Kugweme ukuphila impilo engakuholela ezifeni ezingamahlalakhona (chronic

disease).

Kufanele udle ukudla okuhlukahlukene okungu

20 kuya ku 30 esontweni ngalinye

2. Yina ngumuntu ojwayele ukunyakazisa umzimba

Zijwayeze ukuthi uvamise ukuyakazisa umzimba nsuku zonke isikhathi esingaba

yimizuzu engamashumi.

Lokhu kuyakuvikela kumahlalakhona (chronic diseases, noma izifo ezikuphatha

isikhathi eside, ogcina uphila nazo) anjenge “hayihayi”, isifo sikashukela, isifo

senhliziyo kanye nomdlavuza.

Nyakazisa umzisa izikhathi eziyimizuzu engamashumi amathathu cishe nsuku zonke

3. Akungenzeki kungabibikho ukudla okunesitashi

ekudleni okudlayo

Yidla ukudla okusanhlamvu (cereals) kanye namaveji ayizimpande (root

vegetables) kunjengoba kuvela ensimini kungaphekiwe noma kuphekwe nje

kancane. Lokhukudla kunomhadlahadliso (fibre) omningi. Kanti futhi lokhukudla

kunawo futhi umsoco (micro nutrients), amafutha kanye namaprotein.

Abesifazane abadala kufanele bathole lokhukudla okungu 260gram/ngosuku

(ipuleti elijwayelekile), bese kuthi abesilisa banikezwe okungango

325gram/ngosuku (ipuleti eliqongile) ukuze bathole umfutho owenele.

Yilowo nalowo muntu omdala kufanele athole u 50 gram/wesitashi ngosuku (cishe

okungangenkomishi)

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 2

4. Yidla amaveji amaningi kanye nezithelo eziningi

ngosuku, nsukuzonke

Yidla izithelo ezisa olintshi (citrus), u anyanisi, u-garlic, ukherothi noma izaqathi

kanye notamatisi (ngoba kuno vitamin C no A omningi) kanye nokudla

okusakhabishi (crucifers) okunjenge khabishi, kale, u-broccoli kanye no

kholiflawa.

Yidla ukudla ukudla okunamacembe aluhlaza ngokujulile kanye nanombala

osa-olintshi.

Kufanele umuntu omdala athole izinxenyana ezinhlanu noma u-

400gram/ngosuku zalokhukudla

Yidla izithelo ezimbili kanye namaveji amahlanu ngosuku

5. Ukuze impilo ibe yinhle kakhulu, kumele kudliwe

ukudla okusabhontshisi okuthe xaxa

Yidla ubhontshisi owomile, uphizi, ama”lentils”, kanye ne “soy” njalo nje

Grain legumes are beans, lentils, cowpeas, chickpeas, peas, etc.

Izimbewu ezinowoyela, njenge “soya” kanye namantongomane esinye

isibonelo.

Lokhu kwenza ukuthi umzimba uthole lezizondlo ezilandelayo: amaprotein,

ama”carbohydrates” I “fibre” noma umhadlahadliso, amavitamini kanye nama

“minerali”.

Umuntu omdala kufanele adle amagram ayikhulu kuya emakhulwini amabili (100-

200gram) okudla okusabhontshisi (legumes) ngosuku. Lokhu kusho inxenye

yenkomishi.

6. Ukudla okuvela ezilwaneni kungadliwa nsuku

zonke

Lokhu kusho lokhu okulandelayo: inyama, inhlanzi, inyama yenkukhu, ubisi

kanye namaqanda.

Ngaphandle kokuthi lokhu kudla kunika amaprotein, kuphinde futhi kondle

umzimba bge “calcium”, “iron” noma insimbi, I “zinc”, kanye ne “omega-3

nama “fatty acids”.

Yidla ukudla okungenawo amafutha kakhulu kanti futhi akumele ube

ngumngane awo amafuthe.

Thatha imbijana yalokhukudla okuvela ezilwaneni, ukufake esidlweni sakho

esenziwe ngezitshalo.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 2

Thatha isilinganiso esingu 400-500ml wokudla okwenziwe ngobisi/ngosuku (okunjengo

bisii, iyogathi, amasi, ishizi…)

Yidla mamqanda amane ngesonto

Yidla ukudla okunenhlanzi kabili noma kathathu ngesonto

NOMA

Akufuneki ukuthi udle inyama ebomvu noma yenkukhu engaphezulu kuka 560 grams

ngesonto

7. Akufuneki udle ukudla okunamafutha kakhulu

Awangabi maningi amafutha enyama owadlayo, kanjalo futhi nasobisi

okungelona lwenkomo.

8. Ungabowudla usawoti omningi

Ukudla kakhulu usawoti kungaholela ekutheni uzithole usunehayihayi. Uma

ungumuntu one “hayihayi” kufanele udle ukudla okunamaveji amaningi kanye

nezithelo. Uma wenze lokho isikhathi esingangamasonto ayisishiyagalombili,

umfutho wegazi emzimbeni odala I”hayihayi” uyehla.

Wufafaze usawoti, ungawuxukuzi

9. Amanzi, ngesinye isondlo somzimba

esinganakekile

Phuza okungenani amalitha amabili ngosuku

10. Uma ungumuntu ophuza uphuzo oludakayo,

phuza ngokuzicabangela.

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout3

Resource Material for Homestead Food Gardeners Chapter 3 Handout 4

Umhlaka

Isonto

1234 567 891011121314151617

isitshalo

Ikharothi;

Cape

Market

Ikharothi;

Cape

Market

Ikharothi;

Cape

Market

Ikharothi;

Cape

Market

Ikharothi;

Cape

Market

Ikharothi;

Cape Market

ihlela ukukutshala kulelo nalelo sonto

UKUDLA OKUNIKA

AMANDLA (Go Foods -

starch)

ummbila,

amazambane,

ubhatata,uphutu

UKUDLA OKUKHULISA

IZICUBHU (Grow Foods -

okunama - protein)

Ubhontshisi, uphizi,

amankinate, izindlubu,

imbumba…

isitshalo

UKUDLA OKUVIKELA EZIFENI (Glow Foods -

njengamaveji nezithelo)

Noma iluphi uhlobo

lwezithelo inoma iluphi

uhlobo lwamaveji

Ukhabishi, uGreen

beans, ulethisi,

ubeetrooti,

isitshalo