1
Progress Report
Version: September2022
Grant code
Project Title
Isimangaliso EbA
Grantee
Wildlands Conservation Trust
Subgrantees
Mahlathini Development Foundation
Project Start Date
01/08/2023
Project End Date
31/07/2027
Reporting Period1
01/07/2024- 10/12/2024
Project Country(ies)
South Africa
Project Cost
Total & percentage
Blue Action Fund Contribution
EUR 146 668
Match Funding
Not applicable
Report Compiled By
Erna Kruger
Date of Submission
10thDecember 2024
Regular reporting is essential for Blue Action Fund to monitor the progress of the projects it
funds. Each project reports biannually through the workplan in conjunction with the funding
advance request as well as the progress report. In addition, only on an annual basisthe
progress report should be accompanied by Annexes A- F. Theses progressreports are
needed to:
•Monitor project progress
•Analyse the overall programme of Blue Action Fund
•Collect information/data to allow Blue Action to report to its own donors
•Communicate project’s impacts and highlights to donors and other stakeholders
•Draw lessons learned and compile these for knowledge exchange on marine
conservationand sustainable livelihoods
•Serve as the basis for a progress call between Blue Action and the grantee
1This should be a six-month period. With the exception ofthe informationprovided in the annexes (which are
only submitted on an annual basis) allcontents ofthe progress report should refer to accomplishments and
developments of the last work period only, i.e. the last sixmonths.
If you are submitting this progress report withthe annexes constituting the annual report, please indicate the
annual period dates in the annexes.
In case of an annual report, the narrative part corresponding to the first six months of the year is to be found in
the progress report for that period.
2
1)
Progress report summary
Below is a summary of activities to be undertaken by MDF (as per the FAR and workplan)
‘Activity 5.4.1
Intensive small-scale farmer training and support. Homestead.Provide intensive small-
scale farmer training and support
Deliverable 5.4.1.a
40-60 small-scale farmers trained and supported (MOV: training/attendance registers).
Deliverable 5.4.1.b
1 x 2.5-day CCA workshop and 5x training days per hub - Intensive regenerative agriculture
training and mentorship workshops held at the homesteads and at the Community Resource
Hubs at the beginning of each site intervention: 1 in year 2, 2 in year 3 and 1 in year 4. (MOV:
workshop registers, photographic evidence, course outline). Twenty-five participants each.
Deliverable 5.4.1.c
15 farmers per site supported with intensive production and water management
infrastructure and support. (MOV: photographic evidence)
Activity 5.4.2
Train the trainer: WILDTRUST Hub staff will be incorporated into all initiation activities to
ensure they are able to maintain the hub demonstration gardens, provide additional support
to community members in between Mathathini staff visits, and provide basic practical
demonstrations off CCA gardening to community members visiting the hubs.
Deliverable 5.4.2.a
Four (4) hub teams trained and mentored to be future CCA mentors (MOV: training registers,
course outline).
Deliverable 5.4.2.b
Four (4) climate-smart demonstration gardens established, one (1) at each hub site,
maintained by Hub staff (MOV: photographic evidence).
Activity 5.4.4
Climate-smart agriculture technique demonstrations.YESyouth employed by WILDTRUST,
that are trained as trainers by sub-grantee Mahlathini, train an additional 200+ community
members in mini-demonstrations of climate-smart agriculture techniques during the project.
4 demonstration days per hub x 5 in total, 50 people at each demonstration
Deliverable 5.4.4
Two hundred and fifty community members trained by YES team in climate-smart agriculture
techniques (MOV: Attendance registers)
Activity 5.4.5
Facilities to support climate-smart agriculture. Establish facilities to support climate-smart
agriculture
Deliverable 5.4.5
Five (5) communal boreholes established at 5 primary community areas for garden support
and drinking, and seed tunnels and seedling provision support at each community Hub (MOV:
photographic evidence).
1
2Activity Not Yet Due; Activity Started -ahead of schedule; Activity started – progress on track; Activity started but progress delayed; Activity start is delayed.
3Implementation progress on a cumulative basis as of the date of the report.
Project Subcomponents
Status2
Implementation
progress3(%)
Component 1:Coastal ecosystems, which are particularly relevant for climate change adaptation, are better protected and managed in a moresustainable way
Sub-Component 1.3: Funding for measures to reduce pressure and land-based stressors on coastal and marine ecosystems (in and outside protected areas)
Activity5.4.1 Intensive small-scale farmer training and support.
Activity
Started -
ahead of
schedule
60%
- Baseline surveys conducted and finalised – all 4 communities (Nkovukeni, kwaDapha, Mabibi, Sokhulu)– including vulnerability
assessments and identification of households
- 4x2,5dayCCA workshops done(Mabibi,kwaDapha,Nkovukeni, Sokhulu)
- 3 agriculture training daysat hubs (staff and interns)- towers, tunnels, field crops
- 3 training days at the communitylevel (Mabibi, Nkovukeni), 2 training days at kwaDapha
Seeds and seedlings to farmer (number!!
-14farmers in Nkovukeni, ?? farmers at Mabibiand ?? farmers at kwaDaphasupported withtrench beds and tunnels, 30 farmers with
tower gardens
-4 x 2,5 CCA workshops with community members (kwaDapha, Sokhulu, Mabibi,
Nkovukeni)?? no of participants
- 3 x climate resilient agriculturetrainingday athubs (Mabibi, kwaDahpa,
Mabibi)
- 8 x training daysin total atkwaDapha, Mabibi and Nkovukeni
-?? farmers supported with materials (tower gardens, trench beds, tunnels) and
??? farmers supported with seed and seedlings
Activity 5.4.2 Train the trainer.
Activity
Started -
progress
on track
45%
-ToTworkshop with YES youth and hubstaff at Nkovukeniand kwaDapha
-Establishment of demonstration gardens: one tunnel in KwaDapha hub along with tower garden, fenced off trench and tower garden
in Nkovukeni, awaiting finalization of demo site in Mabibi
-2 ToT workshops in CCA with Hub staff
-2 demonstration gardens initiated (Nkovukeni, kwaDapah), still to be finalised
Activity5.4.4 Climate-smart agriculture technique demonstrations.
Activity
Not Yet
Due
0%
Yes youth support to communities
Not yet started
Activity5.4.5 Facilities to support climate-smart agriculture.
Activity
Not Yet
Due
0%
2
Wild Trust has sited these facilities but haven’t started
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2)Narrative report (July-December2024)
2.1 Small scale farming training and support: Household and Hub
For each activity,please provide an update on progress during the past work period, including key
accomplishments, impacts, highlights, any delays and issues encountered, key milestones reached, lessons
learned, positive achievements, etc.
2.1.1 Main activities
BAF
number
Date
Description
Persons
Time
5.4.1a and b
2024/11/12
BAF itemised expenditure list, FAR and workplan(Oct 24)
2 days
2024/11/22, 24-25
BAF delegate, meet and greet online meeting. Followed by
dinner at Mvutshana and then a field visit to Nkovukeniand
a presentation on progress
Mazwi Dlamini
3 days
2024/11/03
Updated BAF itemised expenditure list. FAR and workplan
as queriedby WT(Oct24)
Mazwi Dlamini, Erna
Kruger
1 day
2024/12/09-10
Gender mainstreaming on the EbAproject workshop in
Durban
2 days
5.4.1a,b,c
2024/11/21 and
2024/11/26
Field cropping workshop (materials and inputsfor file
crops), Enkovuleni,Mabibi,
Mazwi Dlamini
Nqobile Mbokazi
2 days
4
2.1.2 Mapping and baseline surveys. Narrative reports:
The seven villages in the Sokhulu community, including twenty households from each village,
participated in the study by completing face to face surveys in May 2024.UKZN undertook the
survey, using a questionnaire designed jointly between the UKZN and MDF teams. The data
from the seven villages is presented collectively as the Sokhulu community area.
Overview
84% of households have lived in the area for more than 30 years with a very smallpercentage
93%) of people who lived there for less than 5 years. This indicates a stable community,
despite the influx of people into the area for work in the mining and forestry operations in the
area. Community members like living in the area for farming (51%), nature (28%), peace and
ubuntu (26%), the safety and lack of crime (12%), for firewood (11%), and for the sports in the
area (8%). The results show an emphasis on harvesting of natural resources for livelihoods in
the northern region and an emphasis on farming in Sokhulu.
The main development challenges mentioned were bad roads and poor infrastructure (60%),
lack of availability of water (43%), and inequality in the area in terms of distribution of benefits
(22%). Poverty, the closure of the river mouth and the fencing of gardens were also raised as
issues. Community members also raised the need for business opportunities and skills
development, the provision of services, including water, electricity, schools and healthcare as
well as an improved internet network, the removal of mining companies and a reduction in the
planting of gumtrees, they require dip for livestock, need to reduce crime, and want the equal
distribution of RDP houses. Waste collection and poor waste management was raised as a
challenge in the area.
From the survey, households had an average income of less than R3000 - R4000 per month.
Given that most households are largerthan average (Ave 7,8), the per capita income is low.
Based on money spent on food, most households in the region live below the food poverty
line and the
general poverty
line. However,
households
supplement their
food baskets
significantly from
resources
collected from the
environment (land
and sea). The
picture alongside
indicates the high
reliance on shop
bought food in
Sokhulu (100%),
followed by food
produced locally
(~70%), marine harvesting ((43%) and school feeding schemes (40%).
76% of household members are aware of climate change, referring to extreme weather
conditions (27%), fluctuation in weather patterns (24%), temperature and heat increases (6%),
thunderstorms being much worse than before (5%), and flooding (5%). It is evident in Sokhulu
that the main impacts of climate change are felt in relation to loss of farming potential, through
land and fields damaged by floods, variable rainfall and droughts and the loss of trees, which
is a valuable natural resource, through storms. Other points raised by communities are the
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reduction in shade due to loss of trees, loss of life in extreme weather events, roads are
affected, livestock is damaged, and there is no longer enough grass for grazing.
The Sokhulu communityis currently not acting proactively to manage climate change
specifically (64%), as they lack knowledge about how to deal with climate change (8%). Some
respondents said that they try to plant more trees and conserve nature (7%), theyavoid
building next to rivers (3%) and some have stopped farming on their fields (2%), as an
adaptation to climate change. They did not identify deliberate actions being taken by
households to increase agricultural resilience to climate change. Certain practices, including
the use of manure as an organic fertiliser and the selection of crop species suited to local
temperature and rainfall conditions, have been widely implemented. These are not new
practices, and have been adopted to reduce input costs, crop mortality, and enhance yield per
unit effort. Communities have therefore been responding to changing environmental
conditions over time. However, given their awareness of climate change and its impacts, it is
evident that knowledge development and tried and tested practices in response to climate
change require attention in the Sokhulu area.
Community members believe it is important to protect the environment as it gives life (36%),
for future generations and sustainability (20%), it provides food (18%), it provides shade (9%)
and clean air (9%). Respondents stated that because Richards Bay Minerals cuts trees and
pollutes the air, it is very important for them to protect nature to counter this impact.
Respondents reported the following ecosystem goods and services:
•fishing and harvesting of mussels (15%)
•wood for building houses and kraals (20%)
•grass for roofing and reeds for weaving (5%)
•trees for firewood (36%)
•food (vegetables and fruits) (13%)
•medicinal purposes and cleansing (26%)
•shade from trees (10%)
The environment supports livelihoods in Sokhulu with the environmental wage being valuable
to between 20% and 36% of households in different ways, which is significant.
Socio-economic aspects
In the baselines survey undertaken, 20 households were interviewed in May 2024 in the
following seven villages: eHlawini, eHlanzeni, kwaNtongonya, Ethukwini, eMalaleni,
kwaManzanyama and kwaHolinyoka.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Male and female headed households are reasonablyevenly balanced at 49% and 53%
respectively. This is somewhat higher than the national average for 2022 of 45,7% female
headed households in rural KZN. (StatsSA, 2022).
The average household size for the village is 7,8, compared to the national average of 3.4,
with households ranging from between3-25 individuals. The dependency ratio for these
households is extremely high.
In terms of age, the population in Sokhulu is skewed significantly towards the age
group of 0-18 years.
Age group in years
StasSA %
Sokhulu %
0 -18
28,8
45
19-34
35,1
30
35-59
27,1
20
>60
9
5
The large proportion of children under the age of 18 years in this area is likely a combination
of the community being well settled in the region (little in or out migration) as well as access
to services such as healthcare and schools (specifically high schools). This differs significantly
6
from the northern villages inside the IWP, where the proportion of children under 18 years is
much lower.
Incomes and livelihoods
Of the 140 households interviewed 138 households (95%) fall below the national
poverty line (R1558/month/capita income). This is because the households have on
average 7,8 members and are quite large. This number is skewed by a small percentage of
very large households as reported by respondents. If this is considered, then around 66% of
households fall below the poverty line. This is more reasonable when compared with other
data, showing quite a high degree comparatively, of formal employment in the regionas well
as small businesses and self-employment.
Income range in Rands
No
Percentage
Cumulative percentage
0-1000
3
2,2
2,2
1001-2000
29
21,0
23,2
2001-3000
29
21,0
44,2
3001-4000
23
16,7
60,9
4001-5000
4
2,9
63,8
5001-6000
9
6,5
70,3
6001-7000
7
5,1
75,4
7001-8000
1
0,7
76,1
8001-9000
4
2,9
79,0
9001-10000
6
4,3
83,3
>10 000
23
16,7
100,0
Total
138
98,6
100,0
The following income categories were mentioned by the participants – own business and small
businesses were considered different categories. Own business included farming, forestry
taxis, transport and similar businesses while small businesses were more along the lines of
spazas, resale of clothes and meat and similar activities. A proportion of the community makes
a reasonably substantial income from both farming and forestry (contracted to SAPPI).
Income categories
No of hh (n= 140)
No of individuals
% individuals
Formal employment
31
40
6%
Contract workers
56
56
9%
Own business
28
28
5%
Small business
30
32
5%
Social grants
132
313
94%
Unemployed
124
318
51%
The unemployment rate is very high in this area, indicating that around 88% of households
have unemployed adults living there and 51% of working age adults are unemployed.Levels
of unemployment are much higher than the national average of 32,9% (StatsSA, 2024).
Reliance on social grants (pensions and child grants) as an income source is very high, with
94% of households receiving grants. A number of households mentioned that they receive
remittances from family members who do not live in the area.
Food shortages are common, with 93% of households mentioning that they experience
a shortage of food. Shortages are experienced for some households during winter
(40%), summer (67%) and throughout the year for 9% of households.
Agriculture
Agriculture in the form of cropping and livestock husbandry is extensively practiced across
Sokhulu, albeit at different scales. Around 71% of households undertake cropping in gardens
(more intensive with some irrigation) and dryland fields which are largely in the flood plain.
Access to fields in the roughly 400haof cropping fields on the flood plain is open to all 7
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villages, and access is generational, with a growing rental market as all land has been claimed
over the years, but not all families use their allocations on an ongoing basis.
The table below summarises the extent of agricultural activities in Sokhulu
Table 1: Extent of agricultural activities across Sokhulu, May2024 (n=140)
Activity
% of HH
Units
Comments
Gardens
68% (31% male,
37% female)
100m2-
1000m2
gardens are either quite small and at homestead level or
further away in wetland areas or the flood plain
Fields (flood
plain)
22% (9% male,
13% female)
1ha plots
Fields are in 1ha portions, where farmer mostly have
between 1 and 3 fields.
Fruit
production
19%
1-4 trees per
household
and ~20-100
at field level.
Trees include oranges, naartjies and bananas – grown at
scale in the flood plain and trees such as avocadoes,
mangoes and lemons planted more frequently at
household level.
Poultry
35%
Ave 14
chickens
Poultry consists of traditional chickens which roam freely
as well as small production units of broilers.Keeping of
layers is not common.
Goats
25%
Ave 12 goats
Goats roam freely, some homesteads have kraals but not
all
Livestock
25%
Ave 10 cattle
(2-50)
Cattle roam freely.Herders are employed. There is
conflict in the community from cattle invasion into fields
and gardens.
Crops commonly grown in the area are shown in the table below in decreasing percentages.
Interestingly participants who indicated ‘none’ as their crops, are those whose fields have been
inundated due to the back flooding from the closure of the mouth some eight years ago. This
gives an estimation of the lost fields as being around 23% of the total area. Sweet potatoes,
amadumbe and cabbages are the most common crops grown. In the dryland fields (on the
flood
plain) the most common crops grown are
sugar cane, sweet potatoes, amadumbe,
beans,
maize and bananas. It is clearform the
crop choices that farmers in the area
have adapted to cropping in these
wetland conditions with cyclical flooding
and water logging. Crops such as
amadumbe and bananas are planted in
the wetter areas of the fields and can
withstand high levels of water logging.
Irrigated crops consist of the vegetables
such as cabbages, spinach, onions,
lettuce, carrots, beetroot and tomatoes.
Below are a few indicative pictures of
farming in the floodplain
Figure 1: Above left: A typical dryland field in the flood plain planted to sugarcane and bordered with bananas and
Above right: Smaller fenced garden in the lower lying areas, close to sources of water producing crops such as
sweet potatoes, beans, cabbages and onions.
CROP
Percentage of respondents
Sseet potatoes
50
cabbage
43
amadumbe
39
spinach
30
onion
27
lettuce
22
None
23
potatoes
19
maize
18
green pepper
14
carrot
14
beetroot
14
tomatoes
12
oranges
10
naartjies
8
sugar cane
8
banana
6
8
Infrastructure
Uncontrolled development and haphazard management of small-scale gum plantations in the
area and these in addition to climate change impacts have led to a drastic decrease in in the
groundwater as well as wetland areas (around 36% reduction) in the last decade. These
issues combined with the
RBM mining and dunes, which
has changed the water flow
and management of the entire
area has had the outcome of
inundation of lower lying areas
leaving some homesteads
and fields under water, with a
drying out of the higher lying
areas with too little access to
water and drying out of
boreholes there.
Figure 2: A typical view of the poorer homesteads in the area. People have come into the area from as far as
Manguzi due to the work opportunities provided through the mines and the timber industry.
Figure 3: A view of a typical homestead in Sokhulu surrounded by a patchwork of gum plantations. In the foreground
a small swamp has formed close to the homestead, a trend that has increased in recent years, thought to be due
at least in part to the huge RBM duneschannelling water into this area both underground and as runoff from the
dunes. The ’hill’ in the background is a large, rehabilitated mining dune.
Given that the communities in Sokhulu have access to livelihoods options such as small scale
forestry, field cropping and livestock, which has provided for a reasonable and in some cases
substantial income for a proportion of the households and that thesecommunities have
ongoing development support (however badly managed) through RBM, the Umfolozi LM and
the Department of Agriculture, the overall situation in terms of livelihoods and poverty here
differs somewhat from villages inside the IMPA. Basic service provision through roads,
electricity and sanitation is more evident in the area.
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The graph below summarises infrastructural considerations in Sokhulu.
As shown in the types of services graph below the following further differentiation in service
provision can be made:
•Although access to electricity it available to the whole of Sokhulu (97%), use is limited
to around 84% of the community. Use of firewood for both cooking and light is equally
common (88%) and community members also use gas (21%) and paraffin (7%) for
appliances such as fridges and stoves. Firewood is cut locally from the numerous
plantations surrounding the homesteads and natural bush and forests.
•Water access of 35% at household level relates to access to taps in household yards
(22%) and 10% of households having JoJo tanks for rainwater harvesting. The 63%
without access to water at household level are likely to have some access through
communal standpipes or having to rely on water provision through Municipal water
tankers. In community meetings held the issue of lack of access to water was raised
as an immediate and important concern. It appears that some small borehole
dependent water schemes reticulated to communal standpipes have run dry and that
provision of water by the municipality in these cases has been very intermittent.
•Toilet access of 97% relates pit latrines, either supplied through the municipality,
development projects or home built. Only 3% of households have access to
waterborne sewage – the assumption here is that these household have their own
septic tanks, as there is no sewage network or treatment in the region.
•With respect to housing, 29%of households have had support from government in the
form of RDP houses. This signifies a large state intervention in housing support for the
Sokhulu community as this percentage of support is considered substantial when
compared to other rural communities both in the region and in rural areas of KZN more
generally.
•There is no municipal solid water collection process in Sokhulu.
•Cell phone reception in the area is limited with only 34% of community members being
bale to access networks such as Vodacom and MTN.
•With respect to roads, 59% of respondents mentioned that accessisprovided by
gravel roads and the other 41% responded that there were no roads.Away from the
long stretch of unpaved road providing access into Sokhulu (which is not in a good
condition), the smaller tracks in and around villages have been made by locals for
access to surrounding bush and plantations as well as the floodplain. These tracks
haven’t been officially graded but are rough approximations of roads made through
use. Due to the sandynature of the region, these can quickly become impassable
when used by heavy vehicles such as tractors with trailers and also when wet.
Electricity
Water in
household
or yard
Toilets RDP HousesWaste
collection
Network
connection Roads
Available 97 35 97 29034 56
Not available363 367 98 66 41
0
20
40
60
80
100
Percentage
Access to services
10
The access to services is also reflected in the development needs and priorities mentioned by
respondents, as shown in the graph below.
Respondents focused on the need for reliable access to drinking water, job opportunities,
roads, education and opening of the river mouth. A thread passing through all these requests
is the need for equity in provision of services.
Social organisation
The proportion of respondents who belong tosocial groups/organisations is limited to 38%. Of
these the following groups are active in these villages:
33%
Burial societies
72%
Stokvels
21%
Church groups
5%
Women’s groups
Similar to other rural areas, the larger proportion of women belong to these groups and us
these social organisations to provide economic and social safety nets for themselves and their
families.
Both the Local Municipality and the Traditional Councils (TCs) are important in Sokhulu for
access to services and development and conduct meetings in the community which are
reportedly well attended. Development and farming committees are linked to the TCs. Despite
strong participation and reliance on these institutions only around 43-56% of respondents felt
that they could trust these institutions. A typical explanation from these community members
revolves around the need of the community to be involved in decision-making, equity across
Eskom tank Tap Pit
toilets
water
toilets
Govern
ment
self
built All Vodaco
mMtn gravel
Electricity Water Toilets House Network Roads
Series1 9710 22 94329 49 17 11 59
0
20
40
60
80
100
Percentage
Typesofservices
7
60
43
12 715 22
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
livestock ruin farms
BadRoads
Water accessbility
Empty promises/unfair treatment
Lack of businesses
Closure of the estuary
Employment
Remote location
Percentage
Main development challenges
11
villages and community members in terms of benefit from services and projects and the need
for these leaders to provide feedback and information to community members.
Natural resource management
Human intervention has substantially impacted on the ecosystems of this flood plain, primarily
through vast expanses of gum plantations (commercial forestry commenced here around
1933), sugar cane (started around 1959) and dune mining (RBM started these operations in
2004), the longer-term impacts of which are now becoming evident through both a substantial
reduction in the groundwater and water quality issues in the area and the consequences of
channelisation of the local rivers – the latter which has also impacted heavily on coastal and
mangrove ecosystems and the loss of wetlands.
The Sokhulu traditional council area is based at the southern tip of the Isimangaliso Wetland
Park, with only the previous eMapelani Reserve area incorporated into the reserve itself, a
point that is seemingly not well understood by either the TC or the community members. This
area is further north towards the coast with the confluence of the St Lucia estuary and the
Umfolozi and Umsunduze rivers and is not populated, as people were removed from there
when the Wetland Park was formed in the late 90s’. The Sokhulu villages/isigodi that abut on
this area are Ehlanzeni and Ehluwini, where the Sokhulu Traditional Council office is housed.
In the past, prior to the establishment of the IWPA, tourism activities created some income for
the broader community. The eMapelani Reserve area is one of the 14 odd land claims that
have been lodged against the park. At the same time, the Sokhulu community trust is
benefiting from an annual payment from the reserve. Funds from this payment is meant to
support the fenced communal crop lands (roughly ~200ha) on the floodplain, supporting with
tractors for ploughing, input subsidies and transport of produce from the plain to collection
points in the villages higher up.Presently this committee is under review for misuse of these
funds.
Community members understandtheir impact on the environment, with close to 90% of
respondents feeling that it is important to protect the environment. All community members
use local resources for grazing oflivestock, harvesting reeds and medicinal plants,harvesting
wood (buildingand firewood) as wellas marine resources (fishing and coastal harvesting),
mainly for food. As mentioned,agricultural production is common in the area.
The largest land use, which covers most ofthe area is gum plantations, as shown in the google
earth snapshot of eHlanzeni and the tribal courtbelow, as an example. There are small,
clearedareas around homesteads, but the vast majority of the land is covered by plantations,
natural forest/bush patches and small localised bogs and wetlands.
12
Figure 4: Spread of plantations in the Sokhulu area
In terms of marine resources, around 30% of the community interact with the marine
environment as shown in the small graph below. For this community recreational and spiritual
sues were also mentioned.
In comparison to the northern
villages in the IWPA, there is a
much lower proportion of
people in Sokhulu who make
use of marine resources, as
shown in the graph alongside.
Roughly 45% of respondents
felt that marine resources are
managed sustainably, through
a combination of local
knowledge (knowing not to
catch the small fish), seasonal
fishing (which allows fish
stocks to replenish) as well as restrictions and laws through IWP and Ezemvelo. Community
members are aware of the need for fishing and hunting permits, but only those involved
understand which authority is responsible for what. They consider protection of this resource
important for sustainability, livelihoods andfuture generations. Mention was made of changes
0
20
40
60
80
100
Fish Mussels Sea water for
medicinal use
SwimmingSandSpiritual use
Percentage
Marine resources used
13
in the marine environment which included depletion of fish stock due to changes in climate
and also due to there being too many fishers. They also mentioned that the mangroves have
reduced a lot and what was left has died back in the last eight years due to the closure of the
rive mouth. This has reduced their function of managing water levels in the lower lying areas
as well as reducing the marine resources such as crabs and certain fish.
In Sokhulu, the villages engage less with IWPA, with only 8% of households obtaining contract
work through IWP management activities, 3% obtaining access to bursaries, 4% stating that
they get support for their gardens, and 70% stating there are no benefits. The table below
outlines what community members know about the IWPA.
There is a reasonably large number of community members who believe the IWPA closed the
river mouth (35%). Others believe it was done by Richards Bay Minerals (RBM). In general,
there is an inherent understanding of the cyclical nature of the wetland system and the impact
of channelisation on the system. For most community members, but specifically the farmer on
the floodplain this is understood as a positive intervention.
2.1.3 Recommendations for intervention from baselines
Recommendations
ØWorking with village-based groupsof farmers to explore adaptive measures and
climate resilient agriculture practices and to set up a process of experimentation with
different options and ideas to improve the management of water and soil on the
floodplain as well as at the homesteadsor the smaller communal gardens.
ØTaking some soil and water samples across the flood plain to ascertain the fertility and
quality of the water (there is suspicion among community members ofpoisoning of the
water through the RBM mining operations).
ØComparison ofconditions on the floodplain in winter and summer, as well as further
discussions with key informants about channels, patches of natural vegetation, flood
control and scenarios for management. This will need input from agricultural engineers
and hydrologists, as well as some form of mapping.
ØEngagement with the community for awareness raising and information provision
around the functioning of the system, the impacts of closure and opening/dredging of
the river mouth and the impact of different land use practices, to better inform more
sustainable landuse practices.
ØContinuation of liaison between MDF and the Wildtrust restoration team to allow for
village-based clearing of unwanted gum plantations and recovering these areas as
productive land, through agroforestry systems.
ØFarmers have asked for irrigation options, fencing and dredging of the Msunduzi
mouth. They are open to trying out new ideas and crops,such as mulching,
conservation agriculture, fodder crops and possibly rice, but warned that people on
Protect our
coast
Protect our
nature Don’t know
It closed
the river
mouth
Same as
Wildlife Hire peopleNo fishingEmpty
promises
Series1 813 21 35610 5 5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Percentage
What do you know about IWP
14
these plains have been doing the same thing for a long time and would be reluctant to
change.
ØIWPA to engage more constructively with the community in terms of information
provision, outlining rules and regulations and appreciation for the livelihoods
constraints of the community members.
2.1.4 Climate change adaptation (CCA)workshops
Mabibi Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) workshop
Following the finalization of CCA workshops with the community, attention shifted to the YES
interns where it was their turn to put the climate change topic into a bit more perspective.
These workshops are2 to 2,5 days and includes an assessment of climate change impacts,
Seasonality diagrams (temperature and rainfall) to visualize changes, discussion ofscientific
and community understanding of changes that are occurring, practices and activities in the
villages in the past, present and future. Suggestions for adaptive strategies form the group are
discussedand these are in relation to water, soil crops, livestock and natural resources.
In Mabibi the 2-day process included preparing trenches and organic matter that goes into the
trenches with the second day taking the whole group through the idea on deep trenches,
organic matter and shade tunnels, mulching as one strategy to climate change adaptation
practice.
Mabibi is a small community in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, also known as Zululand, situated in
a wetland and a proclaimed national park under the management of iSimangaliso and
Ezemvelo. The community consists of smallholder farmers with livestock such as cattle, goats,
and traditional chickens. They also have household gardens where they grow vegetables and
field crops like maize, sweet potatoes, cassava, and nuts. However, production has declined
due to intense heat and reduced rainfall. Some farmers have stopped tending to their gardens
because crops are either not growing or are spoiled by too much rain. Others face pest issues
in their gardens.
The purpose of this workshop is to train the YES youth group and Hub staff on innovative
ways to assist the community in adapting to climate change. First, they must understand the
concept of climate change, how it occurs, and how to mitigate its effects.
Past, Present, and Future
Past
•About 90% of households used to grow watermelons, but now it's difficult.
•Imbuya (indigenous spinach) and iskilwane (wild tomatoes) used to grow in grazing
lands.
•Indigenous fruits like Bonsi, Amathundulula, Amavilo, Inonsane, Amatemela, and
Amadongwa thrived in the park.
•Sugarcane was also widely grown.
Present
•Temperatures in the community are rising.
•Isibhayi Dam is decreasing in volume, making it harder to catch fish.
•Springs within the park are drying out.
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•Rainfall is inconsistent, and pumpkins are rotting before maturity due to extreme
weather fluctuations.
•Tornadoes have been reported along the coast.
•Alien invasive species are spreading in the park.
•Wildlife in Mabibi is relocating as their food sources are disappearing.
Future
•Droughts will become more severe.
•Lake Sibaya may dry up completely.
•Both commercial and subsistence farming may cease.
•Livestock production will decline due to drought and poor grazing.
•National economic collapse and widespread famine could occur.
•Unemployment, poverty, and crime will increase.
•Tourism in the area will decline.
•Indigenous plants and herbs will go extinct in the wetland, and invasive species will
take over the park.
Scientific Presentation on Climate Change
SAEON presented research on climate change impacts in South Africa, focusing on recent
events like tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods. The youth group connected the presentation to
their own observations, including a recent tornado along the coast that damaged households in
Enkovukeni. The presentation also highlighted the declining water levels in lake Sibaya,
exacerbated by gum plantations.
Seasonality Diagrams
Two groups were tasked with creating charts to depict current rainfall and temperature levels.
The first group found that temperatures have been steadily rising, shortening winters and
disrupting seasonal patterns. The second group noted that while rainfall seems to follow
traditional seasonal patterns, it is less effective, with shorter, less beneficial showers.
Possible Solutions by the YES Youth
Figure 5: Groups presenting their seasonality diagrams
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•Reduce the number of plantations (such as Gumtrees) in the area
•Promote the clearing of alien invasive species
•Establish firebreaks and encourage fire monitoring
•Replant indigenous trees and plants that have disappeared
•Reduce livestock density to prevent overgrazing and erosion
•Stop the burning of veld (grassland) in the community
Climate-Resilient Agricultural Practices
Following the workshop, the focus shifted to agricultural practices aimed at combating climate
change. Many community members have stopped growing crops due to high temperatures,
droughts, and pest problems. Those still trying face additional challenges, including lack of
water. Practices such as deep trenches, micro-tunnels, and tower gardens are being introduced
to help mitigate these issues.
The YES youth and Hub staff will monitor the implementation of these practices, adjusting
based on the needs of each field. For example, a farmer with a steep field might implement
contour farming, while those facing water scarcity may benefit from micro-tunnels or trench
beds.
Demonstration Day
On 18 September 2024, a demonstration took place at the household of Hlengiwe Makhanya,
who met the criteria for showcasing climate-resilient farming methods. The YES youth
observed the construction of micro-tunnels, which began with digging deep trenches for
planting beds. Layers of green and dry matter, along with cattle manure and soil, were used to
create fertile planting beds. After constructing the tunnel, seedlings of diverse crops—such as
beetroot, kale, spinach, and herbs—were planted to promote biodiversity, which helps control
pests. Mulching was applied to regulate soil temperature and moisture and to improve soil
fertility.
Figure 6: YESteam preparing trenches at Hlengiwe Makhanya’s
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Three tunnels have been installed in this village, benefiting Nomahlathi Thwala, Sibongile
Ntuli, and Hlengiwe Mkhanya, all of whom meet the criteria as heads of their households.
Materials had to be sourced from outside the households. The heads requested manure from
neighbors with livestock, and the field team and YES helped load and transport it. The same
was done for organic matter, with a large pile from grass cutting and maintenance at the hub,
which was transported in two truckloads to the sites and used to fill the trenches.
Nomahlathi is an elderly woman living with her grandchildren, with grants being the
household's main source of income. When the field team arrived, she was emotional, pointing
to her children's graves in the yard. Her eldest son passed away while halfway through building
her house. The tunnel will allow her to grow fresh vegetables year-round, complementing her
field crops like peanuts and maize.
Figure 8: Nomahlathi Thwala delighted at her tunnel where she will be growing vegetables
Figure 7: YES team putting up its first ever tunnel
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Hlengiwe Mkhanya, another household head, is part of the "missing middle" and supplements
child support grants by making mats. She has tried farming for household consumption, but
livestock have posed challenges. The introduction of a shade tunnel will improve her farming
efforts by keeping livestock out and enabling year-round cultivation. Of the three households,
Sibongile’s soil was the poorest—extremely sandy with little organic matter. Her trenches were
filled with the most organic material and manure.
The Ntuli family relies heavily on their garden, which has dark, fertile soil due to silt and
organic matter buildup. It was the only garden where we found earthworms. Located at the
lowest point of the property, the garden
retains moisture, and Sibongile has
dug two pits to collect water for
irrigation. When we arrived, she was
growing a variety of crops, including
spinach, onions, peppers, cabbage, and
peanuts. Sibongile also collects
incema, a type of grass, to make and
sell mats to supplement her income
from child support grants and her
pension.
Figure 9: Tunnel mulched with leaves at Hlengiwe Makhanya's
Figure 9: Dark soils with organic matter and earthworms at the Ntuli household with team digging trenches
19
In the absence of field staff, the Mabibi YES team along with extension officers based at the
hub visited Nonkululeko Makhanya and Sibongile Mbonambi; selected participants who fit the
criteria; and dug trenches. Upon the field team return to Mabibi on the 14th of October 2024, a
trench was put up at Sibongile Mbonambi where kraal manure was collected from a nearby
household. Poles were bent and left at Nonkululeko Makhanya’s and the field team managed
to successfully put up her tunnel.
Figure10:: Sibongile Ntuli's tunnel done and planted with seedlings
Figure 11: Mabibi YES team's first independently put up tunnel at Nonkululeko Makhanya's
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2.1.5Two daytraining on gardening; establishing a garden, soil and water
This process consistedof a group theory session, where we looked at siting a garden, looking
at points to consider when placing a garden as well as living soil. This was followed by another
dayof working together on building a shade tunnel garden for1 of the 5 participants who were
identifiedby field staff along with hub staff since the communitynever pitched for meetings.
Figure 12: Nqobile delivering gardening presentation to the YES interns
Agriculture is one of the main livelihoods which the community of KwaDapha cherish and make
a living from and is mainly subsistence. The community members have livestock such as goats
and some have cattle. Majority of the community have gardens in their homesteads where
they plant vegetables, some of the fields crops such as beans and nuts, and they have fruit
trees within their households. The aim of this workshop was to provide a garden training to
the YES intern youth group who are stationed at KwaDapha Hub, this training will equip the
Interns with the necessary set ofskills, knowledge and bitof technical know-how to help
smallholder farmers within the community toimprove their agricultural standing through new
agricultural practices seeking to increaseresilienceto climate change and are environmental
sensitive.
The workshop wasdivided into four sessions, the first sessionwas an activity for theYES
intern. They were requested to come up with the garden layout they know in their communities,
draw them on the flip charts provided and present them afterward. The second sessionwas a
discussion on garden layout focusing on aspect, slope, wind as well as waterand soil
management. The third sessionfocused on living soils, which focused on soil structure, soil
fertility andpractical practices seeking to increase fertility in the soil for better crop
performance.
21
Current garden drawing presentations
The YES interns weredivided into three groups where they were requested to come up with
a garden layoutthey knew of. In this exercise the groups were asked to draw a garden they
allnew or from one of their homes and were grouped into their communities they come from,
these drawings were to include types of crops planted in the garden, where they get water for
irrigation, types of practices involved in the garden. Then were also asked to give detailson
their layout on garden slope, aspect, water pathways after heavy rains and wind direction.
Oneindividual; Mqondisi; was asked to dohis layoutalone and the reason behind that was
the fact the has his own garden on abit of alarger scalewhere he grows for both eating and
selling. Afterwardsthat they were asked to appoint one member to present their layout on
behalf of the entire group. The main purpose of this exercise was to get to know some of the
activities practised in this areain details, but most importantly to pick up whatthe YES intern
understands about gardening in general.
Presentations done were
from the KwaDapha,
Nkathweni, Emasakeni
and Mvutshana
communities. According
to the presentation and
the drawings in their
chat, most crops planted
were carrots, spinach
and cassava and they
were all mono crops. The
farmers are struggling in
water access however
they managed to get
water irrigation from
water stored in JOJO
tanks (rainwater) and
some have boreholes in
their households. One common technique or practice in obtaining water is, farmers would dig
a few metres down at any spot at the garden or cropping field and water would come out from
the shallow water tables and this is a practice in all communities. Another advantage is the
fact that the gardens are surrounded by trees meaning they are hidden from strong winds.
And most areas are not steep, hence the municipality’s name “Umhlabuyalingana” meaning
flatlands, so surface run-off is hardly an issue in this area. Wild animals like monkeys and
hippos are a huge challenge for the farmers.
Figure 13: KwaDapha group presentation of current farming practices
22
Figure14:: Emasakeni village garden presentation
From the presentations, farmers generally buy seeds and do their own seedlings which they
transplant in the bigger plots fences with branches, nets and iron sheets. These seedlings are
produced closer to tall trees under shade and watered. Birds are a hugeproblem as gardens
are done in between naturalvegetation and tress, scarecrwos are a practice in Nkathweni and
they seem to be deterring some birds, however, there has been an increase in birds camping
in garden and fields where participants in other villages stay out in the day chasing them away.
Kraal manure from cattle and gats are common fertility amendment used when growing food
where it is mixed with the soil before planting. Compost pits are also common, where organic
matter is plied in a pit and used at the base of the basins when seedlings are transplanted.
Some villages are exposed to pesticides and use pyrethroid based products to treat aphids
on cabbages and other leafy crops. Mqondisi in Mvutshana has access to and uses synthetic
fertilizers for his cash crops such as chillies and leafy greens. Interns did bring across that
crop selection also was influenced by water available in the wetlands area where they normally
do their gardens. Crops such as cabbages, amadumbe, banana and carrots are planted in
moist areas where these crops can flourish more as to opposedto maize for example which
doesn’t like too much water.
Mqondisi has been experimenting with summer cover crops in sunnhemp that he is growing
to replenish his soils with organic matter and nutrients. He saves seed from his sunnhemp to
plant the following season and rotates his sunnhemp with chillies and vegetables. His plots
never run dry as he has borehole water that he pumps to a tank and irrigates using sprinklers
when it gets too hot.
Garden layout and design
This section was a discussion which wasfacilitated by Nqobile Mbokaziwhere he started by
the garden layout which the YES interns were not aware of. Here he was putting emphasis
that gardens are not just made anywhere but careful consideration of aspect, north and south
facing slopes,must be looked at. Aspect has animpact on the performance of crops as the
north facing slops is known to be the warmest, this
23
Figure15:: Nqobile talking to aspect, wind, sun and slope to the group
is because when the sun rise in the morning, this aspect is the first to receive the sunlight,
and during the afternoon when the sunlight is intense it is also the first to receive shade. While
the South Facing slope is the opposite of the North facing slope. So,it is preferable to establish
your garden in the North facing slope.Wind is another important factor as it has the potential
to dry out soils. So, the garden must be protected from heavy destructive winds that will
damage crops. If not protected by buildings, gardens need a buffer in trees and shrubs that
will reduce the impact ofthe wind before getting to the garden. Yes, plants do need air, but
winds can eat away crops slowly like sandpaper if exposed.
The second factor which the farmer should also be mindful of is water management, there are
two events which can take place as far as water is concerned, the first one being too much
water in the yard of the farmer. This means if the farmer has a sloped area which encourages
surface run-off on the area,it is significant to know the collection points ofthe water during
rainfall and its direction. There are practices which can help the farmer to manage the situation
of toomuchwater in the yard, such as cut-off ditches and diversionfurrows. Farmers cannot
have gardens where water collects and sists nor do they want it at the driest part of the area.
So somewhere in the middle where run off can be either be slowed down or stopped thus
encouraging more infiltration and access to crops thereafter. Cut off drain and diversion
ditches arephysical alterations of the landscape and management tools farmers can
implement to control the water and channel it somewhere useful. The steepness of the slops
has great influence ofthe speed of water and its soil eroding capacity and this is crucial for
the sustainability of farming.
Living soils
This section was a discussion about soilmanagement facilitated by Mazwi Dlamini. A question
posed by the facilitator: Why do we use fertilizers to the soil? Most of the YES youth answered
by saying “We use fertilizers as means of trying to produce food” and some answered by
saying “To enrich the soil because of the situation were plants just dies”. Mazwi responded by
saying that fertilizers area temporary fix and not a permanent solution to the poor soil fertility
problem. Fertilizers are ratherlikepills which are like vitamins that offers a temporal solution
for specific deficiencies but does not solve the problem in the soil. Soil ailments are a result of
24
“mining” practices where farmers farm without replenishing nutrients back and they eventually
run low and run out. Much like unhealthy eating habits in human, coupled with excessive
drinking and lack of exercise, the body with not cope with threats thus making the person
prone to falling sick. Sound practices such as minimal disturbance, permanent soils cover for
organic matter and rotations keep the soil healthy thus crops perform well. Then he continues
by sharing the concept of the living soils, the soilis has life, it needs different kinds of nutrients
to stay alive, it needs water to survive and it also needs oxygen, nitrogen for healthy leaves
and stems, phosphorus for strong health roots and potassium for lowering and bearing fruit,
this lead to the NPK discussion that farmers buy in fertilizers. It is a farmer’s responsibility to
take care of the soil by making sure that all its needs are met so that the soil will take care of
the farmer, healthy soils can be identified through good organic matter and presenceof living
organisms in itsuch as earthworms. Healthy soil has good structure and are able to hold water
thus reduce run off.
Figure16:: Discussion on living soils by Mazwi Dlamini
There are three major nutrient which are observed when looking at the soil fertility, they are
Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK). This does not mean that they soil onlyneeds
these three nutrients, there are other nutrients needed by the soil which are significant as well,
however these three nutrients just have more seen results which are easily detected. For
Example, Nitrogen is seen on the leaves oftheplants, if the plant has insufficient nitrogen
leaves turn yellow or brown. Phosphorus providesthe plant with good root system and strong
stem and when the plant lacks phosphorus the leaves turn fiery red at the edge of the leaves.
Potassium helps the tree to produce and bear fruit and flowers.
There are organic ways to supplement these major nutrients in the soil without the use of
synthesised chemicals or nutrients. Cattle manure, Chicken manure, rabbit manure, planting
of legumes and cover crops can supplement Nitrogen in the soil. Bones, bone meal, comfrey,
chicken manure and wood ash can supplement Phosphorus and Potassium. A question from
the YES group: “If pig manure also recommended”. Mazwi: “ideally pigs do have a lot of
nutrients in their by product or manure, but the issue is pig usually have a lot of diseases
detected from them which end up being easily transferred to humans as well, so there are lot
of complicated procedures which are to be followed when dealing with pigs in general”
25
Acidity
Soil can also be found to be acidic which also one of the factors which cause the soil to be
unproductive. The PH of the soil should be always neutral which is represented by 7 in the PH
scale. PH of 6.5 or 7.5 is also preferable not less, and not more. Acidity is usually caused by
excessive application of fertilizers and can be neutralised by liming.Soils can be healthy and
acidic, thus making nutrients in the soil unavailable to crops leading to stunted growth.
Conclusion
A lot of information was shared in one dayand the day was quite long, the YES hada lot to
digest and reflect on. The training went well, the Interns participatedand 30 manuals were
distributed to the groupfor them to revisit these discussions, thesemanuals are also now their
“bible” as far as intensive homestead production is concerned and will provide them with
guides in assisting the greater community.
Day 2: Practical demonstration of practices
This was a demonstration day demonstrating where the group was goingto put into practice
what was discussed the previous day. The day would be a collection ofpractices for improved
gardening where water, soil, diversification, greywater and intensified production would be
exemplified. A construction of a micro tunnel, with trenches filled with organic matter and drip
irrigation along witha tower gardenmaking use ofa small space to grow food enough for a
household while using grey water to somewhatrelieve demand for water to irrigate crops were
to workwith and shown in detail to the group for them to be able to help implement thesein
the community.All preparations of the demonstration were done prior to this day, where most
of the required materials such as manure, and dry matter were collected and keptat the
demonstration site.
Most ofthe YES interns seemed to have forgotten the CRA practices discussion and some
information on the micro-tunnel and tower garden. A summary and a reminder of the CRA
practices specifically the micro tunnel and a Tower Garden was shared withthe youth group.
The first demonstration was the micro-tunnel where we started by measuring the site where a
tunnel was appointed, the measurement being 6m X 4m which are the measurement of the
tunnel. The second step was digging up the deep trenches with the measurement of 1metre
width 5 metres length and 1 metre depth, the YES group were given an opportunity to measure
and dig all three trenches under supervision of MDF stuff members.
26
Figure 17:The how and why of trench beds
Trench bedswere filled upby adding dry matter and manure creating layers on the trenches
from bottom until just above ground level. The first layer of the trenches is supposed to have
tins and bone, adding calcium and zinc in the soil, however these materials were not found
during this demonstrationand thus bonemeal was spread. Next was demonstrating the
bending of the steel-poles using ajigand joining the two-bent polesthrough a coupling
creating one ark shaped pole which makes the shape of a tunnel,then the youth were given
an opportunity to bed the rest of the poles and joined them using joints. The back of the tunnel
and the front of the shade tunnel structure were sown in using the poles and the netwith field
staff demonstrating this and handing over to the group to try out.
Figure18:: Demonstration and bending of pipes by the group ahead of tunnel construction
27
After the back and the front of the tunnel were created and all the poles were joint, the following
step was to install the poles to the ground. A huge disadvantage in this demonstration site is
the fact that the soil or the ground is very sandy with looseparticles making it difficult for the
poles to stand strong in the ground. Having this knowledge before time was a real game
changer to this situation as we have planned for it. The plan was to make concrete and hold
it using 5Litre bottles then make a 14cm deep hole at the centre of the bottle which is a perfect
size of the steel-pole, the idea wasto use this concrete as an anchor of the steel-poles giving
the tunnel strength to stand still underground.
After the poles have been grounded strong tothe ground, the lastpiece of the net wentover
the poles and sewed to the pole starting from the top of the pole to the bottom covering and
completing the tunnel. Upon finishing the tunnela sense of pride filled the atmosphere as the
YES youth were soexcited and proud of their efforts. Afterthe tunnel was completed, 120
seedlings were planted on the trench beds (kale, mustard, spinach, chinese cabbage, brinjal,
thyme, coriander, parsley, chillies and onions).Particular attention was given to how the
seedlings were combined where we looked at leafy crops, bulbing crops as well as herbs. It
important to have a diversity of crops in your beds where onions, chillies, parsley, thyme and
coriander can protect greensliked by pests. The diversity in the garden makes it difficult for
pests to “target” spinach, cabbages and other vegetables. The different crops also use
different nutrients and have different water requirements thus reducing competition. Farmers
also have a variety of crops to choose from thus increasing intake of various nutrient with
herbs such as parsley aiding in blood pressure reduction while thyme help fight off bacterial
and fungal infections. Lastly, drip irrigation system; prepared by the YES groupwerealso
demonstrated and installed in the tunnel.
Tower garden
During the climate change workshop, a tower garden was demonstrated on one of the
homesteads in the community. The Yes Youth was presentduring the demonstration, this time
the tower garden was to be installed at the community hub it was a chancefor the YES youth
to show how much they remembered. They started by mixing cattle manure with the soil
because they had already sewed the net together. They then used a five-litre bottle cutting its
top and bottom leaving the body of the bottle throughout.
The hollow bottle was used to make the stone column in the centre of this garden held by the
soil-manure and wood ash mix.This process was repeated until the garden stood talland was
plantedin the body and at the top. However, they had forgotten the guideline for using grey
water in the tower which is like the drip irrigation system as well. They were then reminded
that grey water is not used right after being used, but it must first be kept in a drum with wood
ashadded to flush out the soap and chemical and neutralise before it can be provided to
crops. Importantly, crops do need fresh clean water once a week to wash themselves of the
greywater.
Figure19:: Putting together drip kits from scratch and lining them on beds
28
Figure20: Planting the tower garden
29
Figure 21: Snippets from the KwaDapha demonstrationworkshop
30
Figure 22: Tunnel construction at Bhekiwe Ngubane
Enkovukeni is one of the communities along the coastline feeling and witnessing the impact
ofclimate change. Because of this reality, most of the homesteads in the community have quit
farming in the field and in the gardens which greatly increased the issue of hunger and
malnutrition in the community. Therecent storm in the areathat occurred in the winter season
destroyed people’shomesand whatever crops left and villagers are still putting their lives back
together months after.
As means of trying to assist the community, climate changeadaptation workshops were done
with boththe communityand YES group. This was important so they have a better
understanding of climate change from both a global and local scale andto look closely at their
current situationin relation to climate for better planning, implementation and reflection
throughtrying new farming practices. The idea is to encourage as many farmers as possible
to implement Climate Resilient Agricultural (CRA)practices in their households, with the
assistance of the YES interns stationed at Enkovukeni hub for better outcome from their
farming activities. For the YES interns to be capable of assistingvillagers, must undergo
trainingsessions, looking at climate change, its impacts and possible solutionsthey employ
in assisting farmers.
The second step which we are currently at is to equip theYES youth with Garden training,
which will suit the implementation of the CRA practices. This training was set to take place at
Enkovukeni from 27thof August to the 29thof August, starting with the theoretical site of it and
ending with a demonstration of one of the CRA practices. Because of the weather threatening
rain, it was decided that we start with the demonstration, which was installing a micro tunnel,
as we can have a theoretical part of the training under a shelter of Enkovukeni hub.
This demonstration tookplace at one of the households which was chosen as one of the
beneficiaries most vulnerable in the community. Bekiwe Ngubaneis a household head and
one of the most vulnerable households head living with her unemployed daughter and
grandchild. She is one of the people who were severely impacted by the tornado which
31
destroyed her home and gardento theextent that they had to construct temporary shelter of
iron sheeting as their house was destroyed.
Demonstration (Micro-tunnel)
The 27thof August was a preparation day, where deep trenches were dug, material such as
cattle manure and dry matter were arranged, and concreate stands were made. On the
demonstration Day, a brief recap on the climate change workshop and the CRA practices was
discussed as a reminder to the YES intern as most of them had forgotten. The first step was
filling in the trench bed to make a seed bed. In a total of three deep trench beds, each bed
had a width of one meter, five meters in length and one meter deep. The first layer of the
trench had to have tins and bones, unfortunately the hub staffcould not obtain these materials
within the community, as a result we fist layer started with moredry matter, which were fallen
leaves from the trees, and some were leaves from dead trees. Because we did not have tins
and bones, we applied more dry matter and manure in the trencheslined with bonemeal, the
first layer being dry matter and the second layer being cattle manure, the cyclecontinues until
the trenches are full andbeds are made.
Figure 23: Filling up trenches and making beds
The second step was bending the steel poles to make that ark shape using a geek which is a
tool used to bend steel poles. This activity was demonstrated onto them, and they were given
an opportunity to bed the rest of the poles. The third step was to join the poles using a steel
joint creating that perfect ark shape giving a picture on the framework ofthe tunnel.The fourth
step was creating the back of the tunnel and the front of the tunnel with an entry point. It was
demonstrated on making the back of and the front of the tunnel, the important key is making
sure that the poles are 4 meters wide and sewing the net to the poles, making sure that the
net is tight on the poles and not sagging. With supervision, YES youth were able to make the
back of the net and the front.
32
Figure 24: Joining poles and sewing on of nets
The Fifth step was to install the poles to the ground, which was going to be quite a challenge
to do as the ground is very sandy. To counter that we created concrete stands using five-liter
bottle for alleight points of the archs, the idea was to make it anchor the poles to the ground
and assist sand to hold the tunnel down. After the poles were installed to the ground a larger
piece of the net was then used to cover the entire tunnel and sewed to the steel poles, and
then the twoY-standard were used to anchor the tunnel. After the tunnel was completed and
standing, we demonstrated the installation of drip irrigation, each seed bed had to have two
pipes and its own bucketwith sand in it whichact as a filter. It was emphasized that before
grey water is usedin the garden,wood ash must be applied to the water first and stored for a
week ortwo as woodash wouldneutralize the detergents on the water. The last step was
planting the vegetable seedling which were Chinese cabbage, mustard, Eggplant, spinach,
kale, onions, parsley, coriander and thyme.
33
Figure 10: Finishing off tunnel and installing drips
After the demonstration the hub staffwere confident on installing a micro-tunnel on their own,
however they will need a bit more practices to grasp the whole thing. The MDFteam will be
supervising the installation of other tunnels in the households of Enkovukeni.
Figure 26: YES interns having go at drips
34
Figure 27: A job well done in Enkovukeni
Field cropping demonstration workshops in Mabibi and Enkovukeni
Conservation Agriculture (No-Till) Demonstration
Following a climate change workshop
held atboth Enkovukeniand Mabibi, it
became clear to smallholder farmers that
it was time to adopt new methods to
ensure food production. Conservation
Agriculture (CA) emerged as one of the
most effective and reliable practices in
combating the effects of climate change
through soil conservation, moisture
retention through permanent soil cover on
and of season as well as growing soil
enriching crops. The purpose of the
workshop was to demonstrate the
principles of Conservation Agriculture,
also known as No-Till farming. The demonstration was conducted at the home of a smallholder
farmer, Bongiwe Manzini, atEnkovukeni and Mr Thwala at Mabibi.
Figure 28: CA planting demo atthe Manzini's
35
The first session of the day focused onexplaining the concept of(CA)and how minimum till
farming fits into this framework. CA involves agricultural practices that benefit both the soil and
the surrounding environment. These practices aim to improve both agricultural productivity
and environmental sustainability. CA plays a huge role in improving soil health and fertility
while encouraging soil cover throughout the seasons. According to community members,
monocropping of maize and cassava has been prevalent in the area, with cassava still being
a dominant staple monocrop today. However, CAstrongly discourages monocropping in
favourof mixed cropping, intercropping,
crop rotationand relay cropping. This
session was followed by a demonstration
of various seed crops that are compatible
with one another and can be rotated each
season.Summer Cover crops and Lucene
were new crops in the eyes of the farmers
in this area.
Next, we visited the demonstration site at
Bongiwe Manzini’s household. The plot
was 7 x 6 meters, and due to the small
size, the demonstration was set up in
strips. Each strip had two rows, resulting
in a total of 10 strips, each 6 meters in
length.
Demo Layout:
1.Maize
2.Beans
3.Sweet Corn (SCC)
4.Cowpeas
5.Lucerne
6.Maize
7.Beans
Potential Challenges
The farmers were excited about the new crops they saw and expressed interest in growing
more of them, particularly summer cover cropsand lucerne. However, they also voiced
concerns about several challenges. One major concern was the presence of monkeys and
hippos, which frequently interfere with crop production. Another challenge was the lack of rain,
which led to fearsthat the seeds planted could dry out before the rains arrived. To address
this, the farmers considered using micro-tunnels for planting field crops.
At the end of the demonstration, the farmers requested fencing for their "trial" plots, as they
believed it would help protect their crops from hippos, as for Monkeys they can try to guard
them from interference. The demonstration was a success, as the farmers were eager to try
planting the new seeds at their homes, despite the significant challenges they face. A total of
20 farmers were given seeds to plant, including maize, summercover crops, beans, cowpeas,
and lucerne.
Figure 29: Various seed participants took home to plant
their CA plots
36
In Mabibi,the demonstartion was one on plot with maize that poolry germinated with both the
communityand YES interns. Strips of maize, beans,SCC and cowpeas were done suing
manure at the base of the basins and tramlines. The group was eager to sow in seed to help
with rebuilding the soil. They volunttered to do their own plots as they had to clean them off
weeds first.
Figure 30: Snippets from the demonstration in Enkovukeni
Figure 31: CA demonstration in Mabibi at Mr Thwala's
37
Sokhulu field visit and CCA workshop report
Introduction
This report serves to give a summary of the main findings from the field visit to Sokhulu village
undertaken by MDF on the 4thof November which included walkabouts in four homesteads and a
discussion around their farming activities. The field visit was a fruitful one as it shed light on existing
activities, which helped identify pressing issues and possible solutions that peoplecould try out. The
visit was undertaken by Erna, Mazwi and Tema.
A variety of farming activities were observed during the walkabouts where farmers shared that they
were involved in both crop and livestock farming as well as small-scale forestry. Common crops
identified were maize, beans and a variety of vegetables. In terms of soil health, the households
reported challenges with soil fertility and erosion which affected their yields. Water access was
identified as a significant concern especially during dry spells. The farmers mainly depend on local
water holes and the municipal water tank which delivers free water twice a month. Observations also
revealed difficulties in managing pests and plant diseases, leading to uneven growth, and loss of yield.
Esther Mkhwanazi
Esther Mkhwanazo is a local farmer who farms individually and gets water from a local water hole.
She also does rainwater harvesting. Water is also delivered by the municipal watering truck twice a
month, which is mainly for household use. Her soils are sandy and appear to be highly leached. She
plants maize, beans, tomatoes, pumpkin, onions, peanuts and cassava without using fertiliser.
Stalkborer infestation was quite widespread in her field and it was not clear what measure she took
tocontrol it. Spinach does not grow well on her soils. Her beans were damaged by hailand the
tomatoes were dying. Maize is planted in September, beans are planted in August/February, onion is
planted in April/May. Esther has been farming for four years. She sources seedlings locally and buys 8
seedlings for R10 but also saves seed and produces her own tomato seedlings which she transplants.
She also owns a forest that is just over 1 hectare in size. She owns over 20 chickens and 7 goats.
Winile Dube
WinileDube is also a local farmer who farms mainly in her homestead. She grows cassava, cabbage,
pumpkins and other vegetables in a small garden with a makeshift fence. There were also mango and
pawpaw trees in the homestead. She farms mainly for household consumption. Winile happens to be
one of the recipients of indigenous trees from Wildlands as part of restoration project which they
Figure32: Esther Mkhwanazi's maize field (l), goats in shed (r)
38
were to grow and give them back to the Wildlands
in exchange for inputs such as Jojo tanks, seeds and
fertiliser. To date, they have received jojo tanks but
Wildlands has notcollected the trees since 2022 and
they have now been left to grow around the
household. These crops include umgwenya which is
used to conserve water and reduce erosion;
umnsinsi , an indigenous shrub also known as wild
ginger which is used for its medicinal properties; and
iphahla which is a wildedible plant used in also used
in water conservation and its stems are used to build
houses. Winile does not own any forest plantations
and has never planted them. The only farming area
she has is the one in her homestead.
Thandiwe Dladla
Thandiwe Dladla farms maize and vegetables and owns forest plantations. In her maize field
she incorporates a mixture of manure and forest residues into the soil when planting which
contributes to the vigorous growth and healthy appearance of her maize.
Figure33: Indigenous crops/shrubs supplied by
Wildlands that are growing in the homestead
Figure35: Winile Dube's farming area within the homestead
39
Funani Zulu
Funani Zulu grows maize, amadumbe, pumpkin, onion, jugo beans and a variety of vegetables. Her
field is situated on a steep slope and the soils appear leached at the top and the bottom of her field
has issues with water logging as the soil is more clayey at the bottom. She also farms chickens and
cattle. Her maize rows were planted along the slope instead of across which contributes to excess
runoff in her field.
Figure36:Thandi Dladla's maize field
Figure37: Funani Zulu's field (l), with the MDF team (r)
40
Sokhulu CCA Workshop
Figure 38: Group ready for their CCA workshop in Ethukwini
On the 5thof November, a climate change CCA workshop was convened which was attended by 58
local farmers. The workshop objective was to gain insight into the community’s awareness on climate
change, its insights, their coping strategies and possible solutions goingforward. This workshop
marked the beginning of Mahlathini’s introduction and implementation of climateresilient practices
that promote farmer resilience to climate change. Due to the surfacing of various contentious issues
and visible frustration amongstthe farmers, the workshop was cut short as the participants were not
open to holding any discussion around climate change without their current issues being first
acknowledged and resolved.
The most prominent issue raised by the group was the closure of the river mouth, which according to
them has had a negative impact on their farming which has been on the decline ever since. The issue
of the river mouth closure since 2014 is critical, as it relates to the disruption ofnatural water flow
which in turn affects agricultural productivity. Water flowing back into fields rather than into the sea
leads to waterlogging, exacerbating flooding during rains and damaging crops.
Other issues raised by the group included the pollution of local watersources by the local mine leading
to metal poisoning and other health issues. RBM mine was also reportedly responsible for the closure
of the river mouth which the community believes was a deliberate act. The perception that the local
mining operations are the primary cause of agricultural problems highlights the intersection of human
activity and environmental health. Pollution from heavy metals entering water sources not only poses
a risk to human health but also compromises the integrity of agricultural land and water quality.
With regardsto climate change, the group shared that climate change has led to changes in growing
conditions for plants. Rising temperatureshave resulted in changing rainfallpatterns and increased
the frequency of extreme weather events (droughts and heavy rains) negatively affectingcrop yields.
Common pests identified included moles, stalkborer and monkeys were also reportedly a problem.
The group also reported challenges with fences which results in livestock entering their fields
unabated and damaging their crops. Drought conditions have were reported to have caused harm to
crops,leading to reduced agricultural productivity.
41
The community's perception of their agricultural challenges being linked to mining operations rather
than climate change reflects a need for better communication and education regarding the broader
impacts of climate change. Understanding these connectionsis vital for developing resilient
agricultural practices and fostering community adaptation strategies.In summary, climate change,
compounded by local environmental issues like mining and river management, poses serious
challenges to agricultural productivity and community livelihoods. Addressing these challenges
requires a holistic approach that considers both environmental conservation and sustainable
agricultural practices. Adaptation strategies and improved water management practices are essential
to mitigate these impacts and promote resilience in local farming communities.
Since the community was keen on what Mahlathini was there to offer, a presentation of climate
resilient practices that could possibly apply to the area was conducted. Practices that werehighlighted
included drip irrigation, the use of the mashobane system, intercropping maize with legumes, the
introduction of cover crops, soil and water conservation practices as well as grey water harvesting.
Thereafter there was a short discussion on the crop types that farmers were already planting and new
ones they would like to try. Crops that were highlighted as important were potatoes, peanuts and jugo
beans which the farmers expressed they were already planting. Possible new crops included intufesh,
herbs and orange fleshed sweet potatoes and herbs. There were discussions also around food
processing topreserve what is grown and reduce wastage where MDF shared the idea of bottled herbs
and sweet potatoes bites amongst others.
Beneficiation
As per request of the group to promptly identify people who would try out these practices and use
their fields as learning sites, a list of interested participants was drawn up and is included below.
Table 1: List of Participants who volunteered to try out climate resilient practices
NO
GARDEN PARTICIPANTS
FIELD CROPPING PARTICIPANTS
1
Sibongile Mlambo
2
Busisiwe Masango
3
Bongiwe Mthiyane
4
Thokozile Zikhali
5
Rose Mdamba
6
Ntombizonke Mthiyane
7
Thokozani Mkhwanazi
Thokozani Mkhwanazi
8
Mildred Mtshali
9
Funani Masinga
10
Hilda Dube
Hilda Dube
11
Thandazile Gumede
12
Letta Zulu
13
Nozipho Ngcobo
14
Anna Cele
Anna Cele
15
Thandiwe Dladla
16
Irene Nkalane
17
Robert Nqalane
18
Sbongile Mtshali
19
Esther Mkhwanazi
20
Funani Zulu
21
Solomon Masangu
22
Tryphina Mkhwanazi
23
Nkosingphile Mkhwanazi
24
Elina Mthembu
Elina Mthembu
25
Linah Mthembu
Lina Mthembu
26
Winile Dube
Winile Dube
27
Happiness Ndwandwe
Happiness Ndwandwe
28
Jwana Kubheka
29
Sphiwe Mimbiri
42
30
Thobile Mthembu
31
Boneni Mthembu
32
Cebile Mthembu
33
Sphiwe Dube
Sphiwe Dube
34
Anna Masian
35
Nomvula Mhlongo
36
Mbali Mbuyazi
37
Lungile Mbuyazi
38
Sbusiso Cele
39
Thabsile Thusi
41
Wilson Sithole
42
Hilda Masinga
43
Elton Duma
44
Dan Gumede
45
Nhlanhla Zwane
46
Londi Zikhali
47
Thembi Khumalo
48
Lindiwe Mthembu
49
Mildred Zulu
50
Ntombizodwa Ndwandwe
Ntombizodwa Ndwandwe
51
Khanyisile Mhlongo
Khanyisile Mhlongo
52
Nosisi Thabede
53
Khanyisile Mhlongo
Khanyizile Mhlongo
54
Ntombifuthi Ndlovu
Ntombifuthi Ndlovu
55
Sbongile Khumalo
56
Khulekani Nene
1
2.1.6. intensive small-scale famer support
10 towers, 5 tunnels ect in each village thus far
2.2 Planning for upcoming period (July-December 2024)
Activities to be undertaken:
ØFinalise baselines for Sokhulu in partnership with UKZn (cathy Sutherland and team) and write
baseline narrative report
ØFinalise CCA workshops for 3 hub villages inside the iSimangaliso WP.
ØConduct CCA workshop and training of trainersfor 3 hubsand youth - Mabibi and
kwaDapha/Nkovukeni –and plan for implementation of a demonstration garden at 2-3 hubs(set
upgardenplans, budgetsfor inputs and materials, procurement and workplan activities for each
hub and submit to WildTrust)
ØTraining in soil and water conservation for Hub staff and communities for 3 hubvillages(include
tower gardens, trench beds, micro-tunnels, mixed cropping, mulching, drip irrigation,
composting, crop diversification and seedling production, field cropping (conservation
agriculture)(Min of 3 training days per village)
ØInitiate local mapping of water sources and assessment of present boreholes and provide this
as background documentation to employ a technical expert to site potential community
boreholes.
ØStart on creation of beneficiary lists for JoJo tanks- as well as batch order and delivery
arrangements for these.
Ø
2
Addendum 1: Train the Trainer workshop
YES Youth Train the Trainer (ToT) workshop
DAY 1
Time
Activity
Process
Notes
Materials
Who
9:00am
INTRODUCTION
9:00-
9:30am
YES interns
and team
introductions
Settling in, introductions of areas
represented in the YES intern
group
Depending on the
size of the group,
this can take a long
time. If time is short,
then just do a quick
round of intro's.
Attendance
register- with
columns for
farming
enterprises (so that
each participant
can tick what they
do) - in English and
Zulu Name tags;
stickers, kokis
Facilitation:
Tema,
Recording:
Nqobile
09:30-
10:00
Purpose of
the day
Introduction of the organisation
and its mandate in the EbA
project. Carrying on from climate
change as a concept, people's
concept of it.
talk to CC
necessitating
adaptation from us -
we may need to
change how we do
things and what we
do to - This w/s is to
help us explore
options for such
changes
Flip stand,
newsprint, kokis,
data projector,
screen, extension
chords, plugs -
double adaptors.
Facilitation:
Mazwi
Recording:
Nqobile
10:00
Current gardening practices in the areas
10:00-
10.30am
Discuss
farming
activities as
they are
Whole group discussion on what
people are presently doing… in all
livelihoods
Important to note
and record any
discussions around
changes and
adaptations- so
things people are
already doing to
accommodate for
changes - also
where they are not
sure what to do
Small groups; each
does a current
gardening drawing
showing activities
and types of crops,
where they are
planted and so on
Facilitation:
Nqobile
10:30 -
11:00am
Presentations
Presentations by groups
according to area- using flipchart
Groups present to
each other, ask
questions and
provide ideas
around production
Flip chart
Facilitation: Erna
Translation:
Nqobile, Tema
11:00am-
12:00pm
Gardening
input
Considerations for siting a garden,
soil and bed design:
•soil types, texture and
structures
•soil nutrients (NPK,
acidity)
•natural sources of
fertilizer
•bed design> deep
trenches
•mix cropping, herbs,
legumes
PowerPoint
presentation,
projector, kosi and
flip chart
Facilitation:
Mazwi
Recording:
Nqobile
LUNCHTIME
13.00pm-
14:00pm
Natural pest
and disease
input
Identifying different pests. Mixed
cropping, making of brews (pest
and disease)
Groups names
pests they normally
see in gardens and
group those into
good and bad pests
Easy to use kebab
sticks bought from
supermarket for
this. Small groups;
each needs a
facilitator and
recorder
Facilitation:
Nqobile
Recording:Mazwi
3
14:00pm-
16:00pm
Preparation for gardening demonstration
3 SMALL GROUPS: collecting
matrial for trenches, bengind and
sowing poles, digging trenches,
concrete mix for anchoring poles
Small groups; each
needs a facilitator
and recorder
Facilitation:
Mazwi, Nqobile
DAY 2
9:00am-
15:00pm
The whole group gathered by the selected demonstration site for putting up the tunnel, including drip kits