Acknowledgements
The USAIDResilient Waters Program is funded by theU.S. Agency for International Developmentand implemented
by Chemonics International Inc. Fixed amountaward No. RWP-G3-MDF is a sub-grant implemented by Mahlathini
Development Foundation.
© Mahlathini Development Foundation (MDF)
2 Forresters Lane
Pietermaritzburg, 3201
KZN, South Africa
T (+27)828732289
W www.mahlathini.org
Company Reg. No. 2016/285787/08 (2016)
Non-profit org. Reg. No. 930051028 (2015)
DUNS No. 539 162 399
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Mahlathini Development Foundation (MDF) is a small public benefit non-profit organization consisting of rural
development practitioners who specialize in participatorylearning and action processes, sustainable natural resource
management and low external input farming systems,including a focus onrain water harvesting,conservation
agriculture, intensive homestead food production, food security,climate change adaptationmicro financeand
enterprise development.
Community based climate change adaptation for increased
water productivity and food security for improved rural
livelihoods in the Lower Olifants basin
MILESTONE 6: Visioning and Decision Support and
Climate Change Adaptation Action Plans (II)
30/06/2021
MDF designs and implements rural development programmes and training processes providing learning processes for
adults all the wayfrom semi- literate farmers to post graduate university level. We work in partnership with
government and non-government organisations alike. We are sensitive toand mainstream where possible gender,
disability and people living with HIV/AIDs.
Climate variability and climate change (increased temperature, increased variability in rainfall patterns, increased
intensity of storms and increased drought) have far reaching effects on the lives and livelihoods of the rural poor.
Climate change poses a significant threat to South Africa’s water resources, food security, health, infrastructure,
ecosystem services and biodiversity.
This project intends toeffect processes for community-based climate change adaptation (CB-CCA) for improved
livelihoods and resilience for project participants through introduction and implementation of climate resilient
agricultural (CRA) practices, building of social agency and stakeholder platforms and support for alternative income
generationopportunities.
The Innovation Systems methodological approach for this projectfocuses on local level learning groups and individual
and group experimentation to increase local capacity and agency in building systems for food security and rural
livelihoods.
As a first step, a village level assessment of climate change impacts and general natural resource use patterns are
done. Secondly, an analysis of adaptive strategies and associated practices provides theplatform for implementation
of locally derived and prioritized activities and CSA practices. Thirdly, the learning groups provide the organizational
platforms for participatory research and monitoring, improved governance and agency and collaborative actions
around village level water resource management, rainfed cropping systems, grazing management, village level
savings and loan associations and farmer centers for local input provision and marketing.
Research and development assistance’s key role will be to create and facilitate innovation platforms for local action
in an environment of increasingly fractured social structures, immense economic and survival pressures, and where
direct government support to rural dwellers has decreased dramatically overthe last decade. Use of the smallholder
farmer level decision support system will ensure a locally motivated and owned agenda for action, with potential for
transformative adaptation that includes local stakeholdersand service providers in the Communities of Practice
(CoPs).
Contents
1 Executive Summary ...............................................................................................................5
1.1 Progress for the reporting period ...............................................................................5
2 Project Objectives ................................................................................................................5
2.1 Overview of RW Community based CCA Project objectives.................................................5
3 Milestone Description .............................................................................................................6
3.1 Definition of milestone and purpose ............................................................................6
4 Visioning, decision support and adaptation plants............................................................................6
4.1 Climate change impacts and adaptive strategies forBosholosi .............................................7
5 Progress............................................................................................................................13
5.1 Learning and mentoring.........................................................................................13
5.2 Value adding workshops .........................................................................................15
5.3 Soil and water conservation learning sessions................................................................18
5.4 Natural Pest and Disease Control learning sessions..........................................................23
January..................................................................................................................32
February.................................................................................................................32
March...................................................................................................................32
April.....................................................................................................................32
May......................................................................................................................32
Green pepper...........................................................................................................32
June.....................................................................................................................32
Green pepper...........................................................................................................32
July......................................................................................................................32
August...................................................................................................................32
September..............................................................................................................32
6 Progress for main activities .....................................................................................................32
1.1Understanding the Market idea ............................................................................34
6.2 Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and enterprise development .............................46
7 Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) plan ..............................................................................47
7.1 Framework & indicators .........................................................................................47
7.2 Garden monitoring ...............................................................................................48
8 Work Plan for Milestone 7 .......................................................................................................50
8.1 Work plan for July - September 2021. .........................................................................51
1Executive Summary
1.1Progress for the reporting period
For the period of April-end June 2021 several ongoing activities were given attention; namely construction of tower
gardens and micro-tunnels, the monthly VSLA meetings forthe 9 savings group, water committees and local marketing
activities. In addition, micro-workshops were undertaken by the local facilitators to assist participants toset up their
drip irrigation systems inside and outside their tunnels.
CCA impact discussions and baselines and adaptation plans were developed for the last of the new groups; namely
Bosholozi.
Learning and mentoring activities included value adding workshops (6 villages), focusing on value addition for
available produce e.g., wild melon jam, sweet chilli sauce, tomato relish, sweet potato bites and drying of vegetables
and leafy greens. In addition, a similar series of practical workshops were held for 6 learning groups in soil and water
conservation focusing on contour ditches, stone lines and check dams, to provide participants with tools to deal with
the substantial run-off caused by unusually heavy rainfall this season. A series of 2-day workshops werealso run in
theoretical and practical aspects of natural pest anddiseasecontrol, including liquid manures, brews, garden
management and crop calendars.
We continued with learning sessions to bring participantsfrom 3 villages (Sedawa, Mametja and Turkey)to readiness
for PGS organic certification, in association with AWARD and the pollinator programme within K2C. The registration
documentationforthe group has now been submitted to PGS-SA and the first formal assessments for certification for
participants is being undertaken.
In total 159 participants, across 9 villages have been involved in learning and mentoring support processes during this
period.
With regards networking and stakeholder engagement,not much was achieved during this period. We joined a
webinar hosted by WRC and IWMI on harnessing community involvement in IWRM in river catchments on 16thApril
2021 and applied for an early career researcher support process through‘Farming for Climate Justice’ on 3rdMay
2021, which is a process undertaken jointly by UCT and Coventry University in the UK. Wewere unfortunately not
successful in this application.
PARTICIPANTS THIS PERIOD
MAHLATHINI: Erna Kruger, Betty Maimela, Thembhani Mabunda (Intern)
CHEMONICS: Sitha Mvumvu, Mayford Manika, Lindela Mketeni and Steve Collins.
2Project Objectives
2.1Overview of RW Community based CCAProject
objectives
GOAL: Increased adaptive capacity and resilience to the impacts ofclimate change forpoor, rural households involved
in agriculture.
This goal is aimed specifically at Objectives 3 and 4 as set out in the 2019 Resilient Waters Program APS:
Objective 3:Strengthened ability of communities and key institutions to adapt to change,particularly the
impacts of climate change; and
Objective 4: Conserved biodiversity and ecosystem services.
OBJECTIVES:
Reduced vulnerability to climate change by supportingand strengthening collective action, informed
adaptation strategies and practices and tenable institutional arrangements at a local level, including all
relevant service providers and sectors.
Increased sustainability and efficiency of CSA systems in the study areas giving specific attention to the
value chain, using an IS approach.
Adaptation and scaling out of sustainable CSA systems in selected areas using livelihoods and
environmental criteria and
Building and strengthening of different innovation platforms and networks for financing, awareness and
implementation of community level Climate Change Adaptation (CCA)."
3Milestone Description
3.1Definition of milestone and purpose
Milestone descriptions have been developed forthe RW CB-CCA project for the period starting January 2020and
ending November 2021.The table below summarises the activities against the presentmilestone description and
budget.
Table 1: Mahlathini Development Foundation Milestone 6: 7 April- 30 June 2021
Payment
No.
Milestone Title
Milestone Verification
Target Due
Date
Milestone
Payment
6
Visioning and
Decision
Support (I)
Progress report
The grantee will submit to Chemonics a Review and Networking
report detailing the following:
The grantee will submit to Chemonics the following reports:
A. Visioning and Decision Support Report
i. Number of participants engaged in the initial
introductions with the 150 participants from the 5
villages in Ga-Sekororo and Ga-Nkawana
ii Baseline Information
iii. Climate change map.
iv. Climate Change Adaptation strategies.
B. Climate Change Adaptation plansdetailing the following:
i. Number of climate change leaming groups
formed.
ii. Local structures and stakeholders engaged.
iii. Profiles of the two local facilitators engaged.
iv Climate change adaptation action plans.
The grantee will also submit a progress report outlining
progress inall main activities undertaken from 7 April- 30
June 2021 (including
learning and mentoring and monitoring)
30 June
2021
R 266 797,20
4Visioning, decision support and adaptation
plants
This activity has largely already been completed and reported upon in prior deliverables.
Table 1: Learning groups and participant numbers for the RW programme: June 2021
CoPs: Village based learning
groups
Existing
New
TOTAL
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Sedawa
30
11
24
10
54
21
Mametja
8
2
2
1
10
3
Finale (inactive)
9
5
3
9
8
Willows
20
9
2
3
22
12
Turkey 1,2 ,4 (Nsthabaleng)
58
26
33
21
91
47
Botshabelo (Inactive)
9
4
9
4
Lepelle (inactive)
13
7
13
7
Worcester
27
10
27
10
Madeira
17
9
17
9
Santeng
30
7
30
7
Lorraine (inactive)
4
3
4
3
Mulalani
26
6
26
6
Bosholozi
20
7
20
7
147
64
165
63
322
144
TOTAL
211
255
466
Subtract inactive groups
414
For the group marked in pink, work started on gardening learning and mentoring prior to the overall Climate Change
impact exploration and adaptation strategy planning. These have now been concluded and are report on below.
4.1Climate change impacts and adaptive strategies for
Bosholosi
Date: 2nd June 2021
Number of participants: 16
Written by Betty Maimela Introduction
This is an extension area for both Sedawa and Mametja and participants from these groups who had joined later in
the process, or very recently, also joined this introductory exploration of climate change, adaptive strategies and
prioritization of climate resilient agriculture activities.
Most participants in the group are unemployed women and those who work for a few days a month in the
Community Work Programme (CWP). They are placed to clean the clinics, take care of elderly people in the village,
assist in day care centers and to assist at community hall and schools in the village. Several of their activities are
related to gardening and soil and water conservation.
Water scarcity is also a problem in Bosholosi like all other villages. People are interested in joining the learning
group and they love farming as it is an important way for generating income and insuring food security for their
households, but because they don’t have water for household use, they doubt they will have water for irrigation or
be able to buy water for irrigation. In the village they all rely on a Municipal borehole for water, and they collect
water twice a week with wheelbarrows, or they buy water from households that have boreholes R1,00 for 20l -25l
and R40,00 for 2100l tank.
Most households depend on child support grant for income, which is used for buying food, paying burial society fees
and electricity. They mostly use firwood for cooking.
Most participants have been attending workshops at Sedawa because they liked what other small-holder farmers
were doing in terms of producing food and generating small incomes from produce sale and they thus asked the
local facilitator to assist them to form a learning group in Bosholosi. They started by doing conservation Agriculture
and making trench beds.
Right: Betty facilitating a discussion about
participants’ knowledge of climate change.
What do participants understand about
Climate change and what does it mean?
•Frida Thobejane –A change in the waythings
happen, example change in rainy patterns is
climate change.
•Martha Moloto – A change in season is Climate
Change.
•Mpho Morei –A change in rainfall and
temperature is affected by change in climate change.
Mostly, participants’ understanding of CC was quite superficial. They know the word, but not really the meaning of
the term. They have noticed changes in their farming activities but couldn’t relate the changes to climate change.
They havebeen experiencing more extreme heat and less rainfall each year.Yields havedecreased dramatically.
They are also facing problems of waterscarcity in thevillage which are the results of boreholes running dry and
relying on two boreholes for the entire village.
Exploration in changes in climate; temperature and rainfall
Participants are grouped and each group does a seasonal diagram outlining the temperature for each month of the
year;both in the past and howit has been changing. They dothe same exercise also for exploring rainfall and changes
in rainfall. This provides a nice visual outcome and assists participants in understanding how these changes affect
their farming and lives. The
scientific understanding ofCC for
their locality is briefly presented to
them as well.
Right: the temperature seasonal
diagrams produced by the twosmall
groups of participants in Bosholosi.
Farmers’ comments:
•Thingshave changed. It is
nowextremely hot from
October until February.
•Basically, it is hotter
throughout thewhole year,
as winters are warmer than
they used to be 10 years
ago.
•There have been larger fluctuations in temperature than before.So, onecan even have cold days in December,
but then followed directly by extremely hot days.
•Farmers are concerned that if the 4◦C average temperature increase comes about, that there will not be
winter as years goes by and the heat will beso unbearable in summer that nothing will ever grow, and the
underground water will dry out due toreduced rains. Farmers commented that this is in fact already
happening.
•Most farmers still try to plant summercrops, but the yield is going down each year and pests and diseases
are increasingly a problem in the garden and field.
•Farming is expensive, one must pay for a tractor and then buy seedsas saving seeds is difficult with low yields
and pests, and they don’t have money to buy insecticides, that are expensive.
•Food will be expensive; including livestock feed since grass is not growing due to the extreme heat.
•Farmers alsofelt that as they become poorer and cannot afford to buyelectricity, more and more indigenous
trees will be cut down for firewood to cook.
•An outcome of the heat will be increased poverty and crime.
Right: The Rainfall seasonal diagram made by the group.
Comments from participants:
•Farmers have shown on their graph that they receive rainfall for
8 months in a year.They alsoexplained that in months like
August it can rain once and in September it rains to remove the
August dust- thus not much rain.
•As another example, this last season 2020-21, rains started late
and were then extremely heavy, which washed away many of the
crops(maize, cowpeas, pumpkin, ground nuts, watermelons, and
millet) they had planted in the hopes thatit would be a better
season thanthe last 4-5 years- which havebeen drought years.
A lotof soil erosion was caused this season.
•Another consequence of the heatand different rain patterns this
year has been the lack of fruit production on mango trees. Many
of the flowers and small fruit were blown off the trees and then
the heavy late season rains and heat caused what was left to rot
on the trees. Harvests this year were very poor.
•One farmer also suggested that participants can use rain gauges in their gardens tocheck how much it is
raining. They are cheap and readily available at the farmers cooperatives. Farmers were keen to learn how
to use rain gauges.
Climate change impacts on
farming and livelihoods
This exercise is designed forparticipants to
exploreall the possible CCimpacts on their
farming systems and livelihood as a starting
point to beginning to identify possible
adaptive measures.
Right: the CC impact map produced by
participants. Bluecards indicate impacts,
yellow cards indicate possible solutions,
and the lines and arrows indicate
interrelatedness of different effects
The table below provides a summary of this exercise.
Table 2: Outcome of the impact mapping exercise
Impacts
Description and linkages
Outcomes
Potential adaptive measure
Less rainfall
Grass will stop growing,
indigenous plants and crops
will die, nature is no longer
beautiful
Lack of grazing, livestock
die, loss of traditional
medicines
Stop cutting trees and burning of organic
matter
Water shortages
Underground water depleted
and rivers are dry
No water for household use,
irrigation and livestock,
boreholes drying out
Rainwater harvesting (rooftop) using
gutters and store for use for both
consumption and irrigation. They also
use grey water for irrigation.
Soil
Soil temperatures increase and
more soil erosion
Poor and less yields, hunger,
poverty, and death
To reduce soil erosion, they mulch and
plant sweet potatoes to decrease soil
erosion, but they don’t really know what
to do as the problem islarge
Crop production
Yield decreases each year and
crop diseases increase
No yield or less yield
They are fertilizing the soil by making
trench beds and mulching
Livestock
Lack ofgrazing, and water for
livestock
Decrease in livestock
Buy animal feed, which is expensive,
they also sell theirlivestock to avoid
having to spend months buying feed for
their livestock.
Social
repercussions
Human health declines.
Diseases, loss of jobs, hunger,
poverty, crime, jail, death.
Murder, crime, no money to
support families,conflicts
betweenneighbors
Visit clinics when they are sick.
Changes in agriculture and land use over time.
In this exercise participants explore how the situation has changed in their village over time and think into what will
happen in the future if the trends continue
Table 3: Past and present practices used by farmers in their gardens and fields.
Past
Present
Future
They used to plant crops like millet,
sorghum and maize and filledmore
than 100 x 80kg bags from their fields
Now they plant maize, and they can
only fill 5kg bucket in their households
and 2x 80kg bags in the field.
They don’t think they will continue
planting maize. Theywill only plant cover
crops like cowpeas and ground nuts if it
rains.
They used donkeys and oxen for
farming, and they used to help each
other with farming tools
Today they pay tractors for farming or
donkeys to assist with farming big fields
They won’t farm in big fields, asit willbe
too expensive
Farming was done in big fields
because there was a good rain
They now have small gardens in their
households and no longer farm inbig
fields because there is no rain
They will lose their lands, as they are not
using them, and farming might stop if it
continues to be dry.
Used to have lots of livestock in their
households and they would have feed
at the bushes
They have reduced numbers of
livestock and they buy feed and water
for their livestock.
They won’t have livestock
They cultivated traditional crops such
assweet potatoes, Bambara nuts,
cowpeas, millet, sorghum, pumpkins,
melons, Maraka and had good yields
They still cultivate these crops, but
with much lower yields and they are
losing traditional seedsdue to repeated
crop failure.
They arenot sure they will still have their
indigenous seeds to continuecultivating
and cultivation will drop.
Local practices
As part of the exploration participants consider local practices that are well adapted to climate change, and practices
that they have started as adaptation strategies.
A few of these practices are summarized below.
1.Planting in ridges and furrows- Tomatoes and sweet potatoes for example are planted on ridges. They have
been using this practice for many years. They have found that it works well
despite CC, but that it takes a lot of water. Furrow irrigation is used, where
the furrows are filled with water which percolates form there into the ridges.
Right: JulietSelete planted her tomatoes using a ridges and furrows planting
system. It can be used on both a very small scale and in large fields.
2.Some of the participants already have trench bedsin their gardens and have
planted on the trench beds and areusing bucket drip irrigation, which allows
them touse both clean water and grey water as it has a sand filter system
forcleaning the greywater. They have found that these beds hold water very
well and are fertile, so crops grow well, compared to normal beds.
3.Intercropping of maize, cowpeas and ground nuts is practiced. Many of
the participants have also planted
lots of mango trees that she sells
locally and sells for atjar make an
income.This combination works well
in the gardens, as the intercrops
support each other and the trees
provide afternoon shade against the
extreme heat.
Right: Mpho Morei’s gardenwith maize
and pumpkin intercrops, ground nuts
and mango trees planted on her
perimeter.
4.Tunnels-Mpho Morei was the first
farmer to join the learning group at
Sedawa and she loved what she saw
and started with trench beds. She is
the first farmer at Bosholosi where
the tunnel was constructed as a
demonstrationfor other farmers to
observethe differences and to
implement this practices
themselves.
Right: Mpho’s tunnel, with drip irrigation,
showing a trench bed planted to green beans.
5.Trench beds: Participants are making trench beds in their gardens.
Most already have more than 6 trench beds and love the results. They
have noticed the difference in the quality of their produce.
Right: Trench beds in Bosholosi in the process of being packed: Filled with
layers of different organic materials.
6.Farmers use both wood ash and blue death to control ant problems
in their gardens.
Climate Change Adaptation Practices
A range ofclimate resilient agriculture practices were presented on thesame
day, to introduce some ideas for farmers to consider and assess in terms of
adaptation toclimate change. In this exercise farmers alsoelucidate criteria
people use to make choices and decisions.
During the presentation of practices, it was clear that farmers werealready familiar with some practices, and they
have implemented the practices in their gardens. Examples are bucket drip irrigation, tower gardens and grey water
use, trench beds, conservation agriculture, planting of legumes tunnels, mulching, mixed cropping, and rainwater
harvesting.
Farmers have the perception that when you have water youwill have more yield, but they have noticed thatyield
decreases year by year, so they also understand thatwater is notthe only thing a crop needs. Some farmers discussed
the need for a fertile soil and that crops growing in fertile conditions also have fewer pests and diseases.Farmers
want to have tunnels, with the understanding that the tunnel will protect their crops from being eaten by birds and
will be protected from the heat. Most of the farmers have trench beds in their garden with the hopethat they will
get tunnels, as this has been given to them as a pre-condition for qualifying for tunnels.
The following table outlines the criteria participants agreed on to assess different CRA practices. The scalethey
chose is: 1-Hard to do, 2-Medium, 3-Easy to do
Table 4: Matrix of the different practices
Cost
labour
Materials
accessibility
Hard
labour
Total
Drip irrigation
2
3
2
3
10
Diversion ditches
3
2
3
2
10
Greywater
3
3
3
3
12
Rainwater harvesting
3
3
3
3
12
Ridges and furrows
3
1
3
1
8
Stone bunds
3
3
3
1
10
Keyhole
1
2
1
1
5
Banana basins
3
3
3
3
12
Crop rotation
3
3
3
3
12
Mixed cropping
3
3
3
3
12
Mulching
3
3
3
3
12
Conservation Agriculture
3
2
3
2
10
Targeted fertilizer and lime
2
2
2
2
8
Liquid manure
3
3
3
3
12
Trench beds
3
1
2
1
7
Legumes
3
3
2
3
11
Compost
3
3
3
3
12
Eco-circle
3
3
3
3
12
The idea with the matrix ranking is to use the participants’ criteria to assess a range of CRA practices and to prioritize
those with the best scores (in this case the highest) as the basket of practices for immediate implementation.
Practices prioritized here are eco-circles, compost, mulching, mixed cropping, banana basins, rainwater harvesting
and greywater use (tower gardens).
Reflection of the workshop
Farmers learned a lot from the workshop. They have been facing climate change effects and could not relate the
changes. Farmers knew about the word climate change but never thought the changes they are facing are the
result of climate change. Through the presentation farmers showed their interest in learning new practices to
implement in their gardens. Farmers specifically want to try the tower gardens and eco-circles in their households.
This is because these are small, intensive beds, which can accommodate for the lack of water in their households.
They are also still hopeful that in the future there will be enough rain for them to try out the Conservation
Agriculture to better effect in their fields.
5Progress
5.1Learning and mentoring
Overall, MDF has engaged 414participants across 11 villages, who are stillactive in their climate resilient agriculture
learning groups.
The process followed by MDF is to work at individual homesteads and with small very localised groups of participants
to continue the learning and implementation in CRA. This has been necessitated by the ongoing COVID-19 threat and
the recentreversal to lock down level 2, due toincreasedinfections.Attendance atlearning and mentoring workshops
and planning sessions has thusbeen much lower and the sessions are repeated for a larger number of small gatherings.
During this period learning and mentoring focused on value adding and food processing, soil and water conservation
practices, natural pest and disease control and soil fertility and organic certification and marketing.
In total, 159 participants across 9 villageshave received learning and mentoring support between April and June 2021.
A total of 15 learning and mentoring sessions have been conducted.
Table 5:Summary of CCA learning group progress andplanned activities: April-June 2021
Learning group
(no of active
participants in
the reporting
period)
CCA
planning
Practices to focus on,
from CCA and review
workshop sessions
Progress with activities (April
2021)
Planned activities
(April – June 2021)
Turkey 1 (24),
Turkey 2(18)
and
Turkey 4 (34)
(76
participants)
Done
Seedling production,
processing (chilli,
Marula, beetroot and
achar), tower gardens,
organic mango
production and mango
grafting, eco-circles,
seed saving, composting,
markets, nurseries
-Natural soil fertility and liquid
manure (24)
-Mandala bed and permaculture
training (36)
-Tunnel construction (15,14)
- VSLAs monthly meetings and
mentoring for Turkey 1(19) and
Turkey 2 (14)
- Tower garden training, Turkey 4
(18)
-Trenchbeds training workshop
turkey 4 (34)
- trenchbeds recap and eco-
circle training Turkey 1,2 (24,18)
- Organic marketing - PGS
training sessions 2 (12), 3(16)
- Enterprise development
training (17)
- Water committee meetings and
monitoring of water scheme
implementation (18)
-CA training; experimentation
and follow-up (18)
-Seed saving (18)
-PGS 4; follow up on visioning,
tala table, household maps – fruit
trees (10)
-Value adding and food
processing (27)
-PGS 5: Registrationand garden
assessments (26)
- Organic marketing
(PGS workshops 5-6),
PGS registration intro
(Karabo)
- Seasonal reviewand
planning meeting and
crop calendars
- Soil and water
conservation
- Natural pest and
disease control
-Monthly VSLA
meetings
Sedawa (34),
Bosholozi (29)
and Mametja
(63
participants)
Done
Liquid manure, natural
pest and disease control
workshop, shallow
trenches, eco-circles,
mandala garden,
irrigation management,
soil conservation (stone
lines, check dams,
- Mandala bed and permaculture
training (28)
-VSLAmonthly meetings and
mentoring for 3 groups in Sedawa
(13,19,15)
- Water committee meetings x3
and monitoring of water scheme
implementation (19)
-Monthly VSLA
meetings
- Organic marketing
(PGS workshops 4-6)
- Natural pest control,
liquid manures
-Mango grafting
practical
terraces), tower
gardens, livestock
integration, seed saving
review and storage,
organic mango training,
compost, value adding to
crops, examplebasil
pesto, tomato jam
- Organic marketing –PGS
training sessions 2 (16), 3 (17)
- Enterprise development
training (11)
- Watercommittee meetings (x 3)
and monitoring of water scheme
implementation (21)
CA training; experimentation and
follow-up (21,29)
-Seed saving (34)
-Drip irrigation (29)
-PGS 4; follow up on visioning,
tala table, household maps – fruit
trees (10)
- CCA workshop Bosholosi (16)
-Value adding and food
processing (23)
-PGS 5:Registration and garden
assessments (8)
- Anynew innovation
that MDF might know
of that they haven’t
tried.
- Nursery
- Seasonal reviewand
planningincluding
Crop calendar
-Bosholozi:Soil
fertility, bed design,
mixed cropping,
-Soil and water
conservation
Willows (18
Participants)
Done
Bed design, seed saving,
seedling propagation,
Conservation
agriculture, drip kits,
trench beds, mulching,
furrows and ridges,
banana circles,
rainwater harvesting,
organic mango
production, tower
gardens, liquid manure,
natural pest and disease
control.
- VSLA monthly meetings and
mentoring for Willows(17)
-Tunnel construction workshop
and follow-up (10)
- Organic marketing; planning
and implementation
-Enterprise Development training
-Livestock health with State vet
(12)
- Poultry production: follow up
and support (4)
-Seed saving (
-Tower gardens (18)
-Value adding and food
processing (22)
-Natural Pest and disease
control liquid manures, crop
calendar – 2 days (26)
-Soil and water conservation
(21)
- MonthlyVSLA
meetings
- Organic marketing
- Eco-circles and
mixed cropping, crop
calendars
- Mandala bed and
permaculture training
-Soil and water
conservation
-Drip irrigation
-Seasonal review and
Natural pest and
disease control
Finale(9
Participants)
INACTIVE
Done
Poultry production, field
cropping practices,
marketing,
- Organic marketing; planning
and implementation
- Organic marketing
Santeng (25
Participants)
Done
Drip irrigation, diversion
ditches, greywater
management, rainwater
harvesting, ridges and
furrows, stone bunds,
keyholeends, banana
basins, crop rotation,
mixed cropping,
mulching, conservation
agriculture, targeted
fertilizer and lime
application, liquid
manure, trench beds,
legumes, compost, eco-
circles
-Tunnel construction training and
follow-up(18)
- VSLA monthly meetings and
mentoring for Santeng (13)
- Enterprise development
training (25)
-CA training; experimentation
and follow-up (16)
-Seed saving (22)
-Tower gardens (16)
-Value adding and food
processing (13)
-Natural Pest and disease
control liquid manures, crop
calendar – 2 days (24)
-Soil and water conservation (7)
- MonthlyVSLA
meetings
- Organic marketing
- Soil and water
conservation
-Drip irrigation
- Natural P&D control
and mixed cropping
-Seasonal review and
crop calendars.
Worcester (18
Participants)
Done
Seedling production, drip
irrigation, greywater
management, tower
gardens, natural pest
and disease control,
growing herbs, seed
saving
- CCA introduction, 5 finger
principles (13)
- VSLAs monthly meetings and
mentoring for Worcester (14)
- Tower garden training (15)
-CA training; experimentation
and follow-up (18)
-Seed saving (17)
-Tunnel construction (7)
-Tower gardens (16)
-Value adding andfood
processing (13)
- MonthlyVSLA
meetings
- Value adding
- Soil and water
conservation
- Natural pest and
diseasecontrol and
liquid manures
-Eco-circle, mixed
cropping and crop
rotation
- Drip irrigation
-Natural Pest and disease
control liquid manures, crop
calendar – 2 days (19)
-Soil and water conservation
(13)
Madeira (14
Participants)
Worked with Lia
before and now
not so keento
try these things
at home) Larger
fields: Wewere
a little late
with the CA –
would need to
come in early
October
Done
Drip irrigation, mulching,
keyholebeds (grey
water), furrow and
ridges, banana circles,
rainwater harvesting,
tied ridges, targeted
fertilizer and lime
applications, liquid
manure, trench beds,
eco-circles, seed saving
- VSLA introduction training and
monthly meetings and mentoring
for (14)
-Meeting with water committee
(9)
-Seed saving
-Value adding and food
processing (5+)
- MonthlyVSLA
meetings
-Keyhole beds, eco-
circles, shallow trench
bed
-Furrows and ridges/
shallow trenches in
fields (contours)
- Mixed cropping, crop
rotation, liquid
manures
-Organic marketing
Mulalani (36
participants)
Done
Tunnels, underground
tanks, and bigger
rainwater harvesting
structures more
generally, drip kits,
growing fodder for
livestock,conservation
agriculture, diversion
ditches, mulching, liquid
manure, tower gardens,
furrows and ridges,
shallow and deep
trenches, natural pest
and disease control, new
winter e.g. crop options,
seed saving, savings
groups
- CCA introduction workshop in
September 2020 (22)
-Trenchbed training workshop
September 2020 (25)
-Seed saving
-Trench beds (25)
- Tunnel construction (6)
-CA introduction workshop (5)
-Tower gardens (22)
-Value adding and food
processing (12)
-Natural Pest and disease
control liquid manures, crop
calendar – 2 days (21)
-Soil and water conservation
(17)
- Eco circles, shallow
trenches
-Seasonal review and
planning, including
crop calendar
- Pest and disease
control, mixed
cropping liquid
manure
-Soil and water
conservation
5.2Value adding workshops
An initial workshop was held on the 31st March, which included 5-6 participants from Willows, Sedawa, Turkey,
Santeng, Mulalani and Worcester.
The idea was that these participants would then assist in setting up and running similar workshops in their own
villages.
These were run as follows:
Date
Village
Participants
2021/04/14
Willows
25
2021/04/15
Sedawa
23
2021/04/16
Worcester
15
2021/04/27
Turkey 1&2
11
2021/04/28
Santeng and Mulalani
25
Right: Participants in the value adding workshop
Agenda: Practical demonstrations of the following: blanching
and drying, tomato chutney, sweet chili sauce, sweet potato
bites and wild melon jam
Process: participants brought the locally grown ingredients – chili, sweet potatoes and melons. During the workshop
they were divided into three groups to each make one of the recipes and groups were circulated to understand the
process and copy all recipes for future use.
After this workshop it was undertaken to have a value adding workshop in each of these villages, so that all
learning group members could be introduced to the processes.
Blanching and drying
For blanching vegetables are cleaned and thinly sliced. They are then
blanched by boiling very briefly in water to which 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
has been added (to ensure that the color is not lost, and veggies do not turn
brown.
For drying a small frame was demonstrated that firstly keeps the vegies off
the ground to allow air flow below and above and secondly covers the drying
food to ensure hygienic conditions.
Participants noted that they are familiar with drying a number of crops;
cowpeas (once cooked and ground), chili’s, onions and Morogo
Right: View of tomatoes, green pepper, broccoli, sweet potatoes carrots,
onions and brinjals being dried in the farmer consisting of double screens
made of shade netting.
A discussion was also held on types of bottles to use for storage- glass with
metal lids that can seal and that these need to be sterilized, by complete
emersion in water and boiling prior to use.
Tomato
chutney/relish
INGREDIENTS
•2kg tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped
•1-4 cloves minced garlic
•1 cup chopped onions
•3/4 cup brown sugar
•3/4 cup white sugar
•1-1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
•1 tablespoon salt
•1 lemon, zested and juiced
•1 tablespoon dry ground ginger
•1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes or to taste (I use 1 1/2 teaspoons)
•1/2 teaspoon black pepper
•1/2 cup raisins, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep the tomatoes, chopping either by hand or with a food processor. You should
have 7 cups of chopped/pureed tomatoes. Combine the tomatoes and all the
remaining ingredients in a heavy, nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil over high heat,
then lower heat and cook at a low simmer (just a few bubbles here and there) for
1-1/2 to 2 hours until thickened. Stir often as it thickens to prevent scorching.
Ladle the chutney into sterilized glass bottles or jars and seal.
Right: Participants preparing their tomato chutney. In their case they used
orangejuice instead of a lemon
Sweet Chili Sauce
INGREDIENTS
•1/3 cup rice vinegar
•1/3 cup water
•1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons cane sugar
•1-2 tablespoons chopped chili – with most of seeds removed
•1,5 teaspoons finely minced garlic
•1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
•2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water (the sauce will
thicken more once cooled)
•1-2 drops natural red food coloring (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Place all the ingredients except for the cornstarch mixture in a small saucepan and
bring it to a boil, stirring regularly. Once the sugar is dissolved stir in the cornstarch
mixture, stirring continually until thickened, about 1 minute. Let the sauce cool
completely, pour into an airtight jar and store in the refrigerator. Will keep for up
to a week. Makes about 1 cup.
Right: participants in the workshop preparing the chilis (in this case they used
green chilis rather than red) for making the sauce.
Chunky melon and ginger jam
INGREDIENTS
•1kg sugar
•1kg chopped melon
•30 ml (6 teaspoons) lemon juice
•3.5ml (3/4 teaspoon) ginger
•10 ml (2 teaspoons) gelatine
•2 ½ cups water
INSTRUCTIONS
Add sugar to water and heat until sugar has
dissolved. Add chopped melon and stir. Once
the mixture starts to boil, add ginger, lemon
juice and gelatine. Boil rapidly for about 1
hour, until syrup has reached sufficient
thickness, stirring occasionally. Pour into
sterilized bottles and seal immediately.
Right: Participants chopping the melon into
chunks and Far-right the bottled melon jam.
Sweet potato bites
INGREDIENTS
•2 Spring onions
•1 cup flour
•2 cups sweet potato, mashed
•1 egg
•½ cup of fresh cream (optional)3 teaspoons baking powder
•1 ml sugar
•1 ml pepper
•Oil for frying
INSTRUCTIONS
Finely cut onion. Mix egg and fresh cream together. Sift flour and salt and
mix with all ingredients in a bowl. Make small rolls or balls with a teaspoon
and fry.
Right: Sweet potato bites being prepared by participants.
After this workshop, the process was continued for each ofthe 6 villages
separately.The recipes were all translated into siPedi, so that each
participant could take a copy home.
Betty and Thembhani still introduced the sessions and discussed with participants theimportance of value adding, to
save produce from wasting,
given that the marketing is
veryslow at the moment, to
provide additional ideas for
food preparation at home and
get new ideas for marketing
possibilities. Participants also
asked them to lead the
instructions for each small
group undertaking the
different recipes.
Right: Sweetpotato bites
being prepared in Willows
Right: Tomatorelish being prepared in
Sedawa, to be served with sandwiches
for lunch for the group
The ginger melon jam made by the learning group in Worcester
Participants were very happy and encouraged that more workshops like this
should be held, sothat they can learn how to cook some of theproduce
which they arenot familiar with. This will assist them to introduce these
cropsinto thecommunity. They specifically asked howtoinclude herbs in
every day meals. Participants alsoappreciated the recipes they have learned
and are keen to try them at home.
Right: The sweet chilli sauce
prepared for the Santeng and
Mulalani learning workshop
Participants enjoyed the ginger
lemon jam,as some have tried
to make a similar jam in the
past, just with melon but this
recipe they tried outin the
leanring workshop was much
nicer and the ned product looks
professional. The procedure fof
sterilitzing the jars and keeping
the process clean was also
found very useful as they have
found that with their own versions the jam spoils quickly.
The sweet chili sauce is something that they believe will sell well in local market stalls and at the markets in town
wherethey sell their produce. They would like to continue to try out different options with a view to selling and felt
that presentation in nice bottles with labels would be important.
5.3Soil and water conservation learning sessions
These learning sessions were held in 5 villages and werea response to high levels of run-off and erosion in
participants’ homesteads due to the higher levels of rainfall and storms this season. The run-off was exacerbated
by the five-year drought that preceded it and led to very little soil cover remaining. The same facilitation process
was used throughout.
Agenda
1.Brief review of 5 fingers implementation; highlight lack of activities in soil and water management
2.Discuss issues of water-flow in the homestead –where water-flows, issues with erosion, runoff, water logging,
water from roofs, present RWH activities, damp in household, problems with water from the road
3.2 small groups do a diagram of water-flow in the HH and their suggestions for management.
4.recommended actions summarised –linked to input on contours and using line-levels options: stone lines,
check-dams, Planting of legumes and sweet-potatoes, furrows
5.Work together in groups, to demonstrate these actions
Introduction
Organising workshops involves both MDF field workers and local facilitators to make sureall the materials needed are
collected in time. Betty and Thembani assisted farmers with collecting stones from the near-by rivers that were used
to build stone-lines and check dams
Five-Fingers and S&W conservation input
Participants briefly summarised their actions as follows:
Soil fertility: Compost, trench beds
Crop management: CA, natural P&D control, liquid manure (Banana stems manure, weeds)
Soil erosion control: mulching, stone lines
Santeng
No of participants: 8
At Santeng we worked at Fenita’s household, evidence of water-flow, soil erosion and formation of water channels
were visible. Fenita also explained that there was a lot of water from the rod that causes erosion in her yard and
garden and especially at her gate. She then decided to build a stone-line using cement bricks and a pipe that acted
as a bridge at the gate leading wateroutside the street instead ofgoing toher household. She also tried to build
stone-lines inthe yard to control water movement, but because they were not properly made, theycontributedto
the erosion problem. Shealsohad water coming from the roof combined with water from thestreet going to her
garden which formed a water channel close to the tunnel, which almost eroded the tunnel as well. All her crops died
from excessive water.
Right: The Cement and
brick drain constructed at
Fenita’s gateto lead run-
off away from her yard
and Far Right: Water
erosion and dongas/ water
channels form by run off in
her garden.
Afterthe walkabout to
assess run-off and water
flow in the garden, some recommendations were made by the facilitation team regarding appropriate measures and
discussed by the group, prior to implementation of a few of the ideas.
5.3.3.1.1Marking contours with line level and stone-lines
After showing the grouphow to construct a line-level, contours were marked in Fenita’s yard, starting from the top
of her slope- which is important as a general principle. Her old stone lines were also measured, which showed why
they broke as they were made as straight lines, rather than being on the contour.
Contours are imaginary lines across a slope where each point along the line is atthesame heightor level. The
important part about contours is that they are level and not straight necessarily. It is important to make water and
soil conservation structures ONthese contour lines,to slow down water, deposit silt and allow for infiltration. If they
are not level, water will still flow and potentially cause otherdamage. Line-levels are used to measure contour lines
in a large garden/field situation. The lines between the poles can be made tosuite from between 2-10m long. A
small builder’s levelis hung along the line in the centre between the poles. It is important that the line is tied to the
two poles at exactly the same height.
Below Left: A stone line constructed by the group, as a continuation of a paved area and small line made by Fenita
and Below Right: A small stone line slightly higher up in her yard. Here irises and lemon grass were planted above
the stone line to add extra stability
Willows
No of participants: 21
This workshop as held at Mma Monyela’s household. Mma Monyela loves gardening and she uses borehole water for
irrigation. She uses half of thestand thatis 40m x 50m for farming vegetables that she sells locally and to other
villages. She planted spinach, carrots, tomatoes and onions. She started selling spinach making R200.00 a day both
from the tunnel and on furrows. She also had soil erosion problems during theheavy rains. Water comes both from
the road and the roof, as she has no gutters. She constructed stone-lines along her fence line, but they were made
for stopping goats from coming inside her yard and eating her crops.
Right: Mrs Monyela’s
vegetable production.in
trensch beds, furrows and
ridges and in her tunnel
Mrs Monyela’s comments:
•There are no
gutters on house
•There is a water
channel that has
formed in the yard,
created by water
from the roof,
joining water from the road to the garden, eroding all the soil to the corner of the fence where the yard
ends. She then planted sweet potatoes at the end so that they can stop soil movement and can take-up the
water.
•The soil in the yard and garden/field is clay soil and is in good condition only lacking organic matter. The
soil is not hard to work.
•She constructed stone-lines using cement bricks to control soil and water movement, she also tried closing
water channel with grass and soil.
Participants were divided into two groups to do the garden water flow walk and sketch.
Right: Stone-lines that
Mma Monyela
constructed using
cement bricks to control
water and soil movement
and Far Right:
Participants creating a
water flow sketch for
the homestead
Then participants
decided on potential
practices to implement
and were shown how to construct and make a line level. They marked contours form the top of Mrs Monyela’s
years, making them 2-4 metres apart. After that the group started constructing stone-lines. Again the stone-lines
made by Mr Monyela had to be corrected as they were not on contour.
These lines must be keyed in by first digging a shallow ditch 30cm wide to place the stones in. They are built up
using flattish even stones starting with larger stones at the bottom and should be stable enough for someone to
walk over them once they are done, it is possible also to plant deep rooting plants, shrubs and trees along these
stone lines. After time the spaces between the stones will fill up with sediment and small terraces will be formed.
Right and Far Right:
participants making the
30cm ditch and then
carefully packing stones
moving from larger
stones at the bottom, to
smaller stoned on top.
In this garden shallow
trenches were also
constructed.This is both
a soil erosion control
and soil fertility enhancement technique for fields. To start contours are marked using a line level. Then 30cm wide
and 15cm deep ditches are dug along this line with the soil placed below the ditch. The ditches are lined with a
layer of mulch or dried plant material
around 10cm deep and then a layer of
manure that covers this; approximately 2-
5cm deep. The soil is then placed back over
this mixture to make a small ridge. Crops,
such as sweet potatoes can be planted on
this ridge and other crops such as beans and
grains, just aboveor below, depending on
the season. This was done close to Mma
Monyela’s furrows, so she can observe the
difference.
Right and Far Right :A shallow trench bed
was constructed above a set of ridges and
furrows for Mr Monyela to compare the
production and water management for these
two methods
Mulalani
No of participants; Day 1 -20 and day 2 –17. The workshop was held at Zondi Matibidi’s homestead.The same
process was followed here. In this field Mrs Zondi had planted maize, ground nuts and Bambara nuts. Growth was
not good and heavy rainfall reduced yields to almost zero.
Comments of the household:
•The soil looks bad with no sign of organic matter, hence the maize crop did very badly, it was not because
of water, but also because of bad soil.
•She has four x 4,5m trench beds where she plants her vegetables and she also planted sweet-potatoes for
soil and water control.
•For closing water channels that were created during heavy rains she used dry grass, in the process the grass
will decompose and add organic matterto the soil. A big donga was formed during rainy season where
substantial soil erosion was visible. She didn’t know how to stop the donga from becoming worse, so she
also added grass, but this was also washed away.
•Most of the water comes from the street to the homestead due to the slope, which leads to run-off and less
water infiltration. She then started making furrows close to the fence starting from where water gets into
the yard, then planted sweet-potatoes, with the idea was that it will use most of the water and decrease
the speed of water.
Right; A view of the yard
and field, with infertile soil
and remainder of crops
planted and Far Right:
participants in the workshop
doing their water flow walk.
Participants suggested that
we first start with the stone-
lines next to thefence to
reduce the speed of the run-
off.A line-level was used to
mark the contour and then a
stone-line was constructed
close to fence.
A check dam was constructed in the gulley forming in Mrs Zondi’s yard. Check dams are similar to stone lines, but
require a bit more “construction’ as they are built across small gulleys and drainage lines. Soil will build up behind
the check dams. They need to be built roughly in the shape of a banana, so have the lowest point in the gulley so
that water can still flow over them, with an apron of stone below the check dam wall to ensure that this water
does not cut into the soil. They need to be securely keyed into the banks of the gulley by digging a ditch 30cm wide
and 30cm deep within which
the first line of stones is to be
placed. These structures need
to be very stable and should
support people walking across
them easily.
Right: The participants
constructing and stone line
along the fence and Far Right:
construction of a check damin
the gulley formed.
Participants removed the rocks
that were just thrown into the
gulley and used those to make
the check dam.
Sedawa/Mametja
No of attendant participants: 20. Here the workshop was more of a review session as participants have been part of
soil andwater conservation workshops already. The group have been implementing furrows, shallow trench beds and
stone-lines. Ofthe20 participants present, 13 had constructed stone-lines and furrows in their gardens and 5 were
new to the group. The workshop was heldat Trona Morema’s household, where signs of extensive soil erosion were
present.
Household comments from participants:
•Most of the water comes from the road, because of the slope coming down towards the homestead.
•Some of the water comes from roof, as there are no gutters
and harvesting of rainwater is done is small containers only.
The water from both the roof and road meet at one point at
the back of one house and createda water channel that
turned into a big gully.
•Trona planted sweet-potatoes at the back of the house in
furrows, shealso tried todo stone-lines, but they have not
worked well. She also cut down old mango trees and left all
the leaves as mulch to cover the soil.
Right: Trona planted sweet potatoesin furrows where rainwater
pools in heryard. She alsocovered the soil with drymango leaves
and maize residues.
Participants asked for a demonstration of constructing and using a line-level as well as making stone lines, as they
could not remember well from the earlier workshops.
Right: participants
doing their water flow
sketches and Far
Right: the group is
constructing a stone
line on one of the
marked contours.
Conclusion
Participants felt that the workshops were valuable in reminding them of traditional practices, but also showing them
how to undertake these practices in a better way, as they now realize they did not take flow of water into account
properly. Participants were also shocked to hear thattheir actions also contribute to soilerosion andthat the
sweeping of yards, which is practices by all,causes more run-off and severely restricts water infiltration into the
ground.
5.4Natural Pest and Disease Control learning sessions
Written by Betty Maimela
These were conducted in Willows, Santeng, Mulalani and Worcester. These workshops were undertaken over two
days, one for theory and one for practical demonstrations. The workshop at Worcester is reported on below as an
example, as all four workshops followed a similar process and had similar content.
Agenda
1.Introduction- The significant of plant pests and diseases
•Enemies and friends in the garden:Plants that are advantageous and disadvantageous plants in the
garden, Insects (chewing and sucking insect pests) and predators, Micro-organisms (fungi, bacteria,
viruses)
2.Diagnosing plant problems
3.Bio-indicators
4.Practical discussions and demonstrations: (natural physical and chemical control methods)
5.Prevention
Right:
Worcester
participants,
with masks
during a
power point
presentation
of Natural
pest and
disease
control, at
Nika Mmola’s
homestead
and Far
Right: The
presentation at Willows.
Introduction
THEORY
Plant pests and diseases are significant to farmers because they can cause damage to plants and plant products. There
are a number of methods available for controlling pestsand diseases. The best approach to good vegetable production
would be to try to avoid problems as far as possible instead of trying to cure them. The only way to avoid problems
from occurring in the garden to make sure that soil is healthy and that the environment that the plant is growing in, is
stable and balanced.
Enemies and friends
Plants, animals and micro-organisms can influence the productivity in your garden. About 99% of all plants, animals
and microorganisms are beneficial to agriculture. There are animals and pests that are beneficial in the garden and
there are animals and pests that are causing damage to the crops in the garden.
5.4.2.1.1Plants
Participants were taught about weeds, the advantages of using weeds and disadvantages of leaving weeds to grow in
their garden. It is common among participants to clean out weeds and throw out of the garden, but it means they are
losing out from the advantage of using weeds. Weeds are well known to take up all nutrients and water from the soil
in competition with other crops, to hosts pest that candamage crops, shade crops from the sun and reduce the quality
of then produce. Weeds also are beneficial; they can be used as green manure to feed the soil when slashed. They also
cover the soil, preventing soil erosion and they also act as wind breakers.
5.4.2.1.2Animals
These includes large mammals, birds, slugs and snails, insects and nematodes. There are animals and pests that eat
crops in the garden. The plant/seed eating birds can damage your crops by eating the seedlings, fruits and seeds of
the crop. Participants added on birds that since last year birds have been eating their spinach in their gardens, hence
they wished they all had tunnels or nets to protect their crops frombirds. Large animalslike mammals if kept out of
the garden they could not cause damage and animal manure is very useful in building the soil. Insects pests can be
divided into categories;
1.Sap-sucking pests- which are pests like aphids, scale insects, leaf and plant hoppers, whiteflies, mites and red
spider mites, they are insects that feed on foliage, twigs and branches of a plant.
2.Plant eating/chewing pests -Which are pests like caterpillars (armyworm, leaf miners, cutworms), beetles,
locusts and crickets. They chew or eat the leaves and tunnel through the plant blossoms and blooms.
Cutworms crawl up at night and eat plant leaves as well as buds and fruits.
3.Some insects are beneficial to crops- like bees which help with crop pollination. Some pest predators feed on
insects that are problematic in the garden (example; dragon flies which feed on insects and cutworms, ground
beetles, ladybirds, bees, lacewings). Some insects live n dead organic material and help decompose organic
material, for example dung beetles.
4.Microorganisms are tiny creatures that can usually notbe observed with the naked eye. They can, however,
be seen when they occur in large numbers. Micro-organisms can be classified as fungi, bacteria and viruses.
Some micro-organisms are beneficial to the soil. Othersare pathogenic and cause diseases in plants. Many
also live and grow in the soi and can remain there or many years. Warm, wet conditions are very favourable
to both fungi and bacteria.
Diagnosing problems.
Through the workshop, participants are taught the importance of diagnosing a plant first before treating. This will help
them to keep more accurate records of causes and solutions to problems, rather than just reaching for pesticides the
moment they see and insect It also helps to know whether a problem is caused by insects, plant diseases or nutrient
deficiencies, as sometimes the symptoms on the plants can be similar. Before symptoms can be treated it is important
to have an idea of the cause of the problem.
The table below provides some guidelines fordiagnosing insect problems. Photographs have been used of common
symptoms in participants’ gardens
Table 6: Diagnosing insect problems in the gardens
Symptoms
Causes
Ragged leaves, holes in wood, fruit or seed. Mining on
leaves. Wilted or dead plants. The presence of larvae
Chewing insects
Foliage and fruit are off-colour and sometimes a bit
distorted.
Sucking insects removing sap and cell contents from the plant
and injecting toxins into the plant
Black sooty substances covering the leave, twigs, branches
and fruit. The sooty can easily be removed by rubbing the
leaves. Picture of black sooty mold.
Honeydew excreted by certain insects leads to the growth of
sooty mould. Leaves suffocate and plants do not growwell.
Picture below shows honeydew secreted by insects on crop
leaves.
Galls on leaves, twigs, budsand leaves. Picture below
showsgall formation on mango leavescaused by mango
leaf gall midges.
Galls forming insects
Scars on stems, twigs, bark and fruit. Fruit is sometimes
infested with larvae
Insects laying their eggsin or on the plants.
The following table provides some directions for identifying plant diseases
Table 7: Symptoms and causes of plant diseases in the gardens
Symptoms
Causes
Wilting, root rots and stunting. Belowis a picture of wilting
spinach.
Picture of stunting
If wilting is not due to lack of water, then it can be caused
by clogging ofwater-conducting cells of the plant, caused
mainly by bacterial infections. Or water stress caused by
feeding on the roots by nematodes.
Stunting can be caused by nematode damage, viral
infections and soil acidity.
Blotching, scab, black spots on leaves.
1.Picture of blotching
2.Picture of scab
Destruction of the chlorophyll in the leavesdue to bacterial
or viral infections.
3.Black spot on leaves
Unusual growths on flowers, twigs and roots.
Gall forming bacteria that disrupt normal cellular
organization.
Flower and seed rots.
Fire blight and bacterial rots
Wilting, dwarfing and off-coloured foliage, usually patchy in
appearance, leaves become distorted.
Viral diseases carried from one plant to another by aphids
and other sap sucking insects.
Soft rotting of fruit, foul smelling
Bacterial soft rots; usually in wet environment.
NOTE: The names of different disease-causing organisms were not included, as we first wanted participants to become
more familiar with the types of symptoms.
5.4.2.2.1Common pests and disease that farmers managed to identify in their gardens
•Aphids–black tiny insects that cling toyour plants,
pierce them and start sucking out the sap. Picture
below shows aphids that infested the leave of the
plant.
•White flies –theyaretinyflying insects with a pale yellow
or white body and white wings. These soft-bodied pests are
related to aphidsand mealybugs, and are actually not a type of
fly.
•Cut worms/army worms –Most farmers had encountered
a problem ofcut worms in their garden, cutting their
seedlings. It was hard to treat, but what they have done
was to look for them and burn them before grinding
them to spraytheir dust in the gardens and it worked
they never had cut-worm problem as other could smell
one of their own.
•Spider-mites – causes leaves to dry out and die. During discussion on
pests they have identified in their gardens, farmers explained, that
they have come across red spiders’ mites on tomatoes andthey lost
without a single harvest.
•Cabbage worm –Cutworms, cabbageworm, cabbage looper,
diamondback moth larvae, and cross-striped cabbage worm can
be each cause substantial damage to cabbage. These insects
can be found on the undersides of leaves along leafmargins,
but they can be found anywhere on the plant.
Bio-indicators
What are bio-indicators – They are living organisms such as plants, animals and microbes, which are utilized to
screen the health of the natural ecosystem in the environment, they are normally used to assess the environment al
health and biogeographic changes taking place.
The development and use of biological indicators of soil quality is important in organic farming system. Organic
farming systems are generally associated with increased biological activity and increased belowground biodiversity.
It is important that farmers identify indicators and understand and relate them to support on farm management
practices/decisions.
Pests and diseases can be helpful in a way too. Whenthese are spotted in the garden, they are indicators that
something is wrong. Tofix the problem, you need to know what the indicator is tellingyou. By just killing off the pests
and diseases with chemicals, youwill never fixthe problem. The solution would be to make the plantand its
environment healthy enough to fix itself. Healthy plants have a natural resistance against pests and disease.
Weeds can tell us a lot about the soil they are growing in. They have a very strong taproot indicating soil compaction
and they grow on compacted soilto break and improve soil structure. Fernsand oxalis indicate acidic soil, nutgrass
and sedges indicate that there is not enough air in the soil, because of compaction and water logging. Amaranthus
(Lerotho) indicates fertile soil with bad structure. Amaranthus is rich in nitrogen. Blackjack can take up nutrients that
are not easily available tocrops.Weeds also take up minerals from the soil and keep them from washing away or
leaching into the soil. That is why weeds are great for both mulching and use in liquid manures, as the provide access
to nutrients which would otherwise be lost, or unavailable to crops.
The pictures below show different types of Amaranthus.Amaranthus is one ofthe
traditional greens, commonly eaten by local people. It is also very useful for addition
of nutrients and nitrogen to liquid manures.
Control mechanisms
The process ofcontrol starts with good fertility and garden management and thenincludesphysical and chemical
(organic) strategies.
The following examples are different techniques under natural control that participants canuse in their garden without
synthetic chemicals. Natural methods of pest management are based on making the best use of systems in nature.
The idea is that farmers use the resources available to them, to fight pests and diseases.
Natural control starts by building a healthy soil. If the soil is healthy, the plants will be strong and they will resist
diseases far better. Natural control includes the following methods:
1.Physical control methods- These methods includes barriers, traps and artificial guards. Trap can be made by using a 2l
coke bottle and beer. One can also use a white/yellow container like the picture shown on the left adding either
vegetable oil with soy sauce or beer.
Above Left: a sugar water trap for ants and other insects and Above Right: A trap made forllfying insects
such as fruit flies and flies.
2.Organic and botanical methods
Spraying with herbal poisons or plant teas can control pests and diseases to a large extent. Some of the most
widely used insecticides originally came from plants. Sprays can be made up fromthe chopped-upleaves of
different strong smelling plants. Plants like garlic, chilli and onion work well. Another advantage of natural or
organic remedies is that they are cheap and can be re-applied after the rain and irrigation, as they will be
washed away by water/rainwater. Leaves of many strong-smelling, bitter-tastingplants like gums, lantana,
khaki weed, tomato or any other herbs have great potential for insect sprays. Plants that do not get attacked
while in among affected plants are also potential remedies.
PRACTICAL
Liquid manures
These organic brews add both to overall fertility in the garden and specifically provide nutrients and minerals to the
plant to assist them in fighting of pest and disease attacks. Different brews can be good for different purposes. Aliquid
manure based on banana stems for example is high in both silicon and potassium, two minerals that build immunity
in plants to a number of different diseases and reduces attack by sap sucking insects.
Banana stem liquid manure: this is made by chopping up stems and placing them in a 20 l bucket with water for 7-14
days, before diluting 1:5 and pouring over plants, or onto the soil around plants.
Above left: Chopping banana stems and AboveRight the stems placed in anetting bag in a 20l bucket of
water for soaking prior to dilution and use.
Fortified liquid manure: This liquid manure contains animal manure, chopped up dark green leafy plants and weeds
such as blackjack and Amaranthus,lime to assist with pH balance, bonemeal toadd phosphorus, sugar toaidin
formation and milk toadd a number of bacterial cultures and some nitrogen to speed up the process. This fermented
brew isa well-balanced mixture of all essential nutrientsas well as micronutrients, minerals and plant hormones for
optimal plant health. The mixture is also left to ferment for 7-14 days prior to dilution in a ration of 1:5 in water for
use on plants. It is prayed directly onto the leaves, as the nutrients are absorbed through the leaves into the plants.
Asthe mixture can be kept and added to, itis made in a large 200l drum and “fed” form time to time with more
plant material and animal manure.
Above Left: The drum with chopped up dark green leaves, manure and lime Above Centre: Adding the milk
and other ingredients such as sugar and bonemeal and AboveRight: the final product- a big drum of a
fortified liquid manure to be left to ferment and mature.
Prevention
Prevention is always better thancure. By creating a healthy environment, youwillnot have serious problems with
pests and diseases. The following practices can be implemented to prevent problems of pests and diseasesin the
garden:
1.Garden sanitation- By removing infected plant material, the chance of disease spread is reduced.
2.Timing of Planting-It is also important to plant crops inthe season that they prefer. Planting crops out of
season places them under stress and makes them more susceptible to pest attacks and diseases.
3.Mixed cropping- Crops can be inter-cropped to gain advantages such a: sharing of nutrients through different
uptake by different crop types. Different crops have different growth habits, some growing closer to the
ground some growing taller and can share space in this way. Different crops have different shapes and sizes
of root systems and can thus easily share space underground. Some crops are shade tolerant and need cooler
conditions than others and can be planted under the partial canopies of larger crops.
4.Crop rotation isthe best method to control soil-borne diseases. Crop rotation will reduce the build-up of
diseases on a particular crop. Species with few or no pests in common should be chosen (for example, crops
from different plant families). This measure is of crucial importance for the control of soil-borne diseases and
pests, such as nematodes. Rotations can improve soil fertility, as different families add and subtract different
things in their growing cycle. Legumes add nitrogen to the soil, while potatoes break up the soil, and leave
their fibrous roots behind, opening up the soil structure.
5.Natural fertilizers- Composted plant wastes, animal manure, green manure and earthworms. One can use the
following as green manure; Sun hemp, oats, mustard spinach, fodder radish, legumes and comfrey (which is a
good source of Potassium).
6.Mulching-it is the process of covering the bare soil withorganic matter, which is beneficial to plants as it
maintains uniform soil temperatures and keeps moisture in the soil, and it also adds nutrients to the soil. With
mulching in the garden thereis less evaporation, good weed control, and good soil structure through soil
organisms and less soil erosion.
Reflection
Below are some comments from workshop participants.
Naume Maanaso– The workshop has taught us a lot that wedidn’t know, more especially on how to make remedies.
She has been using aloe remedies but didn’t know that there are other organic materials that she can easily get to
make remedies for treating her crops and fertilising the soil at the same time.
Aniki Mmola- She has learnt a lot from the workshop, she liked using blue death. Now she knows that she can make
traps to attract ants and use wood ash and make botanical remedies for pest control with organic materials that can
accessible and cheap.
Nkhekhe Madike- We have learnt alot, the workshop was very good and going forwardwe need to implementthe
practices in our gardens and attest to the effectiveness of the remedies.
Dora Mmete has been using tobacco for pest control in her garden for a while, what she has been doing is to soak it
for 24 hours and then spray affected crops to treat aphids, white flies and mites.
Josphina Mahlo –We have learnt about types of insects that are beneficial and insects that damage our crops, most
especially to differentiate flies and butterflies, as we havebeen killing butterflies and bees with the knowledge that
they lay eggs on our crops and damage our crops, which has led to loss in the garden and loss of our seeds.
Participants will try both botanical and organic remedies for both pests and disease problems, but they also
understand thatit won’t be easy for them to do the diagnosis in their garden and keep records, as they have no names
of the pests, but will record in their language and try to get their children and grandchildren to take pictures for them
to show Betty and Thembani, so they can assist with identifying the right name for the pests.
Worcester crop calendars
This exercise was conducted within the pest and disease control workshop, as it also provides a focus for participants
todiscuss time of planting and appropriate timing for planting of crops and assists with overall plant health in their
gardens.
6Progress for main activities
January
Maize
Pumpkin
Cowpeas
Ground nuts
Bambara nuts
Beetroot
Onions
Tomatoes
Carrots
Parsley
Sweet potatoes
Butternuts
Beans
Lemon grass
February
Maize
Cowpeas
Sweet potatoes
Beetroot
Tomatoes
Parsley
Ground nuts
Pumpkin
Butternuts
Onions
Spinach
Beans
Carrots
Lemon grass
March
Onion
Spinach
Cabbage
Beetroot
Carrots
Mustard spinach
Parsley
Lemon grass
April
Onion
Beetroot
Tomatoes
Mustard spinach
Swiss chard spinach
Chili
Lemon grass
Cabbage
Carrots
Parsley
Kale
Green pepper
May
Onion
Spinach
Chili
Spring onion
Cabbage
Beetroot
Swiss chard
Mustard spinach
Parsley
Lemon grass
Tomatoes
Kale
Green pepper
June
Onion
Spinach
Chili
Spring onion
Cabbage
Beetroot
Swiss chard
Mustard spinach
Parsley
Lemon grass
Tomatoes
Kale
Green pepper
July
Onion
Spinach
Chili
Spring onion
Cabbage
Beetroot
Swiss chard
spinach
Mustard spinach
Parsley
Lemon grass
Tomatoes
Kale
Butternut
Sweet potatoes
Green pepper
August
Onion
Spinach
Chili
Spring onion
Cabbage
Beetroot
Swiss chard spinach
Mustard spinach
Parsley
Lemon grass
Tomatoes
Kale
Butternut
Sweet potatoes
Green pepper
September
Onion
Spinach
Chili
Spring onion
Cabbage
Beetroot
Swiss chard spinach
Mustard spinach
Parsley
Lemon grass
Tomatoes
Kale
Butternut
Pumpkin
Maize
Cowpeas
Sweet potatoes
Green pepper
October
Onion
Spinach
Chili
Spring onion
Cabbage
Beetroot
Swiss chard
Mustard spinach
Parsley
Lemon grass
Tomatoes
Kale
Butternut
Pumpkin
Maize
Cowpeas
Sweet potatoes
Green pepper
November
Onion
Spinach
Chili
Spring onion
Cabbage
Beetroot
Swiss chard
Mustard spinach
Parsley
Lemon grass
Tomatoes
Kale
Butternut
Pumpkin
Maize
Cowpeas
Sweet potatoes
Green pepper
December
Onion
Beetroot
Carrot
Parsley
Maize
Cowpeas
Groundnuts
Bambara nuts
Sweet potatoes
Pumpkin
Chili
Beans
Green pepper
A fewmore local drip irrigationsessions have been conducted by the local facilitator in Sedawa during this period.
Inaddition, the last two tunnels from the first round were constructed for Isaac Malatji in Turkey and Alex Magopa
in Sedawa, by the local tunnel teams that have been set up.
Above: The construction team and other learning group participants assisting Alex Magopa to construct his tunnel
in April 2021.
The 2ndround of 37 tunnels have been ordered and were delivered on the 7thtof June 2021, for the tunnel team to
continue construction.
PGS learning and support.
The learning process for the 30 participants from Sedawa and Turkey in the organic participatory guarantee system
(PGS) is an ongoing collaboration both with AWARD and the Hoedspruit PGS. Time has been spent developing a concept
note for a group-based guarantee system and presenting these to first the Hoedspruit PGS and then PGS-SA. It became
clear that the present modelof thePGS system allows only for small groups of individuals, so thata PGS only has
around 9 members. Each of these members has to be available for all the peer review monitoring on all the farms.
Hoedspruit PGS could thus not accommodate the30 odd smallholderfarmers, as originally anticipated. In addition,
Hoedspruit PGS insisted that eachfarmer needs to have theirown soil samples and water quality samples done
annually,rather than sampling among the participants to make the process less unwieldy and cheaper.
PGS-SA is only now in theprocess ofnegotiating with various stakeholders, including MDF todesign customised
solutions for group-based certification.
MDF has also negotiated with K2C to include the “Mametja-Sekororo” PGS group in the pollinator programme being
run by SAOSO. For this process, a young local facilitatoris trained and supported toset up a PGS, inclusive of ensuring
all documentation is correctly submitted.Karabo from K2C has now undertaken to set up two PGSgroups, one in
Phirieng for K2C and one in Sekororo for MDF.
Explorations have also been doneregarding options for soil sampleand waterquality sample analysis. A few soil
samples were analysed for theHoedspruit PGS at a laboratory at UCT for soil nutrient and organic carbon. As this
could not be repeated for other participants and PGS groups, the use of the CEDARA soil analytics laboratories in KZN
has been undertaken. This is a Department of Agriculture research laboratory and soil sample analysis costs around
R200/sample. It is the onlyprovince that provides this service, and they are no longer too strict regarding samples
originating within KZN.
PGS workshop 5
6.1.1.1.1PGS WORKSHOP OUTLINE (Mametja-Sekororo PGS)
The diagram alongisde illustrates the PGS outline,
indicating the rplationship betweenthe PGS and the Tala
Table Network. Members of the network who feelthat
they would like organic certification for their marketing
efforts joint the Mametja-Sekororo PGS. Other members
can alsosell their agroecological products using the Tala
Table. The difference is that PGS memberswill have
certification stickers and the other participants will not.
There is a need todiscuss and clarify this model with the
farmers and this isalsoa way inwhich we can now
expand beyond the initial 35 farmers who have been
training in PGS, as other farmers and villages alsohave
an interest. This workshop will conclude this round of
PGS training.
RECAP OF PROGRESS TO DATE:
1.PGS workshops sessions have been conducted with 35 farmers from Sedawa, Mametla, andTturkey villages
wherein the farmers wereintroduced to PGS. Four (4) workshop sessions were conducted with farmers where
they were taken through the five finger principles, helped tocreate their own visions of becoming a PGS
member, Assisted in Map creation of their homestead and other crucial subsets of PGS process.
2.A Garden Monitoring tool created by MDF was used to assess 26farmers who were interested and willing to
be part of the PGS group (Mametja-sekororo PGS). From these, the participants who had a green rating are
ready to have their PGA assessment.
3.Karabo from Hoedspruit Hub is a PGS pollinator, and she agreed/ volunteered to take this group through the
steps of setting up and registration of a PGS. However, her time schedules are out of sync with ours and thus
we have undertaken to do this without her but keeping her in the loop.
4.After the pledge, committee selection, subscriptions and PGS process/ rules have been done with the group,
the assessments will then be conducted so that participants can get the organic endorsement certification.
the certification.
Ideas for the next workshop session were brought tothe table and ‘understanding themarket’ idea was proposed
by the team. The idea is explained below;
1.1Understanding the Market idea
Farmers will be required on the next workshop session to think
critically about produce that they can sell on local markets and
outside markets, produce will be provided in the session wherein
they canbe in groups so that they can together categories the
produce for the local markets and outside markets.
Local Markets
Outside Markets
•Perishable
produce (produce
that are likely to
decay or go bad
quickly)
•In demand for the
local markets
•Poor quality
produce
•High quality produce
•Non-perishable
produce(produce that
do not quickly decayor
go bad)
•In demand produce at
the outside markets
The following produce can be provided on the workshop session for the farmers to use when doing this activity;
•Vegetables: Tomatoes, Onions, Spinach, Brinjal, Peppers, Lettuce, Cabbage, Carrots, Beetroot
•Herbs: Lemon grass, Coriander, Fennel, Parsley
•Fruits: Avocadoes, Grapes, Citrus, Banana, Mabilo
local
markets
Outside
markets
•Indigenous produce: Sweet chili sauce and jam (from MDF workshops),atjar, indigenous roobos, special tea,
Lingana (wormwood), Pesto, Hibiscus flowers.
6.1.1.1.2Workshop Programme for the 25h and 27th of May 2021
All participants from Sedawa and Turkey on 25th and PGS only on the 27th
1.Welcome
2.Understanding the Market; Working in groups… Buy some stuff to demonstrate
a.Home consumption, local marketing, other marketing etc ; what and why…
b.Enough, regularly…
3.Review of the process (Maps, Vision, water analysis, assessment form)
a.Check and list which boreholes to still collect samples from (5-6)
4.PGS process (PGS criteria, PGS certification, etc) ERNA
a.PGS and garden assessments, linked to people who want to be assessed.
b.Explanation of the criteria
c.Analysis by participants – fruit, livestock integration etc..
d.List of those to be assessed –explain that weneed to come again and include some other aspects
(like chemicals, cleaning, containers, harvesting, packaging, documentation and records –maps –
slips for any inputs bought, record of sales,
e.Soil sample analysis explain and discuss – list of those who still need
5.Rules and regulations for a PGS (to be cont. in detail on Thursday, introduction only)
a.Initial self assessment for registration and registration fee (R500)/ year.
b.Standard operational procedures
i.Vision
ii.Membership, committee, administrator
iii.Farm assessments
iv.Compliance and discipline
6.Tala Table (Youth programme)
a.Who’se in the network, how to expand it
b.Youth programme.
6.1.1.1.3Minutes of PGS workshop
Date: 21 May 2021
Venue: Makgalangake Mogale – Turkey 1
Attendance: Mametja, Sedawa and Turkey 1&2 participants
(27)
Introduction
Participants were informed of a further impending COVID-
19 lockdown –due to ‘third wave” infections. They said
that this time they are more confident, as they now
understand the implications and most people have been
actively gardening and will have food in their homes if
there is another lockdown.
Derick introduced the upcoming youth programme through DKA, but participants were a bit sceptical feeling that
youth want quick wins for little effort and would not be very interested. This will be further explored.
Re Tala table Network and PGS we are now moving to the next steps. We have completed the learning process with
the initial 30 participants and now the network can be expanded to include all participants from learning groups
which are interested. The PGS is ready to be formalized. The idea is that everyone interested in local food systems
and marketing belong to the Tala Table Network and those who want organic certification for the marketing
activities join the Mametja-Sekororo PGS.
Marketing Exercise
Parrticipants were divided into two groups and chose produce according to that which they will eat and use at
home, that which they can market locally and that which they can market more formally and further afield.
Participants felt that the inclusion of the culinary herbs (lemon grass, parsley, coriander) and traditional herbs and
teas (“special tea” and “localrooibos”, mtshukutsoane, Lingana, moringa) is a good idea and those can be sold at
local points such as taxi ranks and pension pay outs.
Right: Table
with a range of
produce for
participants to
choose from for
different
marketing
avenues and
discussion of
options. Far-
Right: One of
the sub-groups
of participants
busy selecting
produce suitable
for local
marketing
avenues.
They liked the idea of doing some branding with their Tala Table, having a gazebo and banners and good packaging
and layout of quality produce to draw customers. If one just goes now and then to pension pay out points people do
not buy much, as they need to know you and trust your produce. This then will need to become a regular thing.
They also suggested that farmers can provide explanations to customers to explain why their produce looks better
and suggested one also has to dress ’nicely’ to make the best impression possible.
People agreed that the more perishable products are better for home use, as even at local markets they spoil
during the day and can then not be taken back and used, so produce is lost in this way. For most marketing
transport is needed and this is where things become problematic. All transport options are too expensive to make
selling a reasonable and profitable idea for individuals who have small quantities. It could make sense to join
together, as participants have done for the Farmers’ Markets in Hoedspruit, but even then, one needs to have a
reasonable amount of produce and a range of products- as customers at markets buy small quantities of many
different things. At pension points one can advertise through selling small amounts, that there is more and people
will make orders – this is a reasonably standard practice.
Participants who have sold at pension points felt that it went wellfor them as long as their produce was good
quality and onions, spinach, tomatoes, green pepper and beetroot sold well. In Turkey 1 and 2 there is no major
pension point at the hall as there is in Sedawa - the main one is in turkey 3 and thus there are transport
implications.
Generally, participants felt that they can’t sell herbs and value-added products locally, thus products such as
rocket, atjar, pesto, sundried tomatoes, moringa, avocadoes, oranges, ginger, garlic etc would do better in outside
markets.
A few participants mentioned that they sell to vendors selling at taxi ranks – mainly at Willows and the Oaks. These
are participants who produce in larger fields; crops such as butternut, sweet potatoes, green beans, tomatoes,
spinach and avocadoes.
PGS committee and rules
It was agreed that participants in the PGs will pay R50 annual membership fee, which will go towards paying PGS-
SA and then the remainder will be used by the committee for transport to meetings and farmer assessments.
The committee was chosen as shown in the small table below. It was decided to have an administrator in each
village, rather than just one for the whole group and that for assessments two farmers from that village will join
the assessment committee. They eventually agree to only one external member form either AWARD or MDF at each
assessment, as they initially wanted the whole NGO team to be present.
Table 8: Mametja Sekororo PGS committee members
Role
Village
Name and
Surname
Contact details
Chairperson and administrator.
Mametja/
Mabins
Drona Morema
Stand 226, Mabins Village.
PO Box 191 Trichardsdal, 0890
She will keep the main file for all PGS assessments,
membership and will manage the finances
Cell: 0799107186
Vice chairperson and administrator. He will assist with
logistics and documentation for assessments and
finances for the PGS
Sedawa
Ronnie
Sekgobela
Stand C0004 Sedawa Village
Cell:0721302417
Administrator: She will organise and manage
assessments for farmer, coordinate any samples for
soil and water assessments and work with the
chairperson to finalize documentation
Turkey 2
Matshego Shaai
PO Box 300 Trichardsdall, 0891
Cell:0712272176
Administrator: She will organise and manage
assessments for farmer, coordinate any samples for
soil and water assessments and work with the
chairperson to finalize documentation
Turkey 1
Makgalangake
Mogale
Stand No 10128 Turkey 1 Village.
PO Box 234 Moetladimo,0891
Cell: 0729147880
Soil sample results
Erna summarized the requirements for the assessments:
•-Maps
•-Slips for inputs and records of production and sales
•-Soil sample
•-Water quality test
Thus far 10 soil samples have been taken, again as an initial practice run and to see whether more generic soil
samples would be appropriate for the PGS assessment process. It was found though that participants had quite
different soil fertility results and thus the recommendation is that each participant will need to have a soil sample
done- at least initially.
The soil sample results were presented to the group and included a discussion about the main nutrients tested, i.e.
N,P,and K as well as organic matter.
Participants still remembered the different nutrients and also the drawbacks of using fertilizer, such as reduced
micro-organisms in the soil, weakening of the soil – so difficulty to maintain growth of crops after one season. They
mentioned that earthworms are an indicator of fertile soil.
Soils samples were taken from the following farmers:
Name and surname
Village
Magdalene Malepe, Esina Malepe, Christina Thobejane, Daphney Maphuru and Mpelesi
Sekgobela
Sedawa
Nkuwane Shai, Norah Tshetlha, Sarah Mohlala, Sarah Madire and Makgalangake Mogale
Turkey
The results for the soil samples however do indicate that specific recommendations will be required for each
participant as there are considerable variations between participants.
Table 9: Soil Fertility and organic carbon analysis for10 PGS participants.
Name and
Surname
Area
Crop to be
grown
pH
Acid sat (%)
N Required
(kg/ha)
P required
K required
Lime req
t/ha
ZINC
Org. C %
N %
Clay %
Comment
Christina
Thobejane
Sedawa
Beet
7,11
1
150
50
0
0
No
<0,5
<0,05
17
Low OM,
high P
requirement
spinach
100
105
20
0
No
Swt pot
100
20
0
0
No
Magdalene
Malepe
Sedawa
Beet
6,05
1
150
160
60
0
No
1
0,07
23
Medium OM,
High P and K
requirement
spinach
100
210
190
0
No
Swt pot
100
60
60
0
No
Esina
Malepe
Sedawa
Beet
6,45
2
150
125
0
0
No
0,8
<0,05
10
Low OM,
high P
requirement
spinach
100
165
20
0
No
Swt pot
100
85
0
0
No
Daphney
Maphuru
Sedawa
Beet
7,45
1
150
30
0
0
No
<0,5
<0,05
9
spinach
100
75
0
0
No
Low OM,
high P
requirement
Swt pot
100
20
0
0
No
Mpelesi
Sekgobela
Sedawa
Beet
7,4
1
150
0
0
0
No
1,9
0,1
19
High OM,
good
nutrient
content
spinach
100
0
0
0
No
Swt pot
100
0
0
0
No
Nkuwane
Shai
Turkey
Beet
7,09
1
150
20
0
0
No
0,5
<0,05
7
Low OM,
high P
requirement
spinach
100
40
0
0
No
Swt pot
100
20
0
0
No
Norah
Tshetlha
Turkey
Beet
6,9
1
150
0
0
0
No
0,8
<0,05
19
High OM,
good
nutrient
content
spinach
100
0
0
0
No
Swt pot
100
0
0
0
No
Sarah
Mohlala
Turkey
Beet
7,45
1
150
0
0
0
No
0,6
<0,05
9
High OM,
good
nutrient
content
spinach
100
0
0
0
No
Swt pot
100
0
0
0
No
Sarah
Madire
Turkey
Beet
7,25
1
150
20
0
0
No
1,3
<0,05
10
Medium OM,
medium P
requirement
spinach
100
40
0
0
No
Swt pot
100
20
0
0
No
pH for all participants is reasonably high and no liming is required. The pHs between 6,05 and 7,45 also indicate
that there are unlikely to be micronutrient deficits or accumulation related to acidity and alkalinity.
For the soil sample analysis, the Nitrogen (N) requirement in Kg/ha is estimated according to crop requirements
and not what is in the soil. Nevertheless the %N in these soils is extremely low for all participants, except Mpelesi
Sekgobela. Norah Tshethla and Sarah Mohlala. N can be improved in the soils by planting legumes, planting and
incorporating cover crops (green manures) and using urine in liquid manures/ teas.
The availability of Organic carbon in the soils follow a similar trend to the %N, where only three participants have
medium to high levels of %Organic C and the other 7 participants have extremely low levels. % OC can be improved
by incorporation of organic matter in the soil, mulching and crop diversification.
PGS assessments
To date garden monitoring has been done by MDF, using the organic principles and criteria required by the PGS.
Erna presented the results of the 26 monitoring forms to participants, explaining the use of the CRA practices to
assess their production and then the use of the five fingers; soil water, crops, natural resources, with the traffic
light assessments. From the table below 18 participants had an overall green assessment and are ready for their
PGS assessments. Those with yellow ratings would need to give some attention to the aspects that they scored low
in and those with red need to do a lot more work before being ready to be organically endorsed.
Table 10: Five finger and traffic late garden monitoring assessments for 26 PGS members.
Name and Surname
Infiltration,
crusting and
runoff
Organic
matter in and
on the soil
Greywater
RWH &
storage
Irrigation
Water
quality
Improved
crop
management
Continuity
NP&D
control
No of crop
types
Crop ass
Fruit types
and no,
Fruit ass, incl
man
Livestock
integration
Food
availability
Selling
Green
Yellow
Red
1
Mohlala Sara
G
G
Y
Y
Y
G
G
G
G
15
G
5; 27
G
Y
G
Y
64%
36%
2
Magalangake Mogale
Y
G
R
G
G
G
G
G
Y
8
Y
5;12
Y
R
Y
Y
43%
43%
14%
3
Sara Madire
G
G
R
G
Y
G
G
G
R
7
Y
4;22
G
R
Y
Y
50%
29%
21%
4
Shadrack Masete
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
7
Y
5;6
R
Y
G
R
7%
79%
14%
5
Christina Thobejane
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
18
G
5;36
G
R
G
G
93%
7%
6
Daphney Maphuru
G
G
R
G
Y
G
G
Y
G
14
G
8;25
G
Y
G
G
71%
21%
7%
7
Moses Mogofe
G
G
Y
G
G
G
G
G
Y
9
Y
5;24
Y
G
Y
Y
57%
43%
8
Isaac Malatjie
Y
Y
R
G
Y
G
Y
R
R
5
R
2;5
R
R
R
R
14%
29%
57%
9
Mmatshego Shai
Y
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
Y
14
G
7;36
G
Y
G
G
79%
21%
10
Malepe Lethabo
Y
Y
R
Y
Y
Y
G
Y
Y
8
Y
3;12
R
Y
Y
Y
7%
79%
7%
11
Maanawe Gladys Shai
Y
G
R
Y
G
G
G
R
Y
8
Y
3;8
R
R
Y
Y
29%
43%
29%
12
Meisie Mokwena
Y
Y
R
G
G
G
G
G
G
14
G
6;11
Y
Y
Y
R
50%
43%
7%
13
Magdalena Malepe
Y
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
Y
9
Y
4;20
G
G
Y
G
71%
29%
14
Joyce Seotlo
R
G
R
G
G
R
G
Y
Y
7
Y
6;14
Y
Y
Y
R
29%
43%
29%
15
Makibeng Moradiye
Y
G
G
Y
G
G
G
G
G
9
Y
4;6
R
Y
Y
R
50%
36%
14%
16
Martha Moloto
Y
G
Y
Y
G
G
G
Y
G
12
G
5;13
R
R
Y
R
43%
36%
21%
17
Trona Morema
Y
G
Y
G
Y
G
G
G
Y
12
G
9;19
Y
Y
Y
R
43%
50%
7%
18
Sophy Moloto
Y
Y
R
G
Y
G
G
G
G
13
G
2;14
R
Y
Y
R
43%
43%
14%
19
Mmaditiro Moradiye
Y
G
Y
G
G
G
Y
G
G
12
G
9;49
G
Y
G
R
64%
29%
7%
20
Norman Mashinye
Y
Y
R
Y
G
G
G
Y
G
7
Y
8;24
G
G
G
R
50%
36%
14%
21
Rackson Makgobatlou
Y
Y
R
Y
Y
G
G
Y
R
5
Y
3;6
Y
Y
Y
R
14%
64%
21%
22
Alfred Machimane
Y
Y
R
Y
Y
G
Y
Y
Y
10
Y
5;45
G
G
Y
G
29%
64%
7%
23
Norah Tsetla
Y
Y
R
G
Y
G
G
G
G
10
G
4;55
G
G
G
G
71%
21%
7%
24
Norah Malepe
Y
G
R
Y
G
G
G
G
G
9
G
4;12
G
Y
G
G
71%
21%
7%
25
Esinah Malepe
Y
Y
G
G
G
G
G
G
Y
8
G
2;13
Y
R
G
G
64%
29%
7%
26
Priscilla Sekgobela
Y
G
R
Y
G
G
G
Y
G
9
G
5;69
G
Y
G
G
64%
29%
7%
Assessment category
Practises assessed
Infiltration / soil
management
No runoff, diversion ditches, stone lines, mulching, dedicated beds, planting flowers, hedges and
trees/windbreaks (6 practices:2=red, 3-4=yellow and 5-6 =green)
Organic matter / soil
management
Manure, compost, Conservation Agriculture, beds (trenches, eco-circles), liquid manure, legumes natural
minerals (lime, bonemeal etc) (7 practices: 2=red, 3-4-5=yellow and 5-6-7 =green)
Greywater
use, ash, tower gardens (3 practises: 0=red; 1-2 =yellow and 3=green)
RWH & storage
drums, Jo-Jo tank with gutters, run-on, underground tanks, small dams, basins
(6 practices:2=red, 3-4=yellow and 5-6 =green)
Irrigation
Home-made watering cans, pipes, drip irrigation, deep watering (4 practises: 0=red; 1-2 =yellow and 3-
4=green)
Water quality
Boreholes, rainwater, spring water piped from the mountains, municipal water, no over exploitation of water
sources (5 practises: 0=red, 1-3 =yellow, 4 -5 =green)
Improved crop
management
Mixed cropping, diversification (incl new crop types), crop rotation (3 practises: 0=red; 1-2=yellow and
3=green)
Continuity
Seedling production, seed saving, nursery and propagation (3 practises: 0=red; 1-2 =yellow and 3=green)
Natural pest and
disease control
Mixed cropping, pest repellent species, pest control brews, biodiversity management (4 practises: 0=red; 1-2
=yellow and 3-4=green)
No of crop types
Veg, field crops, herbs: No of crops: 1-5= red, 6-10=yellow and >11=green
Fruit
Types and no of fruit trees, management (pruning, composting) ( ≤3 types and ≤10 trees=red, 3-5 types 10-20
trees=yellow, ≥5 types and ≥20 trees=green)
Indigenous plants and
ecosystem
management
Natural vegetation balanced with production, no cutting and burning, protection of wetlands, forests and
indigenous trees, wild products collected sustainably for use and sale (4 practices: 0=red, 1-2 =yellow, 3-4
=green)
Livestock
Poultry, goats, cattle, housing managed, feed managed, manure used, fodder crops planted (No livestock=red,
1 type inclusive of management and use of manure= yellow, more than one type inclusive of management and
use of manure=green)
Food availability
1-2 crop types 1-2x/week= red; 2-3 crop types 2-3x/week= yellow and3 crop types >3 times per week=green
Sale
locally, farmers markets, schools and events (3 practises: 0=red; 1-2 =yellow and 3=green)
PGS assessment for Ronnie Sekgobela: 27 May 2021
On this day the PGS committee members, plus three farmers from Sedawa (Christina Thobejane, Mr Moatana and
Tryphina Malepe) joined the MDF and AWARD facilitator for a trial run of a farm visit and PGS assessment. Christina
is the Local facilitatorfor the Sedawa learning group and Tryphina is a farmer who is also ready for her PGS
assessment. This provides her with an opportunity to understand what the committee will be looking for.
Each person was provided with the assessment form and each category was discussed together after a farm walk.
Committee members asked questions and gave comment s and suggestions. The rating for each was then combined
to provide an overall rating (green, yellow or red for each category. Then an overall assessment was made.
6.1.1.2.1Overall assessment for Ronnie Sekgobela
Colour
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Question 5
Question 6
Question 7
Red
7
6
1
8
12
4
0
Yellow
5
6
6
5
12
7
2
Green
23
21
19
23
15
23
17
NOTE: The number given for each question relates to n assessment for the practices mentioned in the subheadings
of each question.
Colour
Overall assessment
Red
17,1%
Yellow
19,3%
Green
63,5%
Decision of assessment team:the committee agreed to Organic endorsement for Mr Sekgobela. Mr Sekgobela’s
garden looks great, with many practices already in place even though he is a new participant.
Conditions to be met:
1.Soil sample
2.Water sample from his borehole
3.Updated farm map with more detail
4.Any slips and records- Mr Sekgobela said there were virtually none as he has not bought inputs and has not
yet sold much produce.
5.Attempt to buy organic seed and seedlings; or at least seed that is untreated. Seedlings can be bought
commercially and grown organically. In addition, Mr Sekgobela produces his own organic seedlings.
Time for corrections: Map- 2 weeks, 6 months to improve record keeping.
Suggestions:
As there are few soil and water conservation practices, it was suggested that Mr Sekgobela can focus on for
example, gutters on his roof for RWH and installation ofJo-Jo tank, use of stone lines and stone packs to
reduce road runoff damage in his yard and garden.
Good mixed cropping in some of the beds, but not in others- so more can be practices.
Inclusion of pest repellent plants in his garden and beds
More active seed saving form crops in the garden.
Photographs of Mr Sekgobela’s garden
Above Left: tomatoes planted in ridges and furrows on contours, nicely staked and well mulched with grass andAbove right: A
mandala bed with mixed crops and mulch of dried leaves form indigenous tree
Above Left:trench beds with mulching and planted to mustard spinach and Above right: Banana basins
Above left: A raised bed with an intercrop of cabbage and
tomatoes and Above right; The seedling bed with a row of bottles for run-off control, producing beetroot,
mustard spinach, onions and kale.
After this assessment, as discussion was held with the assessment committee regarding coherence of answers to
questions and ease of working with the form.
Below is a summary of points:
Some of the questions were vague and if assessors didn’t see what they thought they should, they gave a
red assessment, or if a category was missing, they also gave red. An example is wild products used
sustainably for use and sale.
oIt was decided if a question is not relevant, that a note of NOT APPLICALBE should be made rather
than giving a red score.
oIt was also decided to re- draft the assessment form in terms of practices and then the assessors
just mark these as present or absent – given that a value judgement is definitely too subjective in
this instance.
It was decided that the assessors will come with soil sampling boxes and sterile glass bottles to take the soil
and water samples during the assessment – as farmers cannot do this on their own.
It was decided also that a moneybox will be bought for the committee, with three keys- oneeach for
(Dronah Morema, Makgalangake Mogale and Matshego Shaai . Cash payments for membership paid during
the assessment will go into the box. The box will include a cash flow sheet where all monies in and out will
be recorded.
It was decided that each village-based administrator will collect all the needed samples, records, maps etc
and submit these to the chairperson at the monthly or bi-monthly PGS meetings the chair person is to keep
all records in a file and contact MDF/ AWARD for activities such as picking up samples for analysis,
submitting assessments online to PGS and printing certificates and stickers.
6.1.1.2.2Latest updated PGS assessment form using practices.
This form is shown below.
Assessment form: Mametja-Sekororo
FARMER NAME:________________________
Criteria
1.Water management
Poor
Good
a)Is water managed carefully and conserved?
DO YOU SEE THESE PRACTICES?
No over exploitation of water
small dams
tower gardens
infiltration pits
run-on
banana circles
rainwater storage
water recycled and
reused
b)What is the source of water?
Use of rainwater
municipalwater
borehole water
mountain springs
c)Is the water quality good for farming? (clean and nochemicals).
DO YOU SEE THESE PRACTICES?
is borehole or spring water tested?
water clean
no chemicals near water
no cattle manure
contamination
d)Is water movement controlled?
DO YOU SEE THESE PRACTICES?
no run-off
diversion ditches
contours
stone lines
check dams
sackswith sand
water not allowed to leave the
land
bed designs (e.g.
trenches, furrows and
ridges, mandala garden)
e)Is water conserved by reducing evaporation?
DO YOU SEE THESE PRACTICES?
mulching
planting windbreaks
dedicated beds
hedges and trees
planting for afternoon shade
natural shade cover/
plants
tunnels
bed placement
f)Is there irrigation management?
DO YOU SEE THESE PRACTICES?
watering cans (home-made)
drip irrigation
pipes
deep watering
2.Soil management: Erosion control and fertility
Poor
Good
a)Is there high organic matter in the soil?
NOTE: Manure from industrial/factory farming is NOT permitted.
Soil sample analysis is required and what is means must be clear to the
farmer
DO YOU SEE THESE PRACTICES?
Manure
compost
Conservation Agriculture
large beds or trenches,
furrows and ridges,
mandala beds etc
liquid manure
eco-circles
legumes
soil analysis done
3.Crop management
Poor
Good
a)Mixed cropping
DO YOU SEE THESE PRACTICES?
crop diversification (number of
crop types, herbs)
intercropping
crop rotation
fruit production
fruit tree management
(pruning, composting)
Multi-purpose plants
b)Is there a plan for continuity and future production?
DO YOU SEE THESE PRACTICES?
seedling production
seed saving
nursery
propagation
c)Are pests and diseases controlled?
DO YOU SEE THESE PRACTICES?
NOTE: Chemical pesticides and herbicides may not be used
Mixed cropping
pest repellent species
pest control brews
seasonal planting
d)Are seeds harvested and banked for future use?
DO YOU SEE THESE PRACTICES?
seed storage
seed drying
plantsleft to make seeds
seed exchanges
4.Indigenous plants and ecosystem management
Poor
Good
a)Is there an attempt to include indigenous vegetation and products?
DO YOU SEE THESE PRACTICES?
natural borders
Indigenous vegetation
along fence lines
place for birds
indigenous trees protected
leaves/fruit used for mulch cover
wild products collected for
use & sale
no cutting and burning
Other: production management, packaging and cleaning
Poor
Good
5.Toxic chemicals and contamination control
Poor
Good
a)Are toxic chemicals controlled and kept away from products?
DO YOU SEE THESE PRACTICES?
Proper cleaning and rinsing of
all equipment, containers,
packaging materials and
tools. What is used?
Separate storage of
chemicals, such as
diesel, petrol, paints,
oil cleaning agents
6.Containers, harvesting and packaging
Poor
Good
Cluster/village:_____________________
Date: ________________________________ Assessment team leader:_______________________
Decision of assessment team:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Conditions to be met:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Time for correction:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Signed: (PGS team):
a)Is packaging acceptable to organic production
NOTE: Packaging materials, storage containers, or bins that contain a
synthetic fungicide, preservative, or fumigant are prohibited.
DO YOU SEE THESE PRACTICES?
no poisonous packaging
recycled and recyclable
packaging
packaging limited to absolute
minimum
glass, carboard and paper
where possible
7.Cleaning, disinfecting and sanitation
Poor
Good
a)What cleaning and disinfecting agents are used?
NOTE: General household cleaners such as Jik, bar soap are allowed. Dishwasher
liquid not allowed
DO YOU SEE THESE PRACTICES?
Bar soap, Jik,
no dishwasher
“Sunlight”, Domestos
8.Documentation and records
Poor
Good
DO YOU SEE THESE PRACTICES?
Map or sketch of the farm
Records of all
developments/donatio
ns (tunnels etc)
Receipts for inputs
Organic endorsement
letters for purchases
a)
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION ACTION PLANS (II)
| 45
Water committees progress update
The water committee in turkey is functioning well, without any difficulties. They have volunteers, who
rotate, who ensure that valves are opened and closed as agreed and who ensures that everyone gets their
weekly allocationof water.
The water committee in Sedawa is having some difficulties, primarily due to the fact that they didn’t
want to elect the water monitors and also due to the fact that each participant was left to sort out their
own water containers, making the policing of allocations difficult. In addition, some of the participants
are not sticking to their days for drawing water. A meeting was held towards the end of May, where the
group mainly wanted to discuss efforts for further funding to support with the 2nd borehole as originally
agreed.
Introduction
Date:2021/05/26
Attendance: 13 participants
AGENDA: -What about borehole 2
-Christina: Monitoring
-Affidavit: This was done in 2019 tostatethat they give permission for drilling and take
responsibility for the outcome
-PGS assessments: Thursday 27thMay
-Visit from WWF: Next week
1.1.1.1.1Borehole 2 update.
Erna has written a number of proposals: US and Canadian Embassy, Church fundand catholic Bishops
Conference and GIZ-IKI. None of them were successful.
There were some complaints form participants about the process for implementation of the borehole and
system for Borehole 1. Firstly, not all participants were involved in the survey and then didn’t know why
decisions of placement of boreholes were changed. Secondly during the drilling, the company did not want
to communicate with the participants and thus alsodid things that thecommunity found difficult to accept.
They felt that the collapsing of the borehole and the subsequent need to re-drill and case the hole, could
have been avoided if they were involved in these discussions.
The Local facilitator, Christinah alsofelt that as shewas not given regular updates, shecould not
communicate properly with the group and this has had a negative effect on their confidence in her.
Erna explained that drilling companies are not used to have to wait and negotiate every step. For drilling
you pay 50% upfront and 50% afterwards. Upon drilling they put in casing for 6 m depth. Then they test the
strength before they decide to put in the casing forthe whole length of the borehole. When we complained
about the borehole collapsing, they said that this is their standard procedure, they have done many, many
like that and there isn’t usuallya problem and would not take responsibility for that.At the time
Afirsolutions looked like the best option as the community had givenus information about some of the other
companies and their less than honest operational procedures.
For borehole 2, those participants who were in the first phase and have water, no longer want to be involved
in supporting the 2nd borehole, despite having agreed to this at the time. Erna also said that there were too
few participants for borehole 2, only 5 at the time and MDF had requested thatpeople form a more coherent
group and also one where participants don’t already have their own household boreholes. There was also a
Mametja/Mabins group, for whom we have not yet provided any support. For the Mabins group, due to lack
of progress, they were refunded their contributions. For borehole 2, 7 more participants have been added,
who have paid and initial amount of R200 and now are waiting.
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION ACTION PLANS (II)
| 46
The group explained again that the reason for including those who have boreholes already is because they
have been active and working hard towards this process.They also said that MDF gets paid for their time
and thus it is not fair that they cannot benefit. Erna suggested an alternative wayof thanking them than
having them on the list of beneficiaries. It wasagreed that JoJo tanks could help those people and if their
boreholes run dry, they can be included on the list.
Regarding water allocations for the presentsystem, it was agreed thatthe group needed to revisit their
rules and the three water monitors Paul and Koko Maphori and Lenah Malepe need to be more assertive in
dealing with the participants who are not using their allocated days and amounts
1.1.1.1.2Way forward
RW and WWF have both agreed that we can put in proposals for future…
Also have some JoJotanks (2200l)s from RW: 5 forhere, another 5 for Santeng, 5 for Worcester,3 for
Mulalani. Materials budget for bentonite and MBLI planters now diverted to JoJo tanks.
6.2Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs)and
enterprise development
VSLA Progress
VSLAs Groups updates
The following are general updates of the VSLAs groups in the Lower Olifants Basin:
•The Setshwa Meetsi learning group in Sedawa had their share outin March 2021. Unfortunately when
monies from the bank account were returned for the share out there was a deficit of around R8000
that could not be found. Christina Thobejane who brought the monies back form the bank refused
to accept liability for this loss. As a result, the group has been discontinued. A new savings group
has been started by the members, without Ms Thobejane, named ‘Kopano Ke maatla’. Despite the
issue of financial security with individual members who are not trustworthy, thegroup decided to
remove the individual in question and continue. This is a surprisingly positive outcome.
•A new group is being set up in Madeira and the VSLA training is to be done during July 2021.
•Generally, the groups areprogressing well and members are using their savings and loans for a range
of activities, including their small enterprises.
VSLA progress summary
A total of R222 300 has been saved in the 9 VSLAs to date, R500 563 worth of small loans have been repaid
and R574 792 small loans have been taken, between the 154 participants active in these groups, as shown
in the small table below.This indicates a total financial contribution of R1 297 655 in total and R8 427 per
member, which is substantial.
Table 11: Summary of VSLA activities between July 2020 and May 2021
Village
Savings
Members
Loans repaid
New loans
# VSLAs
Groups
Worcester
R29 000
19
R 69 558
R 62 100
1
Santeng
R17 800
13
R 74 632
R 84 500
1
Sedawa
R54 400
57
R 94 210
R 143 232
3
Turkey
R59 500
33
R 169 332
R 181 980
2
The Willows
R25 300
19
R 45 307
R 60 180
1
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION ACTION PLANS (II)
| 47
Maderia
R36 300
13
R 47 524
R 42 800
1
Total
R222 300
154
R500 563
R 574 792
9
The figure below outlines the loans taken in the 9 VSLAs in operation.
Figure 1: A graphic representation of the performance of the VSLAs, specifically indication the amount of loans taken
per village.
7Monitoring, evaluation and learning
(MEL) plan
7.1Framework & indicators
Below is a summary of implementation according to our indicators for April- June 2021
Indicator
Overall target
Actual (April-June
2021)
No of participants in learning groups
370(449)
158
No of learning groups
9-12(13)
9
-Noof local facilitators
6
9
Percentage of participants engaged in CC adaptation
responses
1-2 (45%)
2-3 (25%)
>3 (10-15%)
38%
35%
25%
No of participants experimenting with new
innovations:
-local
-co-designed
15%
45%
5%
65%
No of participants showing increased knowledge
35%
Not assessed in this period
Percentage ofparticipants engaged in collaborative
activities (water committees, marketing)
35%
29%
Percentage of participants with improved livelihoods
-increased availability of food
-increased income
-increased diversity of activities and livelihoods
options
40%
5%
5%
35%
13%
3,5%
R62 100 R84 500 R143 232
R181 980
R60 180 R42 800
R574 792
R0
R100,000
R200,000
R300,000
R400,000
R500,000
R600,000
R700,000
Worcester SantengSedawaTurkeyThe
Willows
Maderia Total
VSLA spread and performance: May 2021
Savings
Loans repaid
New loans
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION ACTION PLANS (II)
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Qualitative assessments:
-stakeholder engagement
-Increased understanding and agency to act towards
increased resilience
- Adaptation and innovations into local context
-Potential for increased resilience
-Social engagement
Stories, case
studies (5-6), CC
impact summaries
(4), best practices
booklet
1 garden monitoring case
study: Makibeng Morema
1 PGS assessment case
study
7.2Garden monitoring
Introduction
Besides the PGS based monitoring for the 26 participants, garden monitoring has also been undertaken for
a number of other participants.
Below is a small case study
Case Study: Water shortage, keeping a green
garden made hard for Makibeng Morema
Written by Betty Maimela
13 May 2021
Introduction
Makibeng Morema is one of the farmers from the Mametja Learning
Group. She has been part of the learning group since 2016. Her gardening
has improved since 2016 and she managed to sell vegetables from
her own garden to buy a Jo-Jo tank.Makibeng is
unemployed and depends on social grants
for survival with a family of 7 and her being
the bread winner for her family.
Makibeng implemented almost all the agro-
ecology practices that areeasy to
implement and requires nomoney in her
garden.
Makibeng hasexplainedhowthey have been
struggling with water in general. They were
getting water from a local municipality
borehole and the borehole stopped working,
then they started relying on municipality
trucks or buying water from neighbours with
boreholes, where they would spend R35 for
210 litre tank and R1 for 20 and 25 litre.
Right: Makibeng recycled an old 20litre
container into a tank for her drip irrigation
system in one of her beds and Far-right: She
used an old fridge for a similar purpose in
her tunnel
Through working with Mahlathini she has learnt good water management practices that she implemented in
her garden and household. Starting with harvesting and saving rain water forboth consumption and irrigation,
she started using grey water in the garden,mulching, extending the tunnel and uses drip irrigation for
irrigating.
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Makibeng uses her innovation in the garden and also recycles old materials/things that are no longer used.
She took an old refrigerator that was not working and connected drip pipes inside the tunnel to irrigate the
trench beds. She has also collected 2l bottles and stores water in there
Above left; Two litre bottles for water storage and AboveRight; Makibengs trench beds and tubs and
containers in the background with seedlings she produces. Here she is using the two litre bottle to water
oneof her beds.
After the heavy rains in November and December 2020, they started struggling with getting water,
municipality watertrucks are no longer delivering water and the borehole is still not working. They now
have to buy water for both consumptions and for irrigation, to fill up a 2200l Jo-Jo tank she pays R250,00,
which she has to use for the whole month. They had to decrease water usage in the house for the water to
last them a whole month. She hasn’t been irrigating and her crops are dying from the heat and not getting
water,she even stopped planting outside the tunnel and planted inside the tunnelonly, where sheuses grey
water for irrigation.She is verysad as the moneyshe used tomake from her garden was helping with
household’s necessities.
‘Waking up to every day makes me very sad, it’s like fighting a battle that
never ends when youhave no water. Am not used to seeing my garden looking
like this even in previous years, where water was scarce, but now there’s no
water”.
Pictures below from top left to bottom right;
1.Inside Makibeng’s extended tunnel, the onlycrop that survived without water is lemon grass, mint
is barely making it, her strawberries died.
2.Inside the tunnel she planted Swiss chard spinach, whichshe irrigates using grey water and they
are not getting enough water, hence they are growing very slow.
3.Garlic chives can survive long without water, but she will be left with no chives if the situation is
to continue.
4.She alsoplanted three rows of beetroot inside the tunnel in a trench bed;they are struggling to
grow.She planted themthe second week of April, yetthey are growing very slowly, because of
watershortage. Normally by now she was supposed tobeharvesting beetroot leaves and eating
them like Morogo.
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7.2.2.1.1Conclusion
Water shortages havehit Mametja village very hard. Participants have to continuebuying water for both
irrigation and consumption with their social grants that they are getting. Participants are no longer making
an income from farming as they have decreased their garden size for household consumption meaning that
they also have to spend on buying other vegetables that they are now unable to grow due to water shortage.
As much as participants wantto farm in big gardens and sell vegetables locally and at available markets,
their hearts are broken to have tosit withknowledge for farming and making an income for their family and
providing food for their families.
8Work Plan for Milestone 7
Below a brief assessment of progress for each of the activities mentioned for the previous work plan is
provided.
1.Initiate second round of tunnel construction for 36
remaining tunnels
37 tunnels ordered in April and Delivered on 7th
June
2.Continue monthly VSLA support for the9 groups initiated
Done
3.Finalise PGS training for the 30 participants (sessions 5
and 6) and support the Pollinator programme to set up a
smallholder PGS certification for 12 participants
Finalised trianing and started on PGS
assessments for 18 participants
4.Continuation with marketing andEnterprise development
activities on a monthly basis
Marketing has been slow and haphazard.
Discussions have been held around using the Tala
table at local Pension pay out points. Enterprise
support has been provided to a small number of
active individuals
5.Learning and mentoring sessions for 6-9 villages in food
processing and value adding and soil and water
conservation for all groups
Done for both topics in 6 villages respectively
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6.Learning and mentoring in bed design, liquid manures,
natural pest and disease control, mixed cropping and
cropping calendars for new groups and new participants
in existing groups
Done for Worcester, Madeira. Still to be done in
Mulalani and Bosholozi
7.Continuation with sale of improved mango varietiesto
participants
Done. 120 more trees sold to individual farmers
8.Seasonal review and planning sessions for 5-8 learning
groups
Still to do
9.Garden open day and cluster review and networking
session
Still to do
10. Soil and water testing for the PGS groups
Still to do
8.1Work plan for July - September2021.
Below a brief work plan is presented:
1.Installation of last 37 tunnels working with the local tunnel implementation teams,
2.Continuation with fertility and natural pest and disease control re-cap and learning sessions,
3.Seasonal review and planning sessions,
4.Local marketing activities using the Tala Tables,
5.Registration of the Mametja-Sekororo PGS with PGS-SA, soil and water testing and
6.Exploration of mobile livestock auctions with CSA and Meat Naturally.