Case study for successful collaboration: KZN.
WESBANK Arelemeng (let’s get planting) Activation days:
Fall within the Food Security and Livelihoods Programme (FSALP2). Larger programme consisting of anumber of
organisations (around 22) implementing community based food security systems within the boundaries of
inputsupply, production efficiency and marketing systems. The scale is assumed to start with producing
some food (fresh vegetables and fruit) for householdfood security increasing such efforts to sell small
surpluses and ‘graduating’ to be able to fulfil a number of livelihoods requirements for homestead food
production.
The activationdays aim to initiate and expand grass
roots movements for production of freshfoodin
marginalised communities through the introduction
of innovative gardening techniques and processes, as
well as elements of nutrition and food preservation
that householderscango home and try out .
UNISA HFSP
Within the CAES of UNISA is a community engagement
programme aimedat the qualification of household
food secuirty facilitators to work as chnge agentsi n the areas of agriculture, food and nutrition, health and
soicalwelfare using particpatory learning in a structuredenvironment focussingon households within
communities.
Seeks to improve conditions in rural and urban areas through development of capacity, skills and values within
these commuities to meet long terms goals of sustainable development and poverty alleviation
Arelemeng themes
Expanded in 2013 to include further household foodsecurity issues such as seed saving, fruit production,
conservation agriclture and inclusion of legumes. For UNISA groups the more basic format was used as the
learners nad hosueholds are bieng introudced to sustanabile agriclutre techniques nad gardneingmostly for
hte first time.
•Nutritionand Food processing: Food diversity (incl traditional foods), cookingmethods, drying,(incl
modernised recipes for traditional foods), pickles, jams, sweet potato bites
•Garden and bed design: Demos trench beds, run-on ditches, windbreaks, seedbeds, mulching
•Tower, container and keyhole gardening: Beds, with use of grey water and mixed cropping
•Natural pest and disease control: Tyre and eco circle gardens, multipurpose species, brews
Development of Household Food
Food Security Short Learning Programme with UNISA and Wesbank
o94 students enrolled through Wesbank (22 in Richmond, 24 in Kranskop,21 in Ashdown and 27in Mtubatuba)
The WesBankFund
Arelemeng
food gardening activation day
Lets getplanting!
Aim to grow and extend a grass-rootsmovement of own vegetable
production within marginalised communities.
oConducted Arelemeng days that consciouslyincluded UNISA students
and their households (4 days for 8 UNISA learning groups: Msinga (2),
Kranskop, Ashdown, Tembalethu, Mtubatuba,Hluhluwe and
Richmond)
oEvaluation student and household learning & implementation for
2012 finalised and 2013 commenced.
Clockwise above:Sample pictures form the Wesbank-UNISA activation days:Making the soil, manure, ash
mixture for a tower garden in Hluhluwe. Doing trench bed in Msinga. Discussing natural pest and disease
control in Hluhluwe. Building the tower garden in PMB and demonstration of mixed cropping with mulching
in Richmond
The Arelemeng days were well attended:
Area
Date
No of
participants
Hluhluwe
(including
Mtubatuba
promoter and 9
learners
2 August
2013
42
PMB; Ashdown
and tembalethu
groups
15 August
2013
110
Richmond; World
Food Day
18 October
2013
76
Msinga; 2 groups
from the area,
plus promoter
and 9 learners
from Kranskop
18
September
2013
76
The Arelemengactivation days helped a lot in providingfocus for gardening activities with the students and
households and there were a number of garden visits where learners and promtoers together further
promoted and assisted households to implement some of theideas. Below are some photogrphic examples
from Richmond and Ashdown.
RICHMOND
Below left: One of the learners standing by a keyhole bed made by the learners for the Richmond group in a
community garden and feeding centre based just outside the town.The learners were keen to implement
some of the gardening methods themselves.
Below right: A group of learners stand by their completed tower garden.
Below left: A bakkie load of manure and other resources was procured and brought to the garden for the
promoter and learnersto use in their gardening demonstration. This was donated by one of the learners.
Njabulo Buthelezi the promoter is busy helping to move the manure to the beds
Below right: the learners finalise the making of a compost heap in their demonstration garden.
Right: learners assist
in household
gardens to make
min tillage plots
and dig trench
beds
Far right: In another
household
learners assisted
to make a trench
bed for seedling
production
ASHDOWN
Below left and far left: LungileJili, the promoter, the learnergroup(Xoliswa and Thobeka Malinga)and the
household memberare making a trench and doing tyre gardens in her small garden.
Below left: Leaners assist a householder Mrs Mchunu to make a trench bed and eco-circle. On this day the
facilitators for the KZNDAE Food SecurityProgramme also joined the groupto take part in the practical
activities
Right; the eco-circle has been dug and manure and grass
added. The 2litre perforated bottle has been planted
for ‘automatic irrigation’ of the bed.
.