Early Impressions
Early Impressions of the Malungeni Garden Project
- By Mary O’Meara (food committee)
During the past ten months, the food committee has been meeting monthly with Unathi, the CEO of INMED, an agri business company based in South Africa. Unathi has been developing and implementing gardens throughout South Africa. With Unathi’s guidance, we have supported the gardening effort in two villages-one in Malungeni and one in Nieu Bethesda.
Nieu Bethesda conducted a saffron planting trial last year that was so successful that we all agreed that we needed to ramp up a larger trial this year. Based on the success of the trial we feel strongly it will be sustainable in the second year.
We have been supporting the Malungeni community for many years with food distributions. Our focus this coming year and last was to empower community members through education and financial support to implement gardens in their fertile soil.
This year, under Unathi’s direction and the communities involvement, the following areas have been implemented:
A bore hole was dug to get access to water for pumping into two storage tanks for watering the gardens.
A green house was built which will be used for starting seedlings which will be initiated in the next few months.
Solar panels were installed on the community center building adjacent to the gardens.
This year the government offered a Social Employment program; thirty applicants from the community were selected, empowered to to learn about gardening, and charged with being responsible for planting, weeding, watering etc.
The delegation drove into Malungeni on the afternoon of Monday, February 23rd. The rolling hills were lush, peaceful, and breathtaking. Walking down the path to the gardens did not disappoint! They were spectacular! From the beets to the spinach, cabbage and corn! Everything looked so healthy and colorful. Everything look so healthy and colorful. The team did a phenomenal job, and I was so proud of them!
The pictures and video tell the story.