Dennis Mawu was unemployed, unhappy and desperate. As food began to run out he vented his frustrations on his family. So when a friend suggested they grow vegetables, he figured he had nothing to lose. Within just a few months his life was back on course, thanks to a Nedbank-supported Green Trust Project Abalimi Bezekhaya.

Abalimi Bezekhaya (planters of the home) is a non-profit organisation focusing on poverty alleviation through organic vegetable gardening on the Cape Flats. The project links conservation of indigenous flora to job creation.

“To be honest I was at my wits end when my friend suggested we plant vegetables in school grounds near our homes,” says forty-six year old Mawu. “But we soon realised we knew very little about planting or growing anything.”

Mawu and others who found themselves in similar situations then formed the Sakhe Group (the name means ‘to build’) and asked Abalimi Bezekhaya for assistance. After an intensive three day course the group left armed with seedlings, manure and a basic knowledge of micro-organic vegetable gardening.

Soon their seedlings started to flourish and a few months later, the first crops were harvested.

“It was wonderful to eat food I had grown myself,” Mawu says. “Not only did my health improve but the hard work reduced my frustration levels and I no longer fought with my family.”

With a full belly once again, Mawu’s attitude and outlook on life began to change.

I began to notice there were a lot of sickly undernourished children at the school where I grew my crops, he says.

“We asked teachers to identify malnourished kids so we could supply vegetables to their families,” Mawu says. “It made me very happy to help members of my community.”

Mawu and his group’s efforts flourished. Soon they were not only feeding their own and other needy families but could start selling surplus produce to the local community. For the first time in months they had a small but steady income and money in their pockets.

In August 2002, Abalimi asked Dennis Mawu if he would help Siyazama Community Allotment Garden Association (SCAGA). SCAGA is Abalimi’s award winning urban agriculture research and development project that links job creation to conservation of indigenous flora. For example, indigenous windbreaks play host to indigenous birds that love to eat pesky snails. This results in more food and money for SCAGA, and has sparked off an organized conservation movement in the townships of Cape Town.

The project provides organic vegetables to clinics and homes set up to care for abandoned HIV-positive children. Surplus produce is sold locally and to a vegetable box scheme in Cape Town

 Mawu eagerly took charge of his new challenge. In fact he was so successful he does contract work for Abalimi to teach organic farming and conservation techniques to groups and individuals who approach the organisation for assistance.

“Thanks to Abalimi and The Green Trust, organic farming has changed my life,” Mawu says. “I no longer feel useless. I am able to support my family. It’s also taught me to teach others to help themselves.”

March 2004