By Thandeka Tshabalala (on behalf of CORC)
Source of photographs : (Stephen Lamb, 2013)
On a learning exchange the community of Langrug went to Gege crèche located in Langa to see a demonstration by Touching the Earth Lightly on how to grow food in vertical gardens. The aim of growing food vertically is to use the limited spaces that communities have to decrease poverty and hunger in informal settlements. Due to the shift of poverty from rural areas to urban areas, food gardening is an alternative to providing food security in informal settlements, with the high unemployment rate in informal settlements it is difficult for households to provide nutritious meals for their families because food security in urban areas is tied to purchasing power.
The initiative to start a food gardening projects in communities is linked to providing a food at a cheaper price in turn decreasing household spending on food. The broader idea is to have most of the community members growing gardens either for consumption at a household level or selling to the community to increase the household’s income. The community was introduced to different ways in which they can grow gardens in limited spaces; this includes vertical gardens and growing food in crates where they can easily transport their gardens in and out of their shack to avoid theft.
Source of photographs : (Stephen Lamb, 2013)
Watch the learning exchange of the langrug community to Gege creche on [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIraFwXKm2s[/youtube]
Our learners in Johannesburg who just completed their training in a Level 4 Skills Programme which included nutrition, will be interested to see that no space is too small for growing vegetables.