CCS Maru: Increasing Household Food Production for Improved Nutrition and Health

This project to provide impoverished families in the eastern Free State with the know-how and means to establish and maintain their own household food gardens is well underway with the first vegetable crop already improving household food security for 200 people.

The project received an instalment of R43 320 from SASIX on 1 January 2007 and a second instalment of R43 320 on 3 March 2007. The full cost of the project (not including the SASIX administration, monitoring and evaluation fee) is R129 960, and a final tranche of R43 320 is still to be received.

Implementation of project activities to date

To date the project has run very smoothly and in line with the planned time frame. Two vegetable gardening training workshops took place during this reporting period: from 24th March to 01 April and 20th to 27th of May. (The first training workshop with 21 participants was reported on previously.)

39 beneficiaries came from different towns; Bethlehem, Reitz, Harrismith, Qwaqwa, Petrus Steyn, Ladybrand, Clocolan and Kestell. Once again they have signed a one year contract with CCS that they will each train another five people around their areas. In this way training will reach a potential 195 people.

Tools were delivered to trained members who had prepared their piece of land. Two follow-up visits were done with the first group and one to date for the second group. Two larger spaces have been secured in Steynsrus and Petrus Steyn at the local clinics for the beneficiaries to work on. This should enable them to produce a much larger crop.

Siyabhabha Trust funded an amount of R646 for travel of participants – a small amount because the towns are closer to Bethlehem. Accommodation and meals were also paid by Siyabhabha Trust with an amount of R2 013. The Lottery Gardens and National Development Agency funded tools and seeds for the beneficiaries to the amount of R39 420. Beneficiaries received tools that are listed in the first report.

Project expenditure to date

Note: R13 740 was reallocated from travel of participants to accommodation and meals. R 2 013 of accommodation and meals was paid by Siyabhabha Trust. R646 of travel of participants was also paid by Siyabhabha Trust. R39 420 for tools and seeds was provided by Lottery Gardens and NDA.

Beneficiaries of the project

The beneficiaries have been as follows:

• A total of 60 beneficiaries have been trained as per plans.
• 135 home vegetable gardens have been set up to date.
• 1 community garden has been established at Qwaqwa.
• The first group of 21 participants have produced vegetables.
• From these 21 gardens about 200 people have benefited from fresh vegetables

The training received has given the beneficiaries new skills and built their capacity to start a vegetable garden. In turn this will give them a secure food source for themselves and their families as well as opening up the potential for raising a small amount of income for themselves. In time it is possible that those who are dedicated and successful may be able to move to the next level and start a community garden.

Challenges faced in implementation

Accessing land for the beneficiaries from the municipality is a problem. In order to assist the beneficiaries with this, we intend to visit the municipalities and explain the situation and the training that the beneficiaries have received.

In most towns water is the biggest problem as many members cannot water their plants because of water being cut off during the day and being available only late in the afternoon. Water conservation methods were included as part of the course and we will continue to assess the problem and encourage the beneficiaries to put the methods into practice.

Land that is accessible for usage is sometimes far from the location where beneficiaries are staying, so the security of their vegetables is an issue. Negotiations with the municipality are still going on to provide closer land for the beneficiaries to work on.

Land available for usage is not fenced, again leading to problems of security and of the possibility of animals coming in to eat the vegetables. We will assist the beneficiaries with applications for funding for fencing.

Motivating beneficiaries to start up gardens and sustain them is a challenge, especially with the present water problems. Continuous follow up visits will be made and members will be advised and encouraged as far as possible.

Monitoring and evaluation

Monthly visits to the gardens have been made in March, April and May for the first group. Monthly visits were made to the second trained group in April and May. The fieldworkers have filled in their Project Record Book with assessment sheets at each visit. The third group trained will be visited in June or July for the first time.

In line with the project plan, the required number of people have been trained. Gardens have been set up by some and others will do so in the near future. Trained beneficiaries have started to train others. In the case of the first group, vegetables have been produced.

The expected life change involves capacity building, increased self-esteem, and the possibility of some participants becoming entrepreneurs.

Conclusions

We believe that the project is a very good means of both empowering beneficiaries and giving them an opportunity to engage in income generation. Other stakeholders are buying into the system we are operating. Our “buddy” system (where one person trained by us then trains five others) has proved beyond doubt that it’s the method to go for, if maximum skills transfer is the objective. It also provides for maximum harvest on a small piece of land that can sustain households where food security is a problem and has the potential of generating income at the same time, for those who are successful.

In our experience those beneficiaries who have been trained and have implemented their training well will be able to continue working their own home vegetable gardens without the need for further financial input. As part of the training, beneficiaries are taught methods of seed harvesting so that future sowing can occur at little or no cost. The use of organic methods of production also ensures that the cost is minimal as compost is collected from nature or household waste.

The work will be taken forward by introducing advanced training to those who have been very successful with the home vegetable garden and are interested in working alongside others in a community garden. We are also planning to introduce training in methods of making money with vegetables, not only with raw vegetables but also with dried ones. Funding will be applied for supporting the continuation of the project.