Gardening Project launch
22 September 2007
Programme Director
Inkosi Zondi
MEC for Health in KwaZulu-Natal Neliswa Nkonyeni
MEC for Agriculture and Environmental Affairs Mtholephi Mthimkhulu
Mayor Sikhakhane
National and provincial government representatives
Ladies and gentlemen
It gives me great pleasure to be here today on the occasion of the launch of
Centocow garden project. Nutrition remains one of the key programmes of the
Department of Health as part of healthy lifestyle campaign. We launched this
campaign to highlight the negative effects of unbalanced eating habits as well
as other negative behaviour patterns such as lack of exercise, dangers of
tobacco use and alcohol abuse as well as to promote safe sexual behaviour.
With regard to good nutrition, we are working closely and jointly with
communities in implementing community garden projects. We have launched a
number of such projects and we continue to encourage communities to be involved
in the development and maintenance of sustainable food gardening programmes.
Apart from the nutritional benefits, these programmes have two other key
contributions towards improving the quality of lives of our people:
* contribution towards our goal of ensuring food security amongst our
communities
* the creation of jobs, skills development and income generation and thus
contribute towards the alleviation of poverty and unemployment.
Programme director, I am aware that there are plans underway to supply the
hospital in this area with the produce that will be cultivated from this
community garden. I would like to appeal to all of us to take advantage of
these procurement opportunities. This of course will require that we make this
project the success that it is intended to be. Uma sakwazi ukunqoba isitha
esikhulu sobandlululo angiboni ukuthi kukhona okungama endleleni yethu yo
kubambisana nokusebenzisana ekulweni nendlala sithuthukise nemiphakathi
yethu.
Programme director, non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension
and cardiac problems are some of the key challenges that we are faced with as a
country. As government we have decided to take a much more holistic approach in
dealing with these challenges including of course nutrition and physical
activity. As the Department of Health we have taken advantage of every platform
to educate and in fact encourage our people to engage in physical activity and
eat healthy and nutritious food as a way of avoiding some of these diseases. It
is a well-known fact that fruit and vegetable consumption are an important
component of a healthy diet and if consumed daily in sufficient quantities,
could help prevent the onset of these chronic non-communicable diseases. Also,
for any medication to work effectively, people need to be on a diet that is
supportive of effectiveness of such medication.
Programme director, allow me to take this opportunity to thank my provincial
colleagues MECs Neliswa Nkonyeni and Mtholephi Mthimkhulu and the Natal Women's
Resources Centre for working in partnership in conceiving this project. As you
would know, this project was supposed to be launched in October/November 2006
but this could not happen due to additional work that had to be done. Since its
conception, we have worked together with soil scientists, crop specialists,
engineers and dieticians in order to ensure that the project, once launched
would deliver exactly the kind of produce that the people of Sisonke District
need. It was not going to be in the interests of any of us to rush through the
delivery of a project as significant as this one when in fact all of this
ground work was not thoroughly carried out and the process of consultation not
finalised.
We are aware that this is only a pilot project, but like I said earlier on,
it will depend on all of us to turn it into a shinning example of what is
possible when people work together and we can then expand it and more people
can benefit. Through this project, we are hoping to address some of the most
pressing challenges facing this community that include unemployment, food
insecurity and malnutrition especially amongst children and babies.
MEC Mthimkhulu, thank you once-more for donating the seeds that will be used
in starting this project. Given the reception that we have been given and the
happiness here today, I am sure that the seed has fallen on fertile soil! As
government, we are fully aware of the challenge of underdevelopment that still
continues to affect the people of Sisonke District and this has bearing on
health of the people here. These challenges include lack of appropriate road
infrastructure that in turn contributes to the reluctance of health
professionals to take up positions in the area.
I wish to re-assure everyone present here today that these challenges will
not go unresolved for a long time. Already, I am told that there are plans
underway to improve Mkhanzini Road which is one of the main resources that the
people use here to access government services. In line with our hospital
revitalisation programme, we are also going to be looking at how we can improve
the conditions of the health facility in this area so that ultimately we are
able to improve health services that the people of this area are entitled to.
Of course, all of this is dependent on how well we collaborate as government
both among ourselves as various departments and as different spheres of
government.
Programme director, allow me thank Inkosi Zondi for making the land
available to implement this pilot project. It will depend on how well we work
together as government and the tribal authorities to make sure that the
expectations of the thousands of people who live in this area are met. As we
depart for our homes, I am sure that the two departments involved in this
project and the tribal authorities of Inkosi Zondi, Inkosi Zulu and Inkosi
Dlamini will continue with the spirit of partnership and put development of
communities ahead of everything else.
I am confident that we will be able to establish a structure that should
successfully manage this pilot project in line with our expectations as the
people of Sisonke District and South Africa as a whole. We are indeed looking
forward to women of this district in particular benefiting from this project. I
would also like to thank the Natal Women's Resource Centre for their bold and
wonderful decision to put on the table a proposal for a project such as this
one. As it is always said, when you empower a woman you empower the community.
Programme director, MECs for Health and Agriculture, ladies and gentlemen,
allow me to officially launch the Centowcow Garden Project.
Thank you very much.
Issued by: Department of Health
22 September 2007
Source: Department of Health (http://www.doh.gov.za)
