Department adopts community institutions to accelerate access to nutritious food
Four community Institutions will endure under the wings of the North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to enable them to produce nutritious vegetables for the community members they host. The Department has adopted Tsamma Seconday School, Techford Disability Center, Emmanuel Disabled and Old Age Center and KhayaTshepo Home of Hope for Vulnerable Children and given them food security projects to sustain their need to have food.
North West MEC for Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Desbo Mohono in partnership with Motlosana Local Municipality handed over food security projects to hundred and fifty (150) indigent families and the four institutions on Wednesday, 17 July 2019. This was to mark Mandela Day commemoration. The 2019 Mandela Day marks a decade since the international charity initiative was established. This day is celebrated annually on July 18 to celebrate of Nelson Mandela’s life and legacy. It is a global movement to take his life’s work into a new era and change the world for the better. Mandela Day asks us all to “Take Action; Inspire Change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day.”
The initiative was to mark 10 years of Nelson Mandela Day which is an international charity movement that encourages communities to take action against poverty, social injustices and change the world for the better. Amongst the new identified key strategy approach for International Nelson Mandela Day focuses on food and nutrition.
One of the 150 household beneficiaries’, Mpho Christina Tamane (63) who has been living in Jouberton since 1994 says that she survives on her government grant and selling vegetables from her garden “I am very happy that government realises the importance of food security and that I am one of the beneficiaries of this project. The extended vegetable garden will help me make more profit as there is now a variety of vegetables that people can buy”. Tamane added that the increase in profits will enable her to help her 8 year old grandchild with basic necessities and other household needs.
In addition, the manager at the Emmanuel Disability and Old Age Center, Keikobile Martha Magabe expressed her gratitude towards the initiative and hopes that the department continues to assist many other centers that take care of the vulnerable with projects that contribute positively in their lives. “The center has been running since 2010 and currently houses 190 people with various vulnerabilities including orphans, victims of abuse and former drug addicts that no longer want to live with their families because of numerous challenges” said Magabe. She also said that the garden tools, seedlings received will assist with the challenge of nutrition and food insecurity within the center. The centre was also handed 40 indigenous chickens.
Through the food security programme, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development realises its constitutional mandate concerning the right to food and the freedom charter clause which advocates for food to be plentiful for all.
MEC Desbo Mohono highlighted that North West is ranked as one of the most food insecure provinces in the country and has committed to delivering more projects. “I want to see North West citizens having access to quality nutritious food and living a healthy lifestyle. This project should be the foundations for our communities’ to start food markets in order for them earn money to be able to sustain their livelihoods” said Mohono. She has encouraged beneficiaries to sustain their gardens and assured them that the department’s extension and advisory services will assist with continuous monitoring and support as well as proper maintenance of the gardens.
Identified families consist of unemployed youth, women, the poor and the vulnerable. They have received agricultural inputs, seedlings as well as feed so they can intensively engage in agricultural activities and contribute to poverty reduction at household level. The department will further assist to provide infrastructure for all projects.
Enquiries:
Emelda Setlhako
Tel: 018 389 5684
Cell: 060 745 4020
Email: ESetlhako@nwpg.gov.za
