Gardening to eradicate poverty
We teach them how to plant their own gardens and take care of them. This can help feed their family and it is even better if they can sell what they have.
Various stakeholders were in attendance as the Joburg Metro Department of Social Development’s Sustainable Livelihood Unit hosted World Poverty Day. The event was held at the Mandelaville Crisis Development Centre in Sol Plaatje. This centre and Siyanakekela/ We Care Centre were identified as beneficiaries to be funded by the department and were tasked with mobilising the community for the event. Presentations were made by entities such as the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), the National Consumer Commission, theSouth African Congress of Non-Profit Organisations (SACONO) and the Roodepoort Police’s Social Crime Prevention Unit.
The department’s Nthabiseng Sefotlo said the unit educates the community on agriculture and food gardening.
“This is one of the ways to eradicate poverty. We teach them how to plant their own gardens and take care of them. This can help feed their family and it is even better if they can sell what they have,” she said.
An official from the department’s Food Resilience Unit, Busisiwe Mabuza, echoed Nthabiseng’s sentiments and said her department not only offers disadvantaged families fresh fruit and vegetables but also teaches them how to grow them.
“We provide the families with seeds, dried fruit and training on how to start and sustain their own gardens. This helps a family take care of itself and alleviates hunger. We have already started this initiative in areas such as Tshepisong, Bram Fischerville, Doornkop and Zandspruit and it has been working well,” she said.
Bulelwa Bele from Siyanakekela/ We Care was the Master of Ceremonies for the event and did not hold back as she told those in attendance about the importance of communicating with young adults.
“Parents need to communicate with their children. We have to tell our daughters what a period is because it is a natural thing that happens. Being honest and open with our children will prevent them from getting false information from their peers. What contraceptives are is something else important to teach your children because although they may not be sexually active, you don’t know what happens to your child when you drop her off at the school’s gate,” she said.
With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, local nurse Tsholofelo Mogwasa urged the community to visit the clinic for a check-up.
“It is always better to know and be educated about such issues that plague our community. Cervical and breast cancer are scary but if you know your health status, you can sleep soundly at night,” said Tsholofelo.
The Social Crime Prevention Unit’s Constable Shumikazi Mbuli urged the community to be vigilant and work together with the police in reporting crime.
“Our jails are full of our children and poverty is the main cause. Boys have to commit break-ins while our girls have to sell their bodies. Where are the parents when our children are committing these crimes? We need to report these things because if you as a parent know your child is not working, you should wonder where they’re getting money from,” she said.
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