Various sectors of the local community are benefiting from a local outreach initiative program that is geared toward providing the needy with sustainable development options and fresh vegetables.
Various sectors of the local community are benefiting from a local outreach initiative program that is geared toward providing the needy with sustainable development options and fresh vegetables.
The Umthathi Training Project donated bunches of fresh vegetables to various beneficiaries on Monday and Wednesday including Extension 9 Clinic, Extension 7 creche, Jabez Centre, Extension 4 Old Age Home and Sakhingomso Creche.
Pupils and teachers at Noncedo Creche, which is situated in Joza, were pleasantly surprised when they also received bunches of fresh spinach, beetroot and cabbages from Umthathi Training Project on Wednesday. Community liaison officer Sicelo Dyira said the donations were part of Umthathi’s promise to the community to provide necessary resources for sustainable development
. He said the various earmarked beneficiaries depend on fundraisers and donations by concerned community members and that the organisations need as much assistance as possible.Noncedo Creche teachers Veliswa Williams and Nomathemba Lukwe said the donations would be put to good use and that they will make a big difference to the lives of the 42 children.
"The children rely on the meals we provide at school because some of them don’t really eat proper meals at home. These vegetables are going to be used here to feed them so they are very important," said Williams.
The vegetables were planted during various workshops that were held during Scifest Africa in March, and programme manager and Africulture coordinator Michelle Griffith said the recent yields were the profits of the workshops. "We gave talks about the advantages of permaculture and local school children joined in and helped plant some vegetables.We decided to donate the vegetables to needy organisations and these are the direct profits from those efforts," she said.
Umthathi Training Program is based on pro poor, women, youth and adult education principles. The project’s mission is to provide developmental education and training in organic permaculture cultivation methods to schools and local communities with a view of encouraging sustainable development and healthy bodies.
