Written by More Matshediso

If you are a South African citizen who is older than 60, in need of 24-hour care and preferably a recipient of an old age grant or pension, you can apply to live in an older persons’ residential facility.

To apply, you need to visit the care centre you would like to stay at so that an application form can be completed.

The Social Development office nearest your home can tell you which care facilities are close to your home.

According to the Department of Social Development (DSD), no one can admit you to a residential facility without your consent, unless a medical report proves that you are mentally unfit to give consent and a court order is issued.

“However, in emergency cases, you may be admitted on the recommendation of a medical doctor, pending the issuing of a court order. In some cases, an older person may not be frail, but destitute, and admission may be temporary, pending investigation,” the department says.

The costs to stay at older persons’ homes vary, says the DSD.

 How to apply

Admission to an older persons’ residential facility is subject to the availability of beds, the department says.

Once a residential facility has been identified, you will be required to complete and return application forms to the residential facility. When you return the forms, you will also need to take along your South African identity document and a medical report stating that you need 24-hour care.

You will also undergo a screening test to see if you qualify for admission and a payment subsidy.

“If you are too old or sick to travel to the office to apply, ask a family member or friend to apply on your behalf. A social worker will arrange a home visit to assess your current living conditions,” the department says.

Your application will be processed within 14 days and you will get a response within 30 days. If your application is declined, you must be given a reason in writing and you can appeal to the Minister of Social Development.

Family and friends are urged to visit their loved ones in older persons’ homes so that they do not feel lonely or abandoned. However, an older person may also say if they do not want particular people to visit them.

Written by Owen Mngadi

The sky is the limit for Mpumalanga poultry farmer Lungile Mkhize, who hopes to establish herself as one of the major egg producers in her province.

Armed with a Diploma in Agricultural Science from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Mkhize (29) is putting her scientific and practical knowledge into practice. She completed her practical training at an established farm, Limiet Rivier, where she learnt how to run a business.

“I made sure I learnt all the aspects of the business, including the administration and financing part of it. I asked my supervisors to involve me in the whole value chain, including the market and customer relations. I wanted to learn about the funding available for small businesses and how to service loans or any borrowed assets. I knew that my vision was not only to grow chickens, but to become a businesswoman,” she explains.

Mkhize is on an upward trajectory, after starting out in 2019 with 500 broilers and 300 layers in the backyard of her home in Siyabuswa township, near the Limpopo/Mpumalanga border. She says within a few months, she formalised her business and registered it as Lungile Poultry Farm, with the vision of applying her academic knowledge to create employment for others.

Mkhize currently has 900 layers that produce over 2 000 eggs a day and over 2 000 broiler chickens.

However, starting from scratch was not easy and her parents sacrificed their pension fund to purchase the equipment, worth R380 000, that she needed to start the farm.

In 2020, Mkhize took a leap of faith and successfully applied to the Mpumalanga Youth Development Fund (MYDF), which is a three-year pilot project aimed at supporting youth job creation.

Mkhize says she felt honoured to have been approved as one of the beneficiaries and intends to use the R 2.5 million grant that she received to increase egg production to 40 000 per day by 2024. She also intends to grow her staff complement from three to eight and to employ 10 seasonal workers.

Mkhize recently completed the Embassy of France in South Africa and the Gordon Institute of Business Science’s women in agriculture empowerment programme.

 

Written by: Dimpho Mogale

The learners of Ekangala Engineering School of Specialisation are obtaining a range of critical skills suitable for the mining sector, thanks to a new curriculum. 

The new school of specialisation is the 21st to be launched by Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi, and its curriculum focuses on skills needed in the mining sector.

It is located at Ekangala in Bronkhorstspruit, which is home to several mines, including Petra Diamonds in nearby Cullinan.

School principal Zanele Tjiana says the idea to change the name and curriculum of the former Ekangala Comprehensive High School to Ekangala Engineering School of Specialisation came from the Premier’s Office.

“I supported the idea and highlighted the fact that many people in our community are unemployed because many factories have shut down. The school now focuses on mining because Ekangala is surrounded by mines,” she says. 

The school now offers technical subjects and a dynamic curriculum that teaches welding, fitting and turning, automotive mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, excavation and mining skills.

According to MEC Lesufi, recent statistics show that 85% of matric learners go to university after matric and become academics. Schools of specialisation will help create more artisans and technically skilled people.

“Learners in such schools will be able to either work immediately at industry-leading companies, or they will embark on entrepreneurship and start their own businesses,” he says.

The school has partnered with Petra Diamonds to arrange field trips for the learners to the mines so that they can explore career opportunities in the industry. Petra is also sponsoring bursaries for learners from Grade 10 right through to tertiary level. Currently, three youngsters have bursaries to study at the University of Pretoria. Two of them achieved 100% in mathematics and physical science. A Grade 10 learner is also benefitting from the partnership.

School fees are R800 per year and in exchange, learners receive a quality education.    According to the Department of Basic Education, if parents who, for whatever reason, cannot afford school fees and needs assistance to apply for exemption or lodge an appeal, they may request the school fees committee chairperson or any members of the School Fees Committee to assist him or her in making the application. The School Fees Committee must respond in writing to the parents on the outcome of their application within 14 days of applying. The school achieved an 80% matric pass rate in 2021 and hopes to increase this to 90% this year.

There are currently 1 061 learners from Grade 8 to Grade 12. One learner, Sihle Sibanyoni (17), who is in Grade 11, enjoys electronics, technical mathematics and technical sciences subjects. “I want to become an electrical engineer and ‘the next big thing’ in the mining industry,” she says.

Written Owen Mngadi

MANY WOMEN living in mining communities, far from home and without money of their own, are trapped in abusive relationships.

An eight-room shelter in Rustenburg in the North West is giving victims of gender-based violence (GBV) the support they need to leave abusive relationships.

The facility was opened by Kitso-Ke-Lesedi, a community-based, social development organisation that was responding to the increase in cases of GVB in the area, which is home to a large number of mines.

Tau Motlhaping, Kitso-Ke-Lesedi Director and Project Manager, says many people in Rustenburg’s ‘platinum belt’ have come to the city to search for jobs in the mines. Often, their wives or partners come with them and once there, are isolated from their family and friends and are financially dependent on their partners.

This makes it difficult for them to leave an abusive relationship and they find themselves trapped, says the organisation.

“This has been a trend we have noticed with the majority of the victims. They come from the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. Sadly, some tolerate the abuse for too long because they are dependent on their abusers for survival. Our facility accommodates them while we make arrangements to take them back to their homes… those who want to,” he says.

Motlhaping says that their focus is now on empowerment programmes, after they realised that most women suffered from GBV because of financial dependence.

The great need for a place of safety in the area is evident in the high number of women helped by Kitso-Ke-Lesedi – in the third quarter of 2022, more than 100 women were assisted.

Kitso-Ke-Lesedi, which has a staff complement of 47 and operates from the Lethabong Police Station, offers these women both safe accommodation and counselling. It works closely with the South African Police Service.

The organisation was one of the 110 high-impact, non-profit community-based organisations that received funding from the Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Response Fund.

The R128 million fund was launched in 2021 by President Cyril Ramaphosa, along with the International Women’s Forum of South Africa and social partners. The money was raised through pledges made by various private companies.

Motlhaping says while they have been in existence since 2007, the R250 000 they received from the fund will help them expand their reach and assist more victims.

Lindi Dlamini, CEO of the GBVF Response Fund, said in a statement that it is heartening to know there are community-based organisations in our communities that are actively helping to reunite survivors of GBV with their loved ones.

Written by: Kgaogelo Letsebe

A YOUNG volleyball star shows that great things can be achieved through dedication and hard work, despite a person’s circumstances.

Karabo Sarah Mnguni (17), a Grade 10 learner of Sovetjheza Secondary School in Matshiding, Mpumalanga, has been selected to be part of the South African national volleyball team that will represent the country in Lesotho and Malawi. 

Mnguni, who started playing the game at the age of 12 in 2017, will take part in the Sixth Leg of the Zone VI Beach Volleyball Tour in Maseru, Lesotho, from 21 to 23 October 2022, and the Africa Union Region 5 (AUR5) games in Malawi in December 2022.

Speaking about her success, Mnguni says what first started as a hobby soon became a life-changing opportunity. “I started playing volleyball as an extramural activity in primary school for the Chivas Volleyball Club. I found myself enjoying it and I started putting hard work and dedication into becoming better. I was chosen for the Mpumalanga U/15 team earlier this year to represent the region in Durban and Cape Town.”

It was at the Cape Town tournament that Mnguni’s star shone. According to her coach and teacher, Moses Bhiya, she captained the team, which went on to secure a gold medal. She also won the Most Valuable Player of The Tournament award and was selected for the national volleyball team, alongside teammate Lindokuhle Langa.

Bhiya describes Mnguni as hard working and determined. “She is a dedicated, talented and energetic player. She’s also very teachable and determined to achieve more in volleyball.”

The entire Mpumalanga-based team works hard, despite funding and support challenges, Bhiya says. “We are struggling without enough equipment, such as balls, as well as transport to attend competitions. Sometimes, I cannot even take a full team to a competition, as some of the children’s families cannot afford to sponsor them. My wish is to have sponsors who will see the great work that these kids are doing.”

Mnguni would like to study sports management. “I want to be an inspiration to other children. I also want to become one of the country’s top players. I believe that through sport and education, I will be successful and get my family out of poverty.”

For every person living in this country, the past weeks of load shedding have been extremely frustrating and challenging. The widespread public anger is wholly justified.

With Eskom forced to once more implement load shedding to protect the national grid, individuals, households and businesses have had to contend with power interruptions for up to four hours at a time.

Load shedding is beyond an inconvenience. It has dire consequences for nearly every part of our society from education to public safety to the provision of health services. Large and small businesses alike are losing money and the energy crisis is endangering investment and our economic recovery.

There is a sense of despair that the situation does not seem to be improving and that there appears to be no end in sight to this crisis.

Yet, even in the darkness of load shedding there is and must be an end in sight to our electricity crisis. We are making progress in the implementation of the additional actions I announced in July, even though the effects may not be immediately felt.

Given the unpredictable performance of Eskom’s fleet of coal-fired power stations, we will not be able to eliminate load shedding in the short term. This is the unfortunate reality of our situation, which has had a long history.

Our goal in the immediate term however is to reduce the frequency and severity of load shedding by addressing power station breakdowns.

This is a significant challenge given the average age of power stations, and that in the past critical maintenance was not undertaken at the necessary intervals.

Eskom is urgently implementing measures to improve plant performance, which is a priority until new generation power projects are brought online.

It is addressing the critical issue of coal supply, including working with Transnet on the transportation of coal and monitoring the consistency of the supply from collieries to stations. Eskom is also addressing the poor quality of coal, which often leads to plant breakdowns. People with experience in running power stations are being brought back to help with plant operation, management and mentorship.

To ensure that critical maintenance is undertaken without delays, discussions are underway to ease local content requirements for spare parts and to use the equipment manufacturers to undertake maintenance.

To address the immediate energy shortfall, Eskom has since July worked on procuring emergency power, and in the last week launched power purchase programmes for 1 000 megawatts of emergency capacity from companies with existing generation capacity and to secure imports from neighbouring countries.

Government is giving close attention to the skills, experience and capabilities of the Eskom leadership to ensure that the company has the best people at all levels of the organisation.

These interventions will help to reduce the severity and frequency of load shedding as we are bringing new power onto the grid over the medium term to increase energy supply. 

Recently, government signed power purchase agreements for 420 MW with the first three preferred bidders under Bid Window 5 of the renewable energy programme. The three projects are expected to connect to the grid in October 2024, and preparations are underway to sign with the remaining 22 preferred bidders.

The amount of generation capacity to be procured from Bid Window 6 will increase 2 600 MW to 4 200 MW.

The National Electricity Crisis Committee I appointed in July is attending to the legislative and policy reforms that will establish a more efficient, competitive electricity sector.

We have published for public comment the amendment that removes the licensing threshold for private generation projects. This will pave the way for investment in larger, utility-scale projects that will rapidly add new generation capacity to the grid.

The need for environmental authorisations has been waived for transmission infrastructure in strategic corridors where risk to the environment is low.

The timeframes for energy projects receiving land use authorisations and grid connection approvals has been substantially reduced, as has the National Energy Regulator’s registration process for generation facilities.

While we work to increase the supply of electricity, we must increase efforts to reduce demand, particularly at peak times.

We must come together as citizens to alleviate the pressure on the national grid. This means using electricity sparingly, reporting illegal connections and paying for the electricity we use. Businesses, households and government departments that owe Eskom must pay up so that Eskom is better able to undertake the critical maintenance that is needed to keep the lights.

As we continue to experience load shedding, there is a great tempation to give up hope that we will ever solve this problem.

Yet, if we look just beyond the most immediate crisis, there are real signs of progress and good reasons to be optimistic.

As we work with greater urgency to fix the immediate problem of an unreliable power system, we are also busy laying the groundwork for a sustainable, lasting solution to the country’s electricity woes.

 

Written by Kgaogelo Letsebe

The Northern Cape Department of Health has absorbed 99 pharmacy assistant learners as permanent staff. According to the department, this once-off programme started in 2020, targeting 100 young people across the province.

Health MEC Maruping Lekwene says the Pharmacy Assistant Learnership Programme was made possible through training funding allocated by the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) in the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 financial years.

He says the province is committed to ensuring better service delivery and is confident that the appointments will help build a ‘resilient and sustainable system within healthcare facilities for service delivery’.

The learners will be employed at facilities close to where they live.

MEC Lekwene says that of the
 pharmacy assistant learners enrolled in 2020, 13 learners completed their Post Basic Pharmacy Assistant qualification during 2021.

The remaining 86 learners completed their Basic Pharmacy Assistant qualification during 2021 and were subsequently enrolled for the Post Basic qualification when
funding was once again secured from HWSETA for the 2021/22 financial year. 

Mzwandile Petrus Tshonto (36) from Kimberley saw an advert for the programme in a local newspaper in 2020 and applied.

“Before applying for the programme, I was working as an administration clerk at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital (Kimberley hospital). I saw this as an opportunity to empower myself and improve my skills,” he says.

Tshonto says the programme helped him understand more about medicine and the importance of pharmaceuticals.

“It expanded my knowledge of medicine, how it works, how to preserve and dispense it, and such. It also showed me the importance of medication to the public. Overall, I can say my career has taken an upturn in terms of growing, developing and furthering my skills and knowledge.”

So inspired is Tshonto that he is working on becoming a fully-fledged pharmacist. He hopes to open a pharmaceutical college in the province one day, to enhance and broaden the pharmaceutical field and create more employment for locals.

In order to become a Pharmacist’s assistant (basic), you need to obtain a certificate of qualification in South Africa from a provider of education and training approved by the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC).

Written by Owen Mngadi

The members of an agricultural cooperative are working towards becoming large-scale, commercial farmers – thanks to the power of community unity and the support of government.

The people of Middelpos realised how much more they could achieve as a community than they could as individuals and formed the Thembelihle small-scale farmer cooperative. Today, the group is collectively working the 112-hectare farm it leases from the municipality to combat hunger, poverty and unemployment.

According to Gerrit de Bruyn (58), chairperson of the cooperative, members of the community started to use the vacant land to grow food in the then informal settlement in 2011. With more and more people starting food gardens on the land, the community decided to work together to form a cooperative.

The cooperative approached the Saldanha Bay Municipality and signed a formal five-year lease agreement to use the land for farming in 2017. In 2019, while the 2017 contract was still in existence, they renewed the contract after intervention by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. This year, they signed a seven-year lease agreement that will come to an end in 2026.

De Bruyn says they divided the farm into two and four hectares to be used for crop and livestock farming. Spinach, cabbage, onions, potatoes and tomatoes are among the produce grown, while on the livestock side, pigs, Boer goats and cows are raised. The farm also has broilers and laying hens that produce thousands of eggs daily.

The cooperative has a diverse membership of men and women and young and older people.

De Bruyn says they supply their produce to local supermarkets and sell livestock at auctions. “It is amazing how this place has been transformed from what it was before. This was done through our collective efforts; we all demonstrated a passion for farming. We made sacrifices, we turned our homes into offices and used an internet cafe to do administrative work. We supply established supermarkets because of the quality and commitment we show in our work,” he says.

The farm has created jobs for some locals who work as herdsmen and farm assistants.

De Bruyn believes that the land is too small for the number of people who belong to the cooperative and says they are exploring other options to get access to underutilised land.

Recently, the cooperative received farming equipment worth over R6 million from the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza. Goods handed over included seeds, containers for storage, mobile offices, a bakkie, a cattle trailer and a kraal, while fencing support will also be given.

In explaining the challenges the cooperative faced before the handover, he said that their private homes had to be used for administration and storage. “We sold cattle through auction and transportation was a serious challenge. The timing is critical in agriculture to ensure you deliver your product on time. So all these supplements [donations] will come in handy going forward.” 

Another farmer, Ntuthuko Mngoma, who is the secretary of the cooperative, says the Minister’s visit gave the community hope and motivation.

He says he is happy that their farm has created employment and believes that proper fencing will go a long way in making it more successful because their cattle will be better protected.

De Bruyn says the donation from the department will help increase the farm’s production capacity, which – in turn – will help them in their quest to become commercial farmers.

Written by: Owen Mngadi

School sports are essential to a country achieving sporting success at an international level.

This is the belief of the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, who was speaking at the unveiling of a new multipurpose sports court at Soshanguve South Secondary School on the outskirts of Pretoria.

“Programmes like these assist in reversing the trend of transporting children to facilities located outside their residential areas. The court will also aid in decreasing societal ills, such as teenage pregnancy and drug abuse, ” he said.

Minister Mthethwa emphasised that the facility is for all schools in the area.

“Participating in sport is not only about competitions or about winning. It promotes physical activity, develops physical skills, provides opportunities to learn teamwork and improves self-esteem. Sport also instils discipline among young people in our community,” he said.

The development was made possible through a collaboration between Nedbank and the Sports Trust. Mamelodi Sundowns, the reigning champions of the Nedbank Cup, nominated the school as the beneficiary and handed over sports equipment.

The multipurpose centre accommodates five sporting codes – basketball, football, netball, tennis and volleyball – and is the eighth such facility the collaboration has produced.

School principal David Mahlangu said the facility will make a big difference to the community. “As a school, we commit to establishing further sporting programmes that will include members of the community. Together with the local councillor, we have strategised a plan to keep the facility safe so it can be around for generations to come.”

As part of the handover, soccer kits, balls and books were handed over to local schools, including Soshanguve East and Seageng Secondary Schools, Bokamoso, Ayanda and Itumeleng Madiba Primary Schools.

 Sundowns midfielder Ofentse Mashiane, a Soshanguve South Secondary alumnus, expressed his joy at the establishment of the facility. “I encourage the students who now have top-class facilities to grab the opportunity with both hands and make the best of it. I also want to tell them to put their education first, work hard and play hard.”

Written by Kgaogelo Letsebe

Mfundo Mxolisi Ngwenya (30) from Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, is one of the few black stem cell donors in the country. 

The South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) says more people of colour need to register as donors because a patient has the best chance of finding a match in their ethnic grouping. According to the registry, only 10% of the 78 000 registered donors are black, while 9.9% are Indian/Asian and 67% are white.

The SABMR says most donors donate through a process called peripheral blood stem cell collection. It says the same stem cells found in your bone marrow are also found in your circulating blood. A non-surgical, outpatient procedure is done to collect these cells. Blood is removed through a needle in one arm, passed through a machine that collects stem cells and returned through a needle in your other arm. Stem cells are important to cure blood diseases such as leukaemia, marrow failure or aplasia.

Ngwenya, a sports manager at the Durban University of Technology, says he first learnt about stem cell donation in 2012 when the SABMR held a roadshow at a local complex. “I have always donated blood and am always eager to help, so I went for it. It was really easy because they just took a swab in the mouth and said I should expect a call.”

The sample taken from a potential donor’s mouth is tested and their details are stored so that they can be contacted if they become a match for someone in need of stem cells.

“Last year, I received a call that they had found a perfect match. The process to donate is quite lengthy and involves about 13 different tests, ranging from a physical [to check overall health] to blood tests. I also had to inject myself on a daily basis,” he says. The actual donation takes between six and eight hours.

More donors needed

Ngwenya says people need to be made aware that the donation process does not involve surgery. He says in some cases, cultural beliefs may stop people from becoming donors.

The SABMR says it will be engaging traditional and religious leaders to promote stem cell donation. It says the more black people come forward, the more lives can be saved.

Written by Phakama Mbonambi

OFTEN ISOLATED by their communities, many people who live with albinism suffer in silence as life becomes unbearable.

The dehumanisation of people living with albinism, especially in many sub-Saharan societies, leads to severe depression – often with terrible consequences.

Globally, depression is a serious mental health disorder that affects people from all walks of life. Severe cases of depression can lead to suicide, which the World Health Organisation lists as the fourth leading cause of death for people aged between 15 and 29.

Sabelo Gumede, a psychologist based in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, believes that people with albinism need all the care and support they can get – and that starts with changing society’s understanding of what albinism is. People with this genetic condition lack melanin, which leads to a lack of colour pigmentation in the skin, hair and eyes. They battle with their vision and are at risk of developing skin cancer.

Gumede says the main causes of mental health difficulties in people with albinism are discrimination and bullying. If not addressed, this can lead to psychological difficulties, such as depression, anxiety attacks and episodes of post-traumatic stress disorder.

“People living with albinism often feel isolated, especially as a direct result of social stigmatisation. This tends to be more prevalent in townships and rural areas.”

Signs of depression are isolation, poor inter-personal relationships, poor hygiene, a lack of concentration, slowness and suicidal thoughts.

Combatting depression

Gumede says people with albinism can seek help from a private psychologist, ask their local clinic for help or reach out to an organisation that assists people with depression.

Since people with albinism live within the community, just like everyone else, friends and family should keep an eye on them and ensure they get professional help if needed.

Government and non-governmental organisations can play a crucial role in combating hate and discrimination against people with albinism through awareness and education. campaigns, particularly in rural areas, because that is where violence against people with albinism is often reported.

Written by: More Matshediso

The Western Cape Department of Education is rolling out various projects to help schools use less electricity.

Through a partnership with the University of Stellenbosch, the department replaced existing fluorescent lights with energy-saving LED lights at 25 schools in a 2021 pilot project that will be rolled out to more schools from October 2022.

Education MEC David Maynier says the department provided 40% of the funding during the 2021/22 financial year.

“The replacement of fluorescent lights with LED lights can lead to an annual saving of up to R36 000 per school,” he says.

Maynier adds that R28 million has been budgeted for this project and other green initiatives in the 2022/23 financial year.

Given the success of the pilot project, the department is fully funding another 25 schools this year, from an initial list of 100 no-fee, high-enrolment schools.

“High-enrolment schools have higher energy usage and can benefit from these savings, allowing these no-fee schools to spend money on other things,” the MEC says.

MEC Maynier says that when schools in the province need to have lights replaced during scheduled maintenance, LED products are used. These lights are also used as standard practice when new schools are built.

Solar panels

Additionally, 41 Western Cape schools have applied to install solar panels to further reduce their environmental impact and electricity costs. The combined peak capacity of these installations is 25.87 megawatts-peak.

The installation is funded by the schools, either through school governing body funds or by entering into lease agreements with firms such as Sun Exchange (a solar leasing platform).

The department says it fully supports these schools’ investments, which are valued at over R46 million.

In 2021, Cloetesville Primary School in Stellenbosch became the first school in South Africa to receive an energy performance certificate, thanks to energy-saving technology installed by the University of Stellenbosch and GreenX Engineering.

Then again in August 2022, Cloetesville received a 7.5-kilowatt solar panel system, which will produce about 14 000 units of electricity each year. This means the school has reduced its carbon footprint, while saving around R20 000 per year and selling electricity back to the grid.

  The school’s headmaster, Rodger Cupido, says beyond enjoying the financial benefits, the school is not affected by load shedding.

Written by Owen Mngadi

Inspired by the idiom ‘a candle loses nothing by lighting another’, Thami Gazide is making an impact in his community through the community gardens initiative he started when he was just 16.

The 22-year-old final-year international relations student from Middelburg in Mpumalanga founded Philanathi Golden Stars, a non-profit organisation, in 2016, to combat poverty and hunger in his community.

He says he asked local businesses and supermarkets to donate food that he would distribute among families who were struggling to make ends meet.

However, after a few months, he realised that his strategy was not sustainable and was not empowering his impoverished community. He then identified an illegal dumping site, which he turned into a community garden with the help of other volunteers. He says instead of asking for food, he asked for seeds and saplings and started growing vegetables.

Gazide says he involved families that could not take care of themselves, enabling them to put food on the table and make some money by selling the extra vegetables they grow.

The first community garden was started on four hectares of land that had been used as an illegal dumping site. By cleaning up the site and planting vegetables, the health of the community was improved because healthy food was made available and an unhealthy dumping site was cleared.

“This initiative responded perfectly to other challenges we faced as a community. The dumping sites were mushrooming everywhere and the condition of our neighbourhood was deteriorating,” he says.

Gazide now manages 16 community gardens that are spread throughout the Middelburg township – including at schools – and benefit 36 participating families.

Gazide's proudest moment was the day he started changing people’s lives and giving them the hope that they are not alone.

He says seeing people grow and being able to transform their lives even in the smallest way inspires him to do even more.

While the families mostly sell their own produce, Gazide says market days are sometimes hosted and bulk sales are sometimes made to local supermarkets.

“We have restored the dignity of many people in this area. It serves as a place for growth; people share ideas and there is unity among them. We are looking at getting a much bigger space so we can turn this into a big community project.“