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Health For Mzansi

Duo makes Soweto clean, green and healthy

by Masego Mafata
27th June 2022
in Grow It
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
Makhosini Ndlovu and Thobelani Sodinga from Pimville Zone 9 in Soweto have transformed an illegal dumpsite into a thriving food garden for their community. Photos: Masego Mafata/Ground Up

Makhosini Ndlovu and Thobelani Sodinga from Pimville Zone 9 in Soweto have transformed an illegal dumpsite into a thriving food garden for their community. Photos: Masego Mafata/Ground Up

What was once a dumpsite is now a picturesque site with vegetables cropping up where you look. Soweto duo Makhosini Ndlovu, 26, and Thobelani Sodinga, 25, from Pimville Zone 9 are the brains behind this amazing transformation – from dumpsite to food garden – which helps feed the community.

The pair, through an initiative called the Perseverance Development Programme, cleared the space next to the Kliptown train station that had become infested with rodents and was an eyesore. They grow spinach, carrots, beetroot, Somalia (African kale), cabbage, and baby marrow. They sell their produce locally and also donate parcels to elderly residents in Pimville and neighbouring Kliptown.

The pair say they grow spinach, carrots, beetroot, chomolia, cabbage and baby marrow. They sell their produce locally and donate parcels to some elderly residents in Pimville and neighbouring Kliptown. Photo: Ground Up

Their garden is a stone’s throw away from Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown, where the Freedom Charter was adopted in 1955.

Ndlovu said they started the garden in September after deciding to clean the space that had been used as a rubbish dump. Volunteers from Step Up SA, Leroy Merlin South Africa and Roots and Shoots South Africa helped with the cleanup and donated some tools and seedlings to get them started, said Ndlovu.

He said the space deteriorated over time because it was not being maintained by the City. This poor service delivery has become a norm in many parts of Kliptown and Pimville Zone 9, he said.

“When we were kids, this was a playground.”

“But as time went on it became a dumping site because the infrastructure fell apart. People used to start fires here, others got mugged and there was no safe play area for children in this community,” Ndlovu said.

A life-changing experience

Ndlovu was unemployed for four years. He said starting the garden changed his life for the better.

Sodinga said the space has become a hub for the community. “There are no community halls in Zone 9, so residents have started holding their meetings here,” he said.

He also said they are trying to encourage other young people in the area to get involved in the garden. They give them produce to take home in exchange for their help.

The pair want to expand the food garden and create jobs for people in Pimville Zone 9 and Kliptown. Ndlovu said they also want to start mobile food gardens in other parts of Soweto.

“At the moment, we are using our own funds and resources to run the project but we don’t have enough,” said Sodinga.

Kliptown resident and community activist, Chriszelda Jooste-Swartz said it was encouraging to see people reclaiming the space and using it to uplift the community.

This article was first published by Ground Up.

ALSO READ: Ma Pitso’s garden is a safe haven for hungry kids

Tags: Communityfood gardenVegetables
Masego Mafata

Masego Mafata

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HIV and initiation: Supporting boys through cultural rites Security fails as gangs target Eastern Cape clinics Dr Makanya blends spiritual healing with art therapy Canola oil: A heart-healthy choice for your kitchen No more pain! Tackle the torment of toothaches How smoking causes harmful bacteria in your mouth Discover delicious, healthy dishes that will make your heart sing Rediscover the joy of creamy pap with chicken livers