A new community veggie garden has been planted for the people of Gugulethu where spinach, tomato, onions and community spirit will all grow in the area!
Gugulethu, South Africa (01 August 2024) — A new community veggie garden has been planted in Cape Town’s Gugulethu, where crops of nutritious ingredients will grow in tandem with community spirit in the area.
“It was meaningful to work with the beneficiaries of our Erf 8448 housing project, which makes up a part of our Gugulethu Infill project, to plant the seedlings which will eventually become their community garden,” said garden launcher and Mayco member for Human Settlements, Coucillor Carl Pophaim.
Planted yesterday (31 July) the community veggie garden stands as a promising effort to combat food insecurity in a way that puts residents in the driving seat. As it is with many other community veggie gardens that have risen in popularity across South Africa, sustainable sources of accessible nutrition like these offer a ‘hand up’ instead of a ‘hand out’ approach. They tend to encourage a better sense of community pride as well as new, green thumb-approved skills that make for benefits that go beyond a single meal.
Inspiring community spirit was a big part of the planting. As Councillor Pophaim adds, “Every time the residents maintain the crop of spinach and tomatoes, or dig up an onion and cabbage to make some nutritious, tasty soup, they will be reminded of the community spirit with which it was planted.”
The community garden came by way of the City of Cape Town as an ode to Nelson Mandela, and follows another dose of good news for Capetonians—a new shelter serving the homeless has officially been opened in Green Point!
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