A public-private partnership to ensure food security
In an effort to address the food security situation in South Africa, EduPlant , the national programme that aims to teach educators, learners and communities how to sustainably grow their own food, has rolled-out their 2010 EduPlant permaculture food gardening workshop programme for educators across the country.
This year EduPlant has three funders, namely Absa, Engen and the Woolworths Trust, while Food & Trees for Africa coordinates the programme nationally. These workshops are aimed at equipping educators across the country with the necessary skills to allow them to cultivate permaculture gardens in their own schools and in this way help address food shortages in their communities. Many of the educators who have participated in previous workshops have become so engaged in the permaculture way of gardening that they share their new found skills, resulting in more gardens and more sustainably grown food in their communities.
We are delighted that the programme has grown so meaningfully and has now attracted two more funding partners. Thanks to Absa, Engen and the Woolworths Trust providing additional resources we are now able to reach even more educators through the 72 workshops and extend the programme to benefit more schools.
“ Food security is an urgent issue with more than 300 million in Africa going to bed hungry every night and this will be exacerbated by climate change so it is vital to teach communities that for minimal financial investment they can sustainably and independently grow their own good food and improve their quality of life,” says Jeunesse Park, Founder of EduPlant.
The programme encourages youth to live in harmony with the environment while reaping the benefits of healthy food and a more eco-conscience lifestyle. The Department of Basic Education supports the initiative as it means the learners who are fed from the permaculture gardens are better able to learn and retain what they’ve been taught.
The workshops started on 26 January 2010 and will continue until 20 March 2010. All interested educators should either visit www.trees.co.za or contact Joanne Rolt on 011 656 9802/3 about workshops in your area. The workshops are interactive, fun and provide lots of practical information about starting and growing a permaculture garden. Educators also have the opportunity to interact with each other and exchange ideas about establishing and maintaining their gardens and incorporating these lessons into their teaching.
Even though the workshops are aimed at educators, the success of the permaculture food gardens often depends on a team effort which ropes in learners, community members and parents. The school’s permaculture garden then becomes a rallying point for various sectors of the community to work towards a shared objective – literally benefiting from the fruits of their labour.
A significant number of workshop attendees will be attending for the second or third time in order to refresh their knowledge and update their skills. New attendees can interact with these seasoned gardeners and learn from their experiences as well. The permaculture way of gardening is cost effective and an effective way for schools to help ensure the nutritional wellbeing of their learners.
All the educators who have participated in the permaculture food gardening workshops have the opportunity to enter the EduPlant competition funded by Absa, Engen and Woolworths Trust. Schools stand the chance of winning great prizes as well as a trip to Gauteng for the 70 finalists in October this year where they will spend three days in exciting workshops aimed at broadening their skills.
So, all those educators who are passionate about contributing to the wellbeing of their learners and community visit www.trees.co.za or contact Joanne Rolt on 011 656 9802/3 for details on the workshop nearest to you.
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