The thriving Ntsoanatsatsi Educare Trust’s food garden in Phuthaditjhaba, Qwaqwa, has received valuable support from a prominent South African supermarket group.
The Shoprite Group has donated essential gardening resources that include seedlings, hand tools, organic fertiliser and watering cans. In addition, training manuals to equip community members with the knowledge on how to maintain their own food gardens and ensure sustainability were donated. This gesture is part of supporting greater food security programmes and addressing hunger.
“The necessary education and training is also provided to ensure the garden’s success,” said Phahla Mathe, one of the community members who received a gardening starter kit.
“We are grateful for Shoprite’s support and excited to start our own gardens at home. My family will soon be enjoying more nutritious meals with my own home-grown fresh produce.”
“This initiative addresses food security at a household level by equipping families to grow their own nutritious food for at least a year,” said Sanjeev Raghubir, Shoprite sustainability manager.
He said hunger relief and food security remain at the core of the group’s corporate social investment programmes. The retailer supports more than 170 community food gardens and over 3 400 home gardens, which impacts almost 50 000 beneficiaries. In the past year, basic training was offered to more than 2 500 community members.
