In October 2019 a very exciting initiative was launched in Makapanstad. This was a joint initiative between Heartfelt Foundation (“the Foundation”) and Foundations for Farming.
The Foundation is a separate entity to Heartfelt Project. The Foundation was established to build on the Heartfelt story and identify ways to further support the community in which the Heartfelt workshop is located.
One of the beneficiaries of the Foundation is the Lesedi Day Care. Lesedi has been supported by the Foundation over a number of years through the supply of groceries, school supplies, jerseys, access to a maths programme and the like.
It has long been the plan to identify a sustainable methodology to establish a food garden to add more fresh vegetables to the meals that the Lesedi children receive at school.
We knew we had found the right partner when we met Maqhawe Mthembu from Foundations for Farming.
Foundations for Farming aims to bring transformation to individuals, communities and nations through faithful and productive use of land. God has revealed a very simple conservation farming method with an implementation management teaching, which when applied helps people to apply the Gospel to their lives.
The 6 month programme commenced in October 2019 and concluded in March 2020.
In short:
- 15 individuals have been trained to establish their own food gardens at their homes.
- 80 square meters have been planted at the Heartfelt Workshop.
- 40 square meters have been planted at Lesedi Day Care
- A team has emerged that is actively managing the Heartfelt and Lesedi gardens with the objective of expanding these and selling surplus produce going ahead. This team is self-driven and determined to succeed.
- The team is also making valuable compost out of weeds and alien vegetation that they were trained to identify. We believe that there may be an opportunity to sell this compost to increase the sustainability of the project.
