Caring for your South African plants

You may have been given or bought one of the South African plants from Choko. They may be needing attention now and Val Bolt has the following suggestions:

Sabi Stars ( the oval flat leafed plant)
If you look at the bottom of your pot and see white roots pushing through the time has come to 'pot up' your Sabi Stars.
They need a pot about 5" diameter now and some nice sandy, light compost.
If you would like us to do this for you (for a small donation to Choko) please contact me on 651864 or val_bolt@hotmail.com.
The Madagascar Palms seem quite happy still in the small pot, keep an eye on the roots at the bottom – however to re-pot these you will need a stout pair of gardening gloves!

Choko will have stands at the School event on 26 June and the Flower Show on 14 August. Also remember to mark Saturday 25 September in your diary for the Beer Festival!

Choko Newsletter June 2010 - Water Harvesting & Gardening update

Water Harvesting & Gardening Update June 2010
In World Vision’s Kodumela Area Development Programme (ADP) villagers get water from local rivers. Most of these dry up in the winter and even those that do not dry up require digging in the dry riverbeds to form shallow temporary wells. The water is shared with livestock and wild animals and can easily be contaminated.

By supplying water for crops and livestock as well as training in farming methods the Water Harvesting and Gardening project aims to reduce food insecurity in the ADP by 10% and also instill a culture of family food self-sufficiency.

The project so far
The Water Harvesting and Gardening project started in February. One of the first stages was training. Over 500 of the 1,000 households that have been targeted to start using the roof to garden rain water harvesting have now been trained in its benefits and over 80 households are testing the system that will improve their water supply.

Moreover 80 farmers from 10 communities were trained in the new trench gardening method that will produce more food for families. During training the community members were actively participating and sharing their indigenous knowledge of organic farming. Nearly two-thirds of the farmers that came forward for training were women, seemingly challenging the usual role of men in the community. The ADP will encourage more men to take part and begin to use these new methods that will better equip them to provide food for their families.

These trained, leading farmers will hold monthly meetings with the Development Facilitator to discuss progress and outline the challenges. The Development Facilitator will monitor the gardens through field visits where any problems will be addressed. Seeds were also distributed to the lead farmers to get them started.

The future
To set up the gardens and water harvesting, 100 bags of cement were purchased and will be distributed to the farmers for the construction of waterways that will direct water coming from the roofs to the trench gardens. The process will help to prevent soil erosion and gullies that might damage soil structure within the area. Plastic sheeting has also been procured to facilitate water flow for those farmers who cannot use cement to cover their trenches.


“The garden and rain water project is helping us a lot, as we were not able to harvest water from the rain ourselves.”
The Maake are a family of seven. The parents do not work and have struggled to have enough money to buy farming equipment and invest in new farming skills.

Choko newsletter June 2010 - Morabudi Centre

Progress report on the Morabudi Disabled Centre in Sofaya

“Thank you so much for being there for us. The centre is so beautiful. Thank you for looking after us. You make us want to live, we never in despair because we know that somewhere some people care and appreciate us as we are. Thank you.”
Quote from the people attending the Sofaya Disabled Centre


Progress
Kodumela ADP has successfully completed building the disabled centre. The building has windows, window panes, is now roofed and the internal walls are plastered. Furniture which will be used in the centre has been purchased already like tables and chairs. The ADP will complete the doors, tiling and carpeting the floor, the plumbing and the installation of electricity. Once these things are completed the centre will be ready for use.

Background
In 2009 World Vision’s Kodumela Area Development Programme (ADP) started building a centre in Sofaya village in South Africa. The project is a special project funded by CHOKO in the UK.

The centre will be benefit 53 disabled children and young people. The purpose of the centre is to encourage the community to accept and integrate disabled children and not hide them away from the services that can help them develop. It aims to create a learning opportunity for all disabled children in the ADP area where young people can be trained on life skills.

The future
The centre is not currently receiving funding from the Department of Social Development, but its application has been approved for 2010-2011. As soon as the funding comes through the centre will be able to operate independently. The centre is also planning to establish income generating projects which will be able to support its activities even in the absence of funding. The ADP is supporting the centre with meals through the Social Department and ABSA bank funding. The centre is ensuring that all the disabled children in the area have access to nutritious food.

Breaking new ground
The centre is currently extending its services to other villages; two children who use wheelchairs have been admitted from Moshate, a village 5km from Sofaya.