Dolophini Garden Project

 

Dolophini is a remote sub-village of Taweni in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa.  Of its population of 3500, 80% of working-age residents are unemployed.  The main source of income is government social grants, which has created systemic issues that contribute to persistent poverty in the community.

 

Raised in Taweni, Khaya Mposula left a successful career in banking to return home to help uplift her community.  After successfully developing a community organic gardening project in Taweni (see image below and this link https://www.foodformzansi.co.za/former-banker-champions-organic-food-to-give-mother-nature-a-break/), she turned her attention to the residents of Dolophini.

 

Two potential borehole sites were identified that could provide a consistent supply of running water and, with this potential, Khaya wishes to train residents to grow garden towers that would provide food for themselves and generate additional volume that nearby commercial markets have agreed to sell.  This overall project promises a healthy measure of self-sufficiency by providing a local source of food, technical skills, and an independent source of income.

 

This ambitious project was brought to the attention of the Rotary Club (RC) of Winnipeg by the Rotary E-Club of South Africa One.  As project host, RC Winnipeg won approval for a Global Grant in October 2020, furnishing USD $10,000 that was doubled in matching funds from District 5550.  District 9370 also contributed $3,500 and the Rotary World Fund added $18,500 to amass a total of USD $42,000 for this wonderful project, which will be underway soon!