January 31, 2012. When Sue Hall, from African Bank, was looking for a community to benefit from a water-related project, she was advised to consider Nonoti on the KZN North Coast in the Stanger area.
The 400ha Nonoti Community property is owned by the Inqaba Community Trust and was founded by Michael Mbokazi. The land was returned to its people by the Bodasingh family and Tongaat Hulett about nine years ago.
With the Nonoti River estuary on its northern boundary and fronted by a stretch of unparalleled coastline, this is one of the most beautiful locations along the KZN coastal belt. An Environmental Impact Assessment has been completed and Mbokazi says that development plans for the area are embracing a balance between conservation, tourism, commercial requirements and human settlement. There are also plans for 400 low cost houses, an exciting tourism project which will likely involve a lodge with a mix of tourism offerings, all of which will provide a platform for the expansion and success of the vegetable tunnel programme that has been developed.
Sue contacted Michael Mbokazi and the two worked together on a simple, yet effective solution to help make the vegetable garden project more feasible. The problem the community had was that the area selected to grow vegetables was far removed from a water source. Thus growing veggies would involve back-breaking labour to haul many litres of water each day to the vegetable tunnel site.
The solution? A solar panel to drive an existing borehole near the home of Mbokazi which would pump water along pipes to a Jo-Jo tank situated at the vegetable tunnel site, thus radically reducing the labour involved.
Selflessly
When The Ridge visited the site we were met by a group of women who selflessly, and with no material reward, labour in the fields and five vegetable tunnels to produce vegetables for the community. The veggies are used to feed children at the local school, who, according to worker Lizzy Ncube, claim the vegetables are the finest they’ve ever eaten. Any produce left over is sold. The community has a plan for sustainability and expansion, with Lizzy adding, “We have already started saving. Money we raise will go towards more tunnels.”
Vegetables grown include: tomatoes, beetroot, onions, cabbages, radishes, carrots, lettuce, potatoes and green beans. Mielies were planted for the first time late last year.
Sue has nothing but admiration for the members of the community involved in the project: “Here’s the heart of the matter. These women are volunteers. They give of their time because they want a better life for their children and they want to contribute. They either have children or family members at the school, or their kids were at the school. It says a lot that they’re willing to invest for the future, when it’s so hard to make a living.”
African Bank plans to work with the local school implementing an English Literacy, Teacher Mentorship and soccer programme in 2012. According to Sue, African Bank’s original investment in the project came to about R100 000.
Nathan Wit, the bank’s current project co-ordinator, meets with the Nonoti women once a week to lend support, provide mentorship where required and offer assistance with resources where possible.
About the Nonoti vegetable tunnels project
- The community is saving towards establishing at least five more vegetable tunnels.
- The project helps feed more than 110 children daily at Lubisana Primary School.
- Gareth Roberts, Project Manager for the Lower Tugela Biodiversity Protection Project, provides assistance and advises Michael on how best to protect this environmentally sensitive and rich area. Rehabilitation of land, establishment of best practices and land stewardship also fall within his mandate.
- Thousands of trees were recently planted at Nonoti as part of a greening project involving Airports Company South Africa, The iLembe Chamber of Commerce and African Bank.
Contact info: Nathan Wit – witnathan@gmail.com
Sue Hall: suehall@futurenet.co.za