The Duncan Village Safe Park, under the leadership of coordinator Olwethu Ntliziyombi, is doing its part to help feed nearly 200 children and elderly residents.
The Safe Park was first founded in 2012 by the Duncan Village Civic Organisation and Buffalo City Metro to assist child-and elderly-run homes.
They started a food garden in 2016 to grow fresh vegetables for the their community.
“I love my work. I love helping people because there are so many here who need help,” said Ntliziyombi said.
Duncan Village’s faces an unemployment rate is nearly 50%, so projects like the Safe Park are important. always welcome.
“Sometimes people ask me to help them even when I’m at my shack, and I just have to help. It doesn’t matter that I’m not at the Safe Park. They need me, so I help,” Ntliziyombi said.
Picture: SUPPLIED
Last year,In 2018, the Safe Park partnered with Shoprite, which allowed them to acquire much-needed infrastructure and training.
In order to grow their crops consistently, the food garden requires plenty of compost and mulching as well as fences and water tanks.
With their new supplies and training, the Safe Park is now able to grow spinach, cabbage, beans, carrots and beetroot. which they use in their feeding programme.
“The training has really helped us. We were given seedlings and were taught how to protect the vegetables as they grow,” Ntliziyombi said.
“The fence keeps is keeping the chickens and small pigs out of our garden too so we’re happy that Shoprite is helping us with our food garden because we can help more people now.”
