To make a significant and positive contribution to people centred sustainable development primarily in the Western Cape. We aim to include improving the nutritional and economic status of individuals and communities in urban and rural areas, developing human potential and balancing human needs with nature’s capacity to sustain life now and in the future.
Executive Summary
Soil for Life's methods aim to maximise production in small spaces using very little water and all available resources. It is therefore a low cost way of producing vegetable and herbs. Once people have acquired the skills they are able to continue production with minimal input costs. Soil for Life's methods are entirely environment-friendly, they recycle and reuse waste and contribute towards the conservation of the country's most precious resources, soil and water.
Individuals and community groups are provided with practical skills training in seed-saving, compost and vermi-compost production and plant propagation. These result in minimal input in terms of resources and provide them with income generating opportunities linked to food and herb production. People are enabled to take immediate action using existing resources.
The awareness of the importance of households being food secure is emphasised, and people are shown how this can be achieved through community and home gardens. Community groups are trained in leadership, committees, entrepreneurship, simple bookkeeping and project management. Identification and training of trainers in communities to maintain, and develop, the programme into the future.
Contact and ongoing learning, maintained through newsletters and continued membership of Soil for Life. Exercise, fresh air, good food and the reduction of stress build strong immune systems and help in the fight against the HIV/AIDS, TB, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and poor mental health. People are better able to help themselves and contribute to the well-being of the community. Soil for Life also raised living standards by stimulating local trade that circulates income within communities and pays for education and social services.
Soil for Life has been in business for just over two years and, in that short time, has managed to cover a great deal of turf, in many more ways than one. Not only have there been many productive vegetable gardens set up in the Cape Town area, but the team have travelled far and wide in the Western Cape, and have even ventured into the Northern and Eastern Cape, to show people how easy it is to grow their own food. After all – FOOD COMES FIRST.
The Soil for Life team visits villages and towns in the Western Cape and shows people how to bury their rubbish to enrich their plots of ground, how to make a little water go a long way, how to fashion effective gardening aids from bits and pieces lying around, safe commonsense ways to control pests - and, in a couple of months, to put fresh pesticide-free vegetables on the table all year round.
