July 1, 2004
By Lebofsa Masha
JOHANNESBURG Water has set up a community project to help aspiring farmers grow vegetables.
On Friday 25 June the City's water and sanitation provider announced that it would make 85 hectares of land on Olifantsvlei Farm - on the border of Eldorado Park - available for farming.
This is part of Johannesburg Water's social-responsibility programme.
Joe Molema, Johannesburg Water's corporate social-investment officer, says the utility donated land to help alleviate poverty in the area.
Johannesburg Water held a formal launch of the project
"Historically this farmland was used to dispose of treated waste-water effluent but over time the activities on the farms evolved beyond the pure sewage-disposal function," says Jameel Chand, Johannesburg Water's marketing and communications manager.
Two ways to make more effective use of the land have been identified: a commercial agriculture venture, to be run by a private concern, and a community agricultural project.
"The first process involves a commercial agri-business venture through a lease agreement with a suitably qualified private party to farm on sections of Olifantsvlei Farm," says Chand.
The second will entail the subsistence farming of crops and poultry. This will alleviate poverty in the neighbouring communities, says Chand. It will also help create jobs in the area.
Johannesburg Water held a formal launch of the project - to inform people of the plans and enable them to participate - on 25 June.
Marcus Jacobs, one of the project's trustees, says: "The government, Johannesburg Water, NGOs, women's organisations and the community are all partners in this project."
Direct beneficiaries of the project will be residents and organisations in the informal settlements of Eldorado Park; Kliptown, Freedom Park, Slovo Park and Lenasia.
"No money stays in Eldorado Park. Growing vegetables for the people will make it easy for them to sell and have money circulating in the community," says Jacobs.
Roger Woods, the senior manager of farms for Johannesburg Water, will give technical and practical advice.
Woods is optimistic the project will help put food on the table for many disadvantaged families.
Two hectares of land have already been prepared for the vegetable gardens and ploughing is expected to start soon.
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