Rhodes University’s Community Engagement (RUCE), in partnership with Food & Trees for Africa, has launched its Victory Gardens drive, which aims to encourage Makhanda citizens to start their own vegetable gardens in order to foster increased food security.

The idea for the drive came as a result of the citizens’ struggles associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Makhanda’s already high unemployment rate has been exacerbated by the myriad imposed precautionary restrictions, and citizens have increasingly not been able to afford basic needs, such as food and proper nutrition. The drive’s aim is to stabilise food security for those severely affected by encouraging self-sustenance.

Each of the following RUCE partner organisations received between 200-400 seedlings of cabbage, beetroot and spring onion:

• Lithalethu Pre-school
• Umthathi Training Project (15 home gardens will benefit) 
• Egazini Community Garden (this garden feeds over 20 families in Extension 6)
• Assumption Development Centre (10 backyard gardens in Extension 10) 
• Sodla Sonke Home Gardens (backyard gardens in KwaThatha and Zolani Location)
• Eluxolweni Child and Youth Care Centre 
• Gwyndololen Ortner (student society with a plot at Rhodes University)

RUCE would like to express gratitude to Food & Trees for Africa for coming on board and to Professor Janice Limson, Director for the Rhodes University Biotechnology Innovation Centre (RUBIC), for facilitating the partnership.