The MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, Mase Manopole embarked on a programme to establish backyard food gardens in the Northern Cape schools.
THE MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, Mase Manopole embarked on a programme to establish backyard food gardens in the Northern Cape schools.
Through this programme, the department will allocate Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers to the beneficiary schools to work on the garden on a full time basis.
The first two schools to benefit from the programme are Tlhatlogang Intermediate School and Mogomotsi High School, in Ikhutseng township, near Warrenton.
Manopole was accompanied by the Magareng local municipality’s Executive Mayor Neo Mase, the Chief Whip, Nontsizi Mokomela and the ward councillor, Masego Melulo.
The schools received garden equipment, fertilisers, seedlings, dustbins and sports kits as a donation.
Manopole said the initiative was mainly aimed at assisting the schools to produce more food for the government supported school nutrition programme.
She said her wish was also to see the food gardens expanding to an extent that the community can benefit from the produce.
“Hence, through our EPWP programme, we are allocating each school with two employees who will work full time in the garden through the assistance of our extension officials,” said MEC Manopole.
“We will also be introducing new methods for food security in our schools and communities, of using recycled products such tyres and plastic bottles to plant vegetables”.
At Mogomotsi High School, the MEC interacted with Grade 12 pupils who are doing agriculture as a main subject.
“Agriculture might not look attractive to most young people, because of the work that has to be put in on the veld and in the kraal, but there is a lot of money to be made through food security.
“Find your forte within the sector and work on it. Be part of the value chain. Agriculture is so far the biggest employer in the Northern Cape and it continues to create more jobs,” Manopole said.
