The Garden Of The Good Samaritan

The members of the group with their certificates

I do not want to become too developmental, too political or too socially critical with this blog. In fact I do not believe in the supremacy of Western knowledge or expertise. It is sometimes even impossible to transfer or apply this knowledge to an African context, even though the good-will is there on both sides. I do believe that Africa has to find completely new solutions for it's problems. And they have to be found by Africans.

But some projects just work out fine somtimes, even if it is only for a certain time, and some things are too good to forget because they can serve to encourage others. The images that you are seeing here were still shot on film. 

In 2004 a group of people, who were interested in gardening, received a formal training in how to establish  and run a permaculture garden. Additionally the necessary equipment for this project was donated. The training and the equipment were founded by an international donor organisation.The garden was started on the ground of the Good Samaritan Child and Youth Care Center in NU 3. I have written another article about the Good Samaritan a couple of months back. 

This is how it began. The images were taken over a period of several months. At the time all the different aspects of permaculture farming, for example how to make and use organic fertilizer, the knowledge of plants that are complementary to each other, were taught by Earth Innovations, a one man consultancy from the Eastern Cape.

Rain water was collected from the roof and mulch was laid out in between the vegetable plants. 

And this is how well they did! 

The vegetables were used in the kitchen of the Good Samaritan Child and Youth Care Center, to improve the meals for the children and a certain quantity could be sold as well. I have visited the garden recently and it is still functional. It is not run by the same people, which I think should never be the objective because people have to evolve and move on and cannot be bound to one project , but vegetables are produced. It is also an example how well Mdantsane can do !