• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Lifestyle

Primary school principal creates a local food hub

27th August 2019
Dr Peter Oberem (right), the founder of Afrivet Southern Africa, with Ronan Smith, Bimeda’s chief executive for the Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific division. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Bimeda’s Afrivet takeover ‘to strengthen animal health offering’

17th August 2022
Agriculture, land reform and rural development minister Thoko Didiza has placed a 21-day ban on the movement of cattle across South Africa due to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

SA battles 116 FMD outbreaks amid 21-day cattle ban

16th August 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
Illegal sand mining poses a threat to many ecosystems, human safety and agricultural practises. Photo: Pixabay

Will the world run out of sand?

16th August 2022
Organic certification is a long, but rewarding process. Photo: Supplied/Food for Mzansi

How to get the ball rolling on organic certification

16th August 2022
This #SoilSista’s poultry farm puts quality first

This #SoilSista’s poultry farm puts quality first

16th August 2022
Prof. Theo Venter gives his take on the ruling party’s recent policy conference and what it means going forward. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Fixing agri challenges: ‘ANC no longer has a choice’

16th August 2022
The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Ms. Thoko Didiza, MP has taken the decision to suspend all movement of cattle in the whole country. The Ministers decision is aimed at halting the continued spread of Foot and Mouth Disease in the country. It also means that cattle may not be moved from one property to another for any reason for a period of 21 days reviewable weekly. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

FMD battle: Govt prohibits movement of all cattle

16th August 2022
Justin Platt, founder and CEO of Zylem and RegenZ argues that instead of basing management decisions on a purely rational and cognitive approach, farmers need to harness (and trust) their unique intuition. Photo: Supply/AdobeStock

Farmers, trust your intuition and go with your gut

16th August 2022
Leanne Gammage and Jackson Andrew, co-founders of Masterstock Cape Wild Food. Masterstock Cape Wild Food is a speciality salt brand focused on regenerative agriculture. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Agripreneur 101: Regeneration at the heart of this salt company

16th August 2022

R350 grant puts sisters on agri path to success

15th August 2022
The uMngeni Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal is supporting local farmers through a new agricultural unit that has been established in the municipality. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Farmer support: KZN municipality leads the way

15th August 2022
Farmers in the south-western parts of the country can expect a slightly drier than usual spring. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

ICYMI: Below-normal winter rainfall to continue

15th August 2022
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
11 GLOBAL MEDIA AWARDS
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
Food For Mzansi
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
    • All
    • AgriCareers
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Farmers
    • Groundbreakers
    • Innovators
    • Inspiration
    • It Takes a Village
    • Mentors
    • Movers and Shakers
    • Partnerships
    Leanne Gammage and Jackson Andrew, co-founders of Masterstock Cape Wild Food. Masterstock Cape Wild Food is a speciality salt brand focused on regenerative agriculture. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Agripreneur 101: Regeneration at the heart of this salt company

    R350 grant puts sisters on agri path to success

    The uMngeni Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal is supporting local farmers through a new agricultural unit that has been established in the municipality. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Farmer support: KZN municipality leads the way

    This drone is collecting data which farmers can then access on the yield management platform. Photo: Supplied/Aerobotics

    How the Internet of Things is transforming agri

    His life took a turn for the worst when he ended up in jail for dealing in drugs, but Thembinkosi Matika turned his life around and now helps others through his Legacy Farming Project. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Drug dealer turned farmer ploughs back

    Christo Van der Rheede is the executive director of Agri SA. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Former music teacher leads agri’s greatest symphony

    Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

    Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

    Claire and Martin Joubert have sacrificed and struggled to become top breeders of Ankole cattle in South Africa. But giving up was never an option, because they wanted to offer only the very best Ankole genetics in the country. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Farming couple lives and breathes Ankole cattle

    Tackling climate change, one tree at a time

  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
No Result
View All Result
Food For Mzansi

Primary school principal creates a local food hub

by Chantélle Hartebeest
27th August 2019
in Community Food Gardens, It Takes a Village
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A

Principal Ellen Leping saw the need for nutritious food and youth employment in her village, and it led her to revive their neglected school garden three years ago.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The need for nutritious food in her school and village encouraged North West school principal Ellen Leping (50) to revive their neglected school garden three years ago. She also realised there was an even greater need to create work opportunities for the unemployed youth in their village, Letlhogoring.

Today the head of Mokaila Primary School feeds more than 1000 residents and learners and she employs a number of young people from the village, who now know how to grow their own food.

  • READ: Young farmers feed close to 6000 school learners daily
Learners at Mokaila Primary School also contribute towards the garden

She was determined to make a success of her idea and reached out to the youth with the hope that they would help her with the garden. “I called them, and asked: ‘How about we start this garden so that we can benefit and also supply the community members with fresh vegetables?’”

Five young people agreed to put their hands in the soil so that fresh vegetables could be more accessible to those in their community. This was an easy call to make, because their neighbours had to travel about 22km to the nearest town for fresh veggies.

In 2017, the group started from scratch when Leping used her own money to buy seedlings. “I started the garden to alleviate hunger and help unemployed youth. We supply the veggies to disadvantaged learners. The community doesn’t have access to fresh veggies, as they are far from town and transport to town is not frequent. Now we are able to supply them with what we grow,” says Leping.

  • READ: Former teacher now helps thousands grow their own food

The learners are also actively part of the garden, as it contributes towards their school’s feeding scheme. It also plays a vital role in certain school subjects, with the learners taught about planting and harvesting their own food.

“During teaching periods of natural sciences and life skills we take the grade 5, 6 and 7 learners to the garden. Here they do practical assignments by planting seeds and seedlings, watering the plants and taking out weeds. They also help to harvest and sell the produce to the community to raise funds for the school.”

Leping’s idea has saved the locals from traveling far distances. Here she’s seen with the volunteers who help with the garden.

The school’s garden grows spinach, lettuce, cabbage, carrots and herbs such as rosemary, parsley and sage. “The vegetables that we’re growing are purely organic. We sell the produce every Friday and if there’s enough, we donate the veggies to the school’s learners for their parents to cook for them,” Leping adds.

Last year the local Checkers supermarket offered to contribute towards the school garden that has become an important food hub for locals in Letlhogoring.

The young people working in the garden have been offered permaculture training through the supermarket chain. The positive results are clear, as the group’s harvest has doubled since their training started a year ago. Through this initiative the school garden is not only providing food, but also an income to the local volunteers.

  • READ: How to create a garden that keeps on giving
Tags: Food HubIt takes a VillageLetlhogoringMokaila Primary SchoolNorth WestSchool GardenUnemployed YouthVegetables
Share196Tweet123Send
Previous Post

Choosing a career is daunting, but Limpopo learners are keen to explore options in agriculture

Next Post

RECIPE: Lemon Butter Fish

Chantélle Hartebeest

Chantélle Hartebeest

CHANTÉLLE HARTEBEEST is a young journalist who has a fiery passion for storytelling. She is eager to be the voice of the voiceless and has worked in both radio and print media before joining Food For Mzansi.

Related Posts

This week's Gather To Grow session featured Njabulo Maseko, mixed farmer in Mpumalanga, Lufano Netshikhudini from anointed farming trade and projects, Leshalagae Mojapelo of BK Agric Traders in Polokwane, and poultry and crop farme, Taetso Tsebogo. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Farmer 101: Tips for growing cabbages

by Vateka Halile
25th July 2022
0

FARMER'S INSIDE TRACK: South Africans love their cabbage - imagine fried chicken without the slaw? This popular leafy green is...

The Connect ME app aids AgriSETA’s objective to contribute to the goals of the National Development Plan to create one million decent jobs by 2030. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

AgriSETA’s Connect ME – a ‘saving grace for unemployed youth’

by Nicole Ludolph
22nd July 2022
0

Thousands of unemployed youth have already downloaded AgriSETA’s Connect ME app to be linked to potential employers in the agriculture...

Hendrick Haas and Anna Cloete members of the Kenhardt cooperative believes that they are the game changers in terms of food security in their area. Photo: Supplied/Aisling Phillips

NC co-op becomes their town’s food source solution

by Tiisetso Manoko
20th July 2022
0

IT TAKES A VILLAGE: A group of women in Kenhardt became fed up when they had to travel long distances...

Agripreneur 101: This chilli sauce maker brings the heat

Agripreneur 101: This chilli sauce maker brings the heat

by Nicole Ludolph
11th July 2022
0

AGRIPRENEUR 101: For Babe Sophie Masuge chasing profit is not all there is to running a business, but building a...

Next Post
RECIPE: Lemon Butter Fish

RECIPE: Lemon Butter Fish

Organic certification is a long, but rewarding process. Photo: Supplied/Food for Mzansi
Farmer's Inside Track

How to get the ball rolling on organic certification

by Nicole Ludolph
16th August 2022
0

FARMER'S INSIDE TRACK: Organic certification poses a challenge to many South African farmers who go that route. Alan Rosenberg, chairperson...

Read more
This #SoilSista’s poultry farm puts quality first

This #SoilSista’s poultry farm puts quality first

16th August 2022
Prof. Theo Venter gives his take on the ruling party’s recent policy conference and what it means going forward. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Fixing agri challenges: ‘ANC no longer has a choice’

16th August 2022
The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Ms. Thoko Didiza, MP has taken the decision to suspend all movement of cattle in the whole country. The Ministers decision is aimed at halting the continued spread of Foot and Mouth Disease in the country. It also means that cattle may not be moved from one property to another for any reason for a period of 21 days reviewable weekly. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

FMD battle: Govt prohibits movement of all cattle

16th August 2022
Justin Platt, founder and CEO of Zylem and RegenZ argues that instead of basing management decisions on a purely rational and cognitive approach, farmers need to harness (and trust) their unique intuition. Photo: Supply/AdobeStock

Farmers, trust your intuition and go with your gut

16th August 2022

How the Internet of Things is transforming agri

Drug dealer turned farmer ploughs back

An avocado a day can keep the doctor away

Agripreneur 101: Regeneration at the heart of this salt company

Will the world run out of sand?

Bimeda’s Afrivet takeover ‘to strengthen animal health offering’

THE NEW FACE OF SOUTH AFRICAN AGRICULTURE

With 12 global awards in the first three years of its existence, Food For Mzansi is much more than an agriculture publication. It is a movement, unashamedly saluting the unsung heroes of South African agriculture. We believe in the power of agriculture to promote nation building and social cohesion by telling stories that are often overlooked by broader society.

Bimeda’s Afrivet takeover ‘to strengthen animal health offering’

SA battles 116 FMD outbreaks amid 21-day cattle ban

Will the world run out of sand?

How to get the ball rolling on organic certification

This #SoilSista’s poultry farm puts quality first

Fixing agri challenges: ‘ANC no longer has a choice’

  • Our Story
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright

Contact us
Office: +27 21 879 1824
News: info@foodformzansi.co.za
Advertising: sales@foodformzansi.co.za

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought

Copyright © 2021 Food for Mzansi

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.