In 2015, the sight of children washing their hands in contaminated drain water triggered a strong emotional response in Luleka Zepe. The moment led to Zepe dedicating her entire life to spreading awareness on environmental and human health issues.
But little did she know her selfless efforts to protect mother nature and encourage the township community of Khayelitsha to invest in their health, would lead to a cause much bigger. Food security.
Zepe has now tapped into the benefits of collecting food scraps and waste. Using whatever scraps she can find, she turns it into dark, rich organic soil in which she cultivates fresh, organic vegetables. She does this in the comfort of her backyard.
Today Zepe is a beacon of light to many in Cape Town’s largest township – Khayelitsha.
And the community, her clients, know that buying vegetables from this eco warrior is never a straightforward transaction. A persuasive sermon on recycling and its benefits accompanies every transaction at her garden.
“The environment resembles that sensitive family member… If we do not maintain a healthy environment, we will inevitably face preventable poverty,” she says.
Cleaning up the community
Zepe’s slightly unconventional journey into agriculture happened after she discovered that the taxi rank and food stalls in Khayelitsha’s site C was home to what she describes as the worst illegal dumping site to cross her eyes.
To address this environmental death trap, Zepe founded her first company, Elamilima environmental project. They focus on environmental hygiene and liberating communities of illegal dumping sites.
“I recognised the need to inform the public of the health and environmental hazards associated with improper rubbish disposal,” she says.
They clean other parts of the township as well. Zepe’s observation is that dumping food is a key reason for rat infestations and as a result she has developed a food waste recycling strategy.
“I [started off] utilising tires. In them, I placed dead tree plants and sand. [This is] because I know that as they rot, they become compost [that] I use as mulch,” she explains.
According to Zepe, decomposing tree leaves are an inexpensive organic soil additive that transforms sandy soil into dark, rich organic soil.
When she started growing her crops, spinach dominated her backyard garden. When it was time to harvest, there were so much of the leafy greens that she decided to sell them in bunches.
“When I sold spinach for the first time, my [customers] would ask why my product is richer in terms of quality and quantity. I’d [respond] that there are no genetically modified organisms present and that anyone could grow their own.”
A journey of discovery
Zepe believes in the magic of organic farming practices. Consequently, she uses compost tea to water plants. A valuable farming hack she picked up through attending agricultural workshops and seminars, she says.
“Tea spray for plants functions as a fertiliser. Tea sprayed over crops preserves all of its helpful soluble bioactive components, making it a potent source of plant stimulatory.”
Throughout her vegetable growing journey, Google has been a great source of information for her, she says. She has also since completed a course in permaculture through SEED in Rocklands, as well as an organic urban food gardening training programme at Abalimi Bezekhaya.
In 2020, Zepe was invited by the Agency in South Africa’s food systems to provide a food justice perspective on food security in the Cape Flats and St. Helena Bay.
“I was chosen to serve on the research team. After doing research on dietary nutrition for Covid-19, we wrote a thorough report on the subject,” she says.
The group of researchers have also established the Food Agency of Cape Town, which combines arts with culinary experiences.
In addition to that, Zepe has also ventured into writing books. She’s the co-author of a book titled Fresh Offers, which is a collection of poems published under the Food Agency of Cape Town banner.
And if you thought there’s nothing more this environmental and human health activist could do, think again. Zepe’s latest move will see her establishing a food forest in Stikland in collaboration with a group of community leaders in Khayelitsha.
According to her, food forests require little upkeep and are particularly beneficial for climate change and environmental health which right up her save the planet ally.
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