In the drought-ravaged village of Pella, a stalwart group of women are making hope bloom in the desert.
Located near the border of Namibia, living in Pella is certainly not easy.
The high mineral content of the soil slows and stunts the growth of crops, and farming traditionally, it is nearly impossible to seek a living out of this sun-baked terrain. With an unemployment rate hovering around 70%, it is often described as a desolated waste land.
Three years ago, the Pella Food Garden Cooperative, consisting of a small group of women (one of whom is disabled), had been struggling to farm for almost eight years, but had not generated enough income to utilise all their land or buy inputs for the land.
The group was only managing to earn an annual income of R500, requiring all of the members to rely on government assistance just to survive.
All of that changed in 2017.
With the help of Inmed Partnerships for Children, a non-profit international humanitarian organisation, the local Inmed South Africa team and monetary support from financial services group Old Mutual, the Pella Food Garden Cooperative has learnt how climate-smart agriculture and aquaponics can improve their lives today and bolster their entire community for the future.
The arid lands now produce beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, spring onions, beetroot, pumpkin and watermelons, and have become an invaluable source of food security for the local community and even miners from the nearby town of Aggeneys.
Esther Nell, who has chaired the Pella Food Garden Cooperative since its inception, is the leader of the group. She is also a widow who supports family members and a granddaughter.
When not working on the cooperative’s land, she volunteers at the village’s primary school vegetable garden, which is the source for the school’s meals programme, and teaches the children how to work in the garden.
“This project has really brought relief to our lives, because we now have food on our table every day,” says Nell.
“We can eat fresh vegetables daily and we can donate produce to people with HIV, as well as to schools and to soup kitchens.
“Our legacy is to pay it forward. Farming is in our blood, but the drought was forcing us out of agriculture before. Now we can bring other people to work here and put food on their tables.”
Janet Ogilvie, operations manager for Inmed South Africa, says the Inmed Aquaponics solution is perfect for conditions in the Northern Cape.
She says she could not be prouder of what has been achieved.
“I am not sure what the magic formula is, but the sense of family in the cooperative is so strong that I feel this is the glue that really has made all the difference.”
Ogilvie says their story is one of resilience, pride and generosity.
“Covid -19 has changed our view of food security forever, but this small group of women is continuing to work hard to sustain their community during this highly challenging time – demonstrating that sustainable food production is more critical than ever.
