Enviro-Permaculture Project

Staff at Pier N. Aphane Secondary School observed learners suffering from malnutrition and were unable to focus while at school.  This drastically decreased the student's ability to be actively engaged with class material.  Consequently, those students' performance in their class work suffered along with test scores, including poor matric pass rates. The headmaster then approached a variety of funders in order to establish a Permaculture food garden at the school, with the goal of alleviating hunger amongst the students, and to provide a holistic approach to the problem of hunger in the community at large.  All learners at the school, staff, and community members are now actively involved in managing a food garden, from activities such as watering and weeding to educational demonstrations through Weed Buster Week, Water Week, World Environment Day, HIV/AIDS day, and Wetlands Day.
 

The effort put forth by the school and community has resulted in food gardens providing fruit and vegetables for 13 to 15 families per month.  20 parents now operate their own gardens on school property, which allows them to meet the nutritional demands of their families, and potentially earn up to R600 selling their excess produce.  In addition to the benefits received directly by members, fruit and vegetables are provided to 2 schools composed of 40 learners with disabilities, 1 old age home of 50 people, and Groethoek hospital, 20km away.  34 schools have also received training from Pier N. Aphane Secondary School in permaculture farming, and have gone on to plant their own vegetable gardens, addressing the nutritional needs of their learners and their surrounding communities.
 
The Anglo-American Fund provided funding for the rollout of the food garden while the Pietersburg '100' Rotary Club funded the drilling of 2 boreholes, and the Polokwane Rotary Club funded the installation of 2 water tanks on the school premises.  The requirements of the programme are straining the current water supply, so South African Breweries (SAB) has agreed to back the upgrade of the water systems, adding rain-harvesting techniques.  To ensure the successful continuation of the project an environmental committee was established to oversee the proper operation of the gardens, and members of the committee were provided with training concerning the form and function of permaculture gardens from Food and Trees for Africa (FTFA).  FTFA also provides free seed to the project every year, and sold indigenous plants and fruit trees to the school in order to begin the project.  Now, the Permaculture outreach programme at Piet N. Aphane Secondary School supplies fruit trees and other plants to the local medical clinic, hospital and South African Police Service.
 

Additional partnerships were formed with Pick 'n Pay and Sasol, the Departments of Health and Welfare, Environment Affairs and Tourism, and Water Affairs and Forestry. These partnerships have also contributed to the establishment of the food gardens at the school, including gardens maintained by parents, which continue to grow vegetables, fruit and herbs. The school also serves as a Resource Centre for Permaculture food gardens, and provides training to neighbouring schools and communities.
 
Innovation
Using permaculture and agroforestry techniques in developing a food garden ensures a yield that is dramatically increased over one-crop farming.  In addition, no chemicals are used to maintain the garden so people afflicted with HIV are able to eat the produce without fear of exacerbating their health problems. 
 
Effectiveness
Currently, the food garden provides fruit and vegetables to over 13 to 15 impoverished families per month.  20 parents have their own vegetable plots at the school, and are able to meet the needs of their families while earning up R600 per month. Fruit and vegetables are provided to two schools with 40 learners with disabilities, one old age home of 50 people, and Groethoek hospital. 34 schools have received training in permaculture farming, and have gone on to plant their own vegetable gardens, meeting the nutritional needs of their learners and their surrounding communities.

Poverty Impact
Parents have their own vegetable plots on the school grounds and assist the school in planting, cleaning, and watering of plants even during holidays and weekends. The school also participates in many environmental competitions secured from the Corporate Social Responsibility handbook and have won several awards. All the funds awarded to date have been used to purchase computers, photocopy machines and other necessary equipment.

Sustainability
The project is in its fourth year of operation and costs an estimated R25 000 per annum. The project intends to expand into beekeeping, nursery, poultry-keeping, full-blown herb garden, and peanut-butter production while current services are upgraded with modern fittings.
 
Replication

The Envro-Permaculture project illustrates the potential of developing local permaculture skills to alleviate poverty.  Centralising a school as the initiative’s resource for students, teachers, and community members, is a replicable lesson for other communities in need of food security.
 
Partnerships
• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Economic Development, Environment Affairs and Tourism
• Department of Health and Welfare
• Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
• The Premier’s Office
• Food and Trees For Africa
• Polokwane Rotary Club
• Pietersburg ‘100’ Rotary Club
• Bedfordview Rotary Club
• Sasol
• Panar
• Pick 'n Pay School Club
• Progress Milling
• South African Empowerment Foundation (SAWEF)
• Dangerous Goods Management (DGM)
• Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA)
• Eco-Schools
• Anglo American Fund