The National Lotteries Commission of South Africa Funds a Grant to i-MED Africa
i-MED Africa is the proud beneficiary of a NLCSA grant in 2022 focussed on small scale farming projects in communities to assist with combating hunger, creating income and supplying nutritious meals to the impoverished.
i-MED Africa is a non-profit organisation, established in 2019 with the vision of reducing and combating childhood mortality by presenting health education to the public, training community health monitors and establishing community and home gardens in the surrounding villages of Gansbaai.
The Health-e-Garden Project consist of weekly theory training, weekly practical training, and provides a community garden and home garden to all students. Currently 35 students are enrolled in the program and are competing to be part of the top 10 students who will receive entrepreneurship skills training in the 2nd phase of the program.
The community garden and home gardens follow organic principles ensuring minimal environmental impact and high nutritional levels. Practices are based on comprehensive research into limited space food production, ensuring high yields with low material/financial input. Low-cost methods aim to build healthy soil, conserve water and utilise rubbish and recyclables in an environmentally responsible way. Regular support visits over 12 months follow training to ensure the longevity of each home garden. These support visits, combined with access to expertise form part of the long-term support strategy to secure the success of this project.
Gretha Hanekom, the Managing Director of i-MED Africa says: “We are thrilled to have received such extensive funding from the NLCSA. The funding will enable our team to focus intensively on empowering the local communities to grow their own nutritious vegetables, herbs and initiate a social community enterprise of drying and selling herbs locally."
