Mpophomeni Families in KwaZulu-Natal Turn to Food Gardens To Survive Hard Times
- Families in Mpophomeni township outside Howick in KwaZulu-Natal struggle daily just to find enough food to eat
- Non-profit organisation Funda Nenja has supported the township community for seventeen years through food parcels and meals
- Experts warn that community gardens alone cannot fully fix South Africa’s deeper unequal food system problems nationwide
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Source: Getty Images
Families in Mpophomeni township outside Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, face a daily struggle to put food on the table. High unemployment leaves many households depending on grants, temporary jobs and community help just to get by.
Every week, residents line up at non-profit organisation Funda Nenja, hoping for a food parcel, fresh vegetables or a hot meal. The organisation cannot help everyone. It conducts home visits to find the families who need support most.
In a report by TimesLIVE, social auxiliary worker Zinhle Msimango said unemployment remains the township’s biggest challenge. She said the organisation has worked for 17 years to improve conditions for people and animals in the area.
Food insecurity linked to wider social problems
Funda Nenja provides meals twice a week, as well as fresh produce and food parcels. Donations come from groups like Gift of the Givers and local supermarkets. Parcels usually include rice, mielie meal, dry beans, samp and cooking oil.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
According to the report, the group has also started a “one home, one garden” project. It aims to help families grow their own vegetables and rely less on donations.
Msimango said food insecurity connects to bigger social problems facing young people. Many finish matric but cannot study further because of money problems. Others drop out early due to teenage pregnancy or substance abuse.
FoodForward SA managing director Andy du Plessis said gardens can transform communities when properly supported. He warned that many projects collapse within six months without training, mentoring and reliable access to land and water.
UCT professor Ralph Hamann cautioned that gardens cannot replace proper government policy. He said South Africa’s food system remains broken, and poor communities should not be left to solve it alone.
More South Africans growing food
- A retired policeman from Heidelberg started a pavement vegetable garden after his cauliflower was stolen from it.
- Blessing Sadiki shared a video update after monkeys destroyed her first block of cabbages entirely.
- Oratilwe Mauwane, a 20-year-old farm manager, runs a 10-hectare operation in Tarlton, Gauteng, that supplies Woolworths directly.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
