Part 7 | ‘No hunger here’ – How a Lenasia community garden helps unemployed families put food on the table

Lenasia South, Johannesburg is home to a community garden that provides fresh vegetables for unemployed families and those in need. The garden, started in 2022 by retrenched mother Mannini Ntlaba, now employs about 40 volunteers aged 18 to 55. These volunteers work together to grow and harvest a variety of vegetables including spinach, cabbage, broccoli, kale, beetroot, carrots, onions, tomatoes, maize and bell peppers.

The garden produces around 5,000 bunches of spinach and two pallets of tomatoes every harvest. Ntlaba sells the produce at the garden for R5 per bunch, ensuring affordability for all community members. Surplus crops are also sold to support the garden's funds. The produce is not only used by the volunteers, but also by elderly community members and donated to two local preschools to promote healthy eating among children.

Volunteer Ramsenyane Lefenya, a father of three, relies on the R370 Social Relief of Distress grant to support his family. He emphasizes that volunteering at the garden has greatly improved his family's access to daily nutritious meals. Lefenya says the garden has taught him how to grow his own food at home, enabling him to balance household expenses.

The garden generates between R250 and R1,000 per month, which is deposited into a community account. Any surplus funds are shared among the volunteers, with members occasionally receiving additional produce when they face financial difficulties. The garden also hosts a weekly soup kitchen, where volunteers gather to share meals and support one another.