In January, we reported on Nkhesani Manganyi and his path to employment with the Ndlovu Care Group. Despite developmental delays and limited speech, he was able to develop vocational skills with the support of the team and secure a permanent job in brick production.
Nkhesani now also works on the Ndlovu farm. There, he is involved in the watermelon harvest during the season. This work requires stamina, reliability and the ability to work in a team – skills that he has steadily developed over the past few years.
The cultivation of watermelons is of economic importance in South Africa, especially in rural regions such as Limpopo. It not only contributes to the supply of fresh food, but also creates seasonal jobs. The Ndlovu Care Group combines two goals: To strengthen food security in the region and to provide people with practical employment opportunities.
Nkhesani’s new area of work shows how flexible the fields of work in the projects are. He can contribute his experience from his previous work and acquire new skills at the same time. In this way, his professional development is gradually expanding – from production operations to agricultural tasks.
Potatoes were planted at the Ndlovu/Lefas Farm these days with a great deal of dedication and commitment.
Ndlovu Farm as a holistic training and inclusion project
The Ndlovu Farm/Lefas Farm was established with the primary aim of providing people in the area with the necessary agricultural skills to secure or even improve their livelihoods. The project functions as an education and training center where participants can receive training and gain practical experience in growing crops as well as in sales and accounting. This holistic approach aims not only to strengthen the individual skills of the participants, but also to make a sustainable contribution to economic empowerment and food security for the entire community. In particular, participants in the support program for disabled and impaired children and young people are also trained here in order to create a livelihood for themselves and their families. The story of Evonne Ndlala, a young woman from the Ndlovu Care Group‘s Jorishaus program, is particularly inspiring.
Evonne’s path to independence
Evonne received medical care and support early on due to her challenges at school. Her development was characterized by health challenges: After birth, she was diagnosed with tuberculosis and had to undergo intensive medical treatment. She also struggled with developmental delays, which made her school career more difficult. Despite these challenges, she always showed great fighting spirit.
Evonne is the youngest of four children and grew up in a stable family with both parents working and acting as her main providers. Her family always supported her, even when her school career was difficult. She repeated several grades until she finally moved to a boarding school for children with special needs. There she finally found the support she needed before transferring to Jorishaus.
The Jorishaus as a pioneer for inclusion
Thanks to the loving and targeted support of the Ndlovu Care Group, she has been able to make incredible progress over the years. Today, she is not only a dedicated employee of Ndlovu Farm, but has also found her voice: She acts as a spokesperson for her peers and inspires many with her story.
The Jorishaus, which opened in 2017 with the support of the Hugo Tempelman Foundation, has set a milestone in inclusion work. Thanks to the generous financial support from ENERGETIX Bingen, young people with disabilities have been given a perspective. In particular, the establishment of practical training programs, such as in brick production and agricultural work on the Ndlovu farm, enables them to lead independent lives. These were set up with the financial support of the DEUTSCHE POSTCODE LOTTERY . Together for an inclusive future
Evonne impressively demonstrates that inclusion is not just a vision, but a living reality. She is the best example of the success of this program and how important it is to give people with special challenges the opportunity to develop.
The Hugo Tempelman Foundation would like to thank ENERGETIX Bingen and the German Postcode Lottery for their tireless support! Together we can create real change.
Since the pandemic, agricultural self-sufficiency has become increasingly important for the inhabitants of rural townships. The Hugo Tempelman Foundation, in collaboration with the Ndlovu Care Group and supported by RTL Wir helfen Kindern, has successfully established private food gardens in response to the famine.
Mothibedi Tjiane, a 48-year-old resident of the village of Bloempoort, provides an impressive example of the long-term impact of this important program. He used to work occasionally on nearby citrus farms to support his family of five. But persistent power cuts led to severe economic losses on the farms and Mothibedi lost his job. He struggled to provide for his family.
Determined to find a solution, he sought support from the Ndlovu Care Group. With their guidance, he was able to start his own food garden on a one-hectare plot of land, where he now grows a variety of crops, including green peppers, spinach and tomatoes.
Today, Mothibedi no longer has to worry about providing for his family. He sells his produce in and around Bloempoort Village and to greengrocers at the Moutse market and earns R2500 (approx. EUR 125) per month during the high season (November to December) and R1500 during the quiet months.
Mothibedi Tjiane says: “It makes me happy to be able to grow our own food and provide for my family economically at the same time. Thank you very much.”
After the Hugo Tempelman Foundation laid the foundation for the Foodgarden program in 2020 with the help of RTL Wir helfen Kindern e.V., Lefa’s farm is a meaningful extension and continuation of the program. The Foodgarden program enabled the construction of more than 2,000 private self-sufficiency gardens in times when the need was even greater than usual due to the pandemic. At Lefas Farm, everyone can now learn what it takes to turn their small private self-sufficiency garden into a thriving business.
For the Foodgarden program, the seedlings are pre-grown centrally and then distributed.
Lefas Farm was set up with the primary aim of providing women and interested young people with the necessary agricultural skills to secure or even improve their livelihoods. The project functions as an education and training center where participants can receive training and gain practical experience in growing crops as well as in sales and accounting. This holistic approach aims not only to strengthen the participants’ individual skills, but also to make a sustainable contribution to economic empowerment and food security for the entire community.
Seedlings are distributed to participants.
An outstanding feature of Lefas Farm is its holistic approach to agricultural education. From land preparation and planting to harvesting and storage, the aim is to provide a holistic understanding of the entire cultivation cycle. In addition to teaching practical skills, topics such as soil and water management, pest control, market access and marketing strategies are also covered. This enables participants to become not only efficient farmers, but also successful entrepreneurs who can sell their products on local markets and thus generate a sustainable income.
Irrigation is by means of a drip irrigation system.
In September 2023, a new greenhouse was built for the cultivation of tomatoes and peppers to give participants hands-on experience in greenhouse cultivation. Under the guidance of experienced farmers, the participants learned the basics of greenhouse cultivation, from preparing the soil to planting, caring for the plants and harvesting. The success of every harvest depends on careful care. This includes precise watering, timely addition of fertilizers, efficient pest control and weed control. Tomatoes are typically harvested over a period of two to three weeks. By taking a strategic approach, where the cultivation stages were spread over different weeks, an extended harvest period is planned on the farm, which spans about 2 months. The first harvest started in the second week of January 2024 and lasted until mid-March thanks to continuous harvesting activities in all sections.
Planting on Lefa’s farm11 to 15 young people and women in the community are currently involved in the program.
Selling the produce is a crucial aspect of the production chain, as it is at this stage that the profits are realized. To address this, market contacts have been made and links established with various entities such as local greengrocers, supermarkets, fast food restaurants, lodges, community members and local professionals. This extensive market network not only facilitates the sale of the harvests, but also serves as a strategic approach to minimize the risk of losses, as the harvested tomatoes do not have a long storage period.
Growing tomato plantsThe first harvest is ready for sorting
Within 1.5 weeks, the farm achieved sales totaling 3,000 rand (approx. 150 euros). Building on this initial success, we anticipate a total revenue forecast of at least 30,000 Rand from the tomato and bell pepper project. Overall, Lefas Farm has a tangible and positive impact on the local community. It contributes to poverty alleviation, food security and economic development and creates a dynamic farming community that is ready for the challenges of the future.
Ndlovu Care Group was recognized for excellence in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) at the MTN South Africa Awards for Social Change 2022.
Now in its fourth year, the prestigious award recognizes NPOs (non-profit organizations) that have been conducting M&E for at least two years and can provide convincing evidence of the positive impact of their programs or projects. The jury particularly highlighted the robustness of the program, in which M&E processes are continuously reviewed and refined.
“For us, M&E is not just a tick in a list, but part of the programmatic processes. We have tried to institutionalize M&E from the top down. It is an honor and a pleasure to win this award, which will motivate us to further strengthen our M&E in all areas to ensure that our programs are relevant, effective and efficient,” says Moses Mashingaidze, who is responsible for monitoring, evaluation and reporting at Ndlovu Care Group.
Morongwa Magonga, Moses Mashingaidze and Lethabo Sekele from the Ndlovu Care Group (from left to right)
There are only 3 days left until Christmas. The Ndlovu Care Group is delivering food parcels to families who urgently need help.
We would like to thank all our supporters, helpers and friends who have helped us to be there for the people of South Africa again this year. This year in particular, it became clear that help is needed all over the world – and especially for the people in Ukraine. We are very grateful that there is still such a great willingness to help and support.
The food situation in South Africa’s rural townships is precarious. During the corona pandemic, this was exacerbated as if under a magnifying glass. The Ndlovu Care Group took decisive action to combat this by setting up food gardens for families in the catchment area. The food gardens are the new solution that the Ndlovu Care Group is relying on to provide better access to healthy food for more than 10,000 people. They can now provide themselves with fresh vegetables from their own gardens thanks to the support of the Hugo Tempelman Foundation and the RTL “Wir helfen Kindern” foundation.
But one major problem remains: the temporary water shortage in this region. The gardens next to the families’ houses must of course be supplied with water so that they produce a yield. Here too, the Ndlovu Care Group came up with an innovative solution in the form of water wheelbarrows.
These easy-to-transport water tanks are a huge relief when it comes to watering the gardens. The Ndlovu Care Group has already installed more than 55 boreholes in the area. The drinking water facilities are freely accessible with several taps and can be used free of charge by all members of the community. The water tank barrows can be filled up here and transported to the garden.
This original idea came from a young man from the community and was developed to series maturity in collaboration with the Ndlovu Care Group.
This is what we mean by helping people to help themselves.
The Ndlovu Care Group also promotes a wide variety of ideas for innovative irrigation using the simplest of means.
Firstly, there is the drip irrigation system.
Empty 2-liter PET bottles are used here to cultivate the land with minimal water consumption. Holes are drilled into the bottom of the containers. The bottles are buried in the gardens and then filled with water from above. The water is then gradually released directly to the lower roots of the plants. The advantage is that the plants are watered slowly and continuously. Above all, however, evaporation losses are completely minimized as the water is released directly underground. When watering from above, a lot of water evaporates through the hot sand and does not even reach the roots.
On the other hand, there are mobile gardens. A simple method for gardening and watering: Individual plants are grown in old cornmeal sacks, which practically everyone has at home. If it rains, they are placed outside. If there is too much sunshine, the sacks can easily be moved inside or behind the house to protect them from too much sun. The cornmeal bags are made of PP woven material, which is water-resistant.
In this way, a first, uncomplicated step towards self-sufficiency can be taken with the simplest resources that can be found in every household – soft drink bottles and maize meal sacks. The seedlings are supplied free of charge by the Ndlovu Care Group from its seedling factories. The cultivation here is supported by the Hugo Tempelman Foundation and the RTL “Wir helfen Kindern” foundation.
The food gardens are a great success, as we were able to see for ourselves on our last visit. We have already reported on Beauty’s garden.
We also visited Lukas. He is 49 years old. Lukas runs his farm with his wife. Most of his five children have already started their own lives.
Lukas in his greenhouse.
It seems that he is just the right man for the vegetable garden campaign. His vegetable garden now not only provides food for his own needs. It also secures the family’s income. The garden has grown so much that Lukas can now even sell his vegetables to neighbors. He has already cut off another piece of land to prepare it for gardening.
Another piece of land is demarcated. An additional garden is created here.
Lukas has also built a greenhouse on his land with the help of the Ndlovu Care Group. Here he is implementing a new idea: hanging gardens.
Plant pots are hung vertically in a long row. Plants are pre-grown here for sowing. This makes cultivating the garden more effective.
Lukas in his large garden with greenhouse.
This planting system is used extensively by the Ndlovu Care Group. On the one hand, less space is required as the plants are no longer sown in a row. Secondly, care and harvesting is easier, as the gardeners can also work standing up. This is very convenient for many people, especially the elderly. A third important advantage is the effective, economical irrigation. The water runs through the pots from top to bottom. Less water seeps away unnecessarily into the soil.
The hanging gardens are colorful and cheerful. The work here should also be fun.
Almost all of these plant baskets have a colorful belly band. These were sewn by the women of the community to make the work a little more colorful and cheerful. Everyone here works together with one big goal: to fight hunger.
Lukas has even given his garden a name: Tshaba Tlala.
That means: hunger MUST go.
The greenhouses of the Ndlovu Care Group.
The employed gardeners distribute the harvest to women from the village.
In the last year of the coronavirus lockdown, it became urgently clear that hunger is more threatening than the virus. No work for parents, closed daycare and feeding stations for children. Food is scarce. Crushing poverty everywhere. An example from Elandsdoorn: A corrugated iron hut with approx. 16 m2 (4×4 meters), 11 people live here. 2 women look after 7 of their own children and two orphans. The only source of income is the state child allowance for the two orphans: the equivalent of approx. 25 euros per month.
Bitter poverty, which the Ndlovu Care Group has declared war on. Hugo Tempelman has an amazing ability. His motto: Never waste a good crisis. Due to the lockdown, people are no longer allowed to come to eat, so the food comes to the people.
Foodgardens as sustainable and lasting help
A large-scale fundraising campaign ensured a regular supply of food parcels. Here, too, the supporters of the Hugo Tempelman Foundation actively helped. The new Foodgardens project serves to turn this help into sustainability and consistency.
The goal: to enable many people to be self-sufficient. The way: to create vegetable gardens for every house. The difficulty: little to no skills and experience in growing vegetables and a great shortage of water in the surrounding area.
The vegetable gardens of the Ndlovu Care Group, which were no longer used daily to provide food for the wards, were converted into seedling farms. Vegetables were grown here in advance and then distributed to households. The Ndlovu Care Group employees were all involved in this extensive project: Growing the seedlings, visiting all households to prepare the vegetable gardens and teaching the necessary skills, establishing the gardens together with the families.
There are now almost 2,000 gardens in total. With the support of the Hugo Tempelman Foundation and the RTL: Wir helfen Kindern foundation, a total of 750 gardens have been created.
Beauty’s garden is a prime example
On our trip in November, we were able to see the success of this project for ourselves. Green gardens everywhere, with people taking intensive care of them. We visited Beauty and her family. Since her father died, her mother has had to look after her four children on her own. Beauty and her sister each have two small children from older men, but they do not take on the role of father. The women now look after nine people in the family. Due to the pregnancies and caring for the children, Beauty initially stopped going to school. This brought her to the attention of the social workers from the Ndlovu Care Group, who took care of the family from then on and supported them wherever they could.
The garden that Beauty and her sister cultivate is growing and thriving. Lettuce, pumpkins, spinach, tomatoes and carrots grow here. There are also mango trees in the yard, which are protected from the goats in small brick towers. The garden is such a great help to the family that a second section is now being separated off and another garden is being planted.
The girls have no work, but they enjoy looking after their garden. Beauty and her family’s yard is exceptionally well-kept and well-organized. The social workers reported that the gardens are not just for self-sufficiency. They also bring a sense of purpose and structure to people’s often listless everyday lives.
We have convinced ourselves that this project is another important building block in helping people to help themselves.
Beauty and her family’s large garden provides for nine people.
Young mango trees are protected from the goats by stone walls.
Beauty and her little baby on her farm.
Beauty’s sister and her baby in her small, well-tended garden. Behind them, another section is already being prepared for a new garden.
We recently received new pictures of Hugo from South Africa. Life there is picking up again after the global coronavirus lockdown.
The vaccination campaign is progressing more and more and the Ndlovu Care Group’s programs can be reopened to the people.
Here are a few current impressions:
The preschools for small children and the rehabilitation centers for disabled children continue to operate under hygiene regulations.
The children are again encouraged to play with the therapeutic activities.
This is a great relief for the children: not only a change from the cramped and very basic living situation, but also a regular hot meal again.
The pandemic has shown that the greatest enemy is hunger.
The food garden project, which aims to ensure self-sufficiency in fresh vegetables, has gained a foothold and is an integral part of the daily diet. A healthy diet, especially one rich in vitamins, is essential. It is a great success that this has been so well received and continued in the community. Last but not least, the donation from RTL “Wir helfen Kindern e.V.” has made a significant contribution to this project.
The sports field gets a fresh coat of paint. Before the children and young people start their sporting activities, the employees of the Ndlovu Care Group clean, paint and renovate the facility.
At the end of November, some members of our foundation will fly to Elandsdoorn. We would like to gain an impression of the current situation and the next urgent issues on site.
