The winner of Sunny Side’s garden giveaway for March, Nothembile Mali is received seeds from Sunnyside for her well-kept garden. She thanked Sunnyside Garden Centre and Grocott’s Mail for making it possible for her to win the seeds, and says that she will be making full use of them after the welcome rains. She is going to continue planting, and said that she was very happy about the rain, as it is going to be easy for her to plant the new seeds in the soft ground. She also pointed out that now there is water for her garden.
Author: Lindani Donyeli
On Monday 22 April, traditional leaders from all over the Eastern Cape gathered at the Egazini Memorial Heritage Site to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle between the amaNdlambe and the British forces there. The representatives gathered in the pouring rain, without shelter, as the tents were still being put up, to commemorate the event. Among them were Zaneye Woza from Ndlambe, Galelekile Mpofu from Ndlambe, paramount chief Toena Mkhoisi from Keikoranna, Nxamile Langman from Peddie, Chief Zwelihlangene Makinana Mafa, tribal authority from Peddie, Sipho Tanana from Ndlambe, Chief Zweliyadinga Makinana from the Ndlambe Royal House, Doctor Mzimkhulu Dilima…
Girls from Kingswood College recently met with pupils from Makana Primary School f and NV Cewu to make them aware of the stages that women go through as they grow older. Group leaders were Nomsa Zono, Sinazo Nyaba, Destine Mayanja, Luawe Mhlauli Siyamthanda Nomoyi, Salimisa Bikani, Mwango Kondolo and Jaclyn Morrison. Siyamthanda is the founder of #Sizimbokodo, which seeks to empower young girls. Their focus is in Grahamstown. The aim of the group is to remind young girls about the power they have: the potential to transform their lives and to change the world. Siyamthanda believes we live in an…
While the City gears up for six days of celebrations leading up the the National Freedom Day event in Makhanda (Grahamstown) on 27 April, a group of cultural activists will launch a very different kind of commemoration. Instead of celebrating on Freedom Day, members of the Egazini Outreach Project will be mourning the Xhosa warriors who fell in the 1819 Battle between the Xhosa and British soldiers at Egazini. The Extension 6 based community arts project aims to recognise the history of the amaXhosa. For that reason they will gather at the battle site behind Nathaniel Nyaluza High School in…
The winner for February is Reverend Geelbooi. He thanks Grocott’s for being able to visit his garden, his motto is “one home one garden”. His aim is to make a bigger project on a piece of land rather than his back yard. This way he will be able to plant more vegetables so that he can provide people food to eat. When he plants a lot he would take it to old age homes and to those who are in need. He will also sell some to keep the garden going. He wants to help the whole community of Makhanda.
On Thursday 28 March, a group of students from Rhodes University gave up their lunch break to help clean up rubbish around the Fingo area. The students included Hayley Skerrit, the Chairperson of the Rhodes University Canoe Club, David O’Beirne, the Head of Community Engagement, Grant Hewitt, Patrick Dillon, Dani Honey and Sergio de Souza. They gathered together opposite the B.B. Zondani Hall to start a clean up challenge. “We are starting up a clean up challenge,” said O’Beirne. They were going to take a picture and post it to social media to challenge other organisations and sports club to do…
Esiyazama Day Care Centre in Vukani cares for 45 children. Supervisor Ntombekhaya Njadayi says Community Work Project (CWP) members are an important resource for the creche, helping care for the children and generally assisting on the premises. CWP supervisor Vuyolwethu Bonde said one of the things they had done was to create a garden. “We also close the gap when one teacher is away – for example, to attend a course. We have built an informal structure being used as a kitchen at the moment,” Bonde said. “We are always ready and willing to help wherever we are needed, as…
On Saturday 29 March, local football club, the Sophia Stars Football Club, which is based in Extension Seven, hosted its annual prize giving. The club, which started in 2011 as a way to get the youth off the streets and playing soccer, has grown into a place where youngsters can grow and learn Football. Lindisiwe Swartbooi, a member of Sophia Stars, stated that in order to get the children involved in the club, they have to give them the tools that they need and want, over and above simply providing them with soccer skills. This is why, n 2014 they set…
Lukhanyo Maqoki started planting in 2018. Without much money to buy food, Maqoki plants vegetables to feed himself. He also believes that vegetables are a major source of food that is needed everyday. He takes what is in the garden and mixes it with other food in order to eat. Maqoki saves water in a 2L bottle for the days that there is no water for his garden. He has planted spinach, beetroot, green paper, onions, and peas. Maqoki would be grateful for seeds to continue planting.
Silvia Maholo is a grandmother who loves planting. She has been planting for the past ten years, as a way to make sure that she can get the food that she needs. Being unemployed, Maholo said that food is very expensive to buy, which is why she plants. Recently Maholo has reaped potatoes and carrots and she has planted tomatoes in her garden, but would appreciate if she can be assisted by seeds so that she can continue to grow a healthy crop for her and her family.