Who Takes the Tank??

Kitchen gardens provide a means of food for a household, a way to reuse grey water and materials, as well as can provide a small means of income. 

So, as part of the Sponge Town Kwa Vonza project, we promoted the community to start kitchen gardens through training and making a competition for the best garden to win a water tank. 

The Sponge Town project is an initiative to enhance the town of Kwa Vonza's water hold capacity. This is done by creating road water harvesting, tree planting, roof water harvesting, kitchen gardening and building a pond with a check dam. 

With the kitchen gardening, a training was done in November where the individuals learned different methods to create their kitchen garden. From there, they were to go home and make their own garden in which the top 3 gardens would win water tanks for roof water harvesting. The photo shows the training being done on methods.

Here is one of our previous recipients of a water tank. The tank collects the rainwater from the roof which relieves the households from having to fetch water, which can be a full days event.

After visiting all the kitchen gardens we chose the top 3 based on creativity, effort, plant health, diversity in crops and methods.

Our 2nd placer, Jenita, used every method taught and even took the effort to teach 2 of her neighbours.

 Along the way one of our bikes ran out of gas, so they siphoned fuel from the next bike. 

This farmer, Fransischa, spelled out "I Love Sponge Town" with her plants! Of course she won. Not only did she get some food for her family, she has created a small income by selling some of her flowers and trees she planted. 

The 3rd placer, Mary, was very enthusiastic and focused all her efforts in growing swiss chard for her family to eat. 

Setting up for the awards ceremony!

The sound equipment showed up in style... 2 big speakers, a generator, a sound board, and all the mikes and cables on one bike.

 The 3 tanks waiting to be claimed by the winners!

Ben, from SASOL, did a fabulous job MCing the event.

While the turnout was not the biggest, it didn't make the celebration any less

Mary opening her 3rd place prize!

Jenita was very enthusiastic to have won the 2nd price tank and gutters!! 

Fransischa was almost in tears she was overjoyed to have won the first place tank!!

The winners gave speeches encouraging the others to start their own gardens. With little effort it can reap big benefits!! We hope that they trend will continue on to others. And, it was a great way to celebrate Womens Day!!