For the past couple of months, our hands have been deep in the earth on our community gardening journey. The garden stands as a vital heartbeat in both our camp and the wider community. We are eager to highlight its nourishing role. To do this, we will publish a journal post every few months. Each post will share updates on which plants thrive and which need more care. It will also delve into the garden’s broader impact on camp and community life.
Currently, our hands work to ready the soil for seeding. Soon, ginger, turmeric, blue pea flowers, and roselle will take root. These plants will later serve dual purposes, flavouring our meals and sweetening our drinks. Already, freshly planted lettuce and herbs crisp up our salads.
Our partnership with the KwaMpukane community garden remains strong. This local garden is our primary produce source, a choice we proudly make over visiting the Manguzi supermarket. We have united to grow produce that is otherwise hard to find.
Now, the KwaMpukane garden bursts with spinach, chillies, beetroot, and kale, all grown from shared seeds. Among them, Malabar spinach and spicy wild rocket stand out in lush abundance. Though tomatoes prove tough to succeed in humidity, we are experimenting with transforming them into jams and sundried versions.
In addition, the community garden’s sponsorship of the KwaMpukane soccer team continues. We contribute too, providing the team with water and oranges. This collective support bore fruit when they clinched 2nd place among 16 teams in a local tournament!