Hytec South Africa empowers Harrismith communities with food security

Hytec South Africa recently provided funding for Reel Life to combat food poverty, insecurity, and malnutrition in Harrismith, South Africa. It recognised the need for self-sufficiency and donated 300 units of Garden in a Box through Reel Life.

The communities of Skoonplaas, Intabazwe and Tshiame were chosen for their pressing need for social development and the significant challenge of food insecurity. A total of 150 Garden in a Box units were distributed in the Tshiame Community and another 150 across Skoonplaas and Wilgepak. Each unit contains envelopes for each month of the year and includes 60 sachets of 15 seeds x 4 seasonal vegetables, organic fertiliser sticks and a watering spout. Training was provided to the communities on 27 October, and all households planted their gardens by 31 October.

The Garden in a Box serves as an ideal initiative to foster sustainable food security solutions in communities facing food and hunger challenges. The project further contributes to cultivating and enriching communities' agricultural and entrepreneurial capabilities, equipping residents with skills to generate income from their harvested produce.

 “We are proud to say that this community can now potentially have food security for over 1 200 people in the area. We look forward to the progress of these gardens through regular weekly and monthly visits which will be carried out by Reel Life,” comments Patricia Dodgen, Hytec South Africa.

Reel Life’s programme's effectiveness lies in providing everyone with a unique opportunity to take control of their food security. These projects emphasise participation towards attaining food security, enabling communities to receive “hand-ups” instead of handouts. Through this “hand-up”, communities receive the necessary education and skills to produce their own food, which can feed a family of four for an entire year.

“Reel Life's overarching goal is to achieve food security for 500 000 beneficiary partners by 2025,” says Dineo Mahasha, Managing Director, Reel Life. “This ambitious objective relies on valuable partnerships like the one established with Hytec. We express gratitude to Hytec for providing the opportunity to enhance the lives of the Harrismith community, one household at a time,” she concludes.