Community Food Gardens Transform Illegal Dumping Sites into Opportunities for Jobs and Food Security
Farmers Magazine | 11.08.2026 18:23
A community project in Joe Slovo, Kwa Dwesi near Despatch, is showing how neglected spaces can be transformed into productive food gardens that support local households and help address unemployment and crime. As part of the Women’s Month build-up programmes, the Department of Agriculture, led by MEC Kontsiwe, delivered agricultural resources to the community to strengthen its efforts. The support included a hand-held tiller, gardening tools, 1,000 seedlings and fertilisers. The initiative builds on the community’s successful work to convert illegal dumping sites into productive areas for growing food. By turning spaces that were once associated with waste and environmental degradation into food-producing gardens, residents are creating a practical example of community-led development.
