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Thandanani Reforestation and Sustainable Livelihoods Project

Final Report

Compiled for the UNDP GEF/SGPBy P A Cohen (Rucore)

Annex A

SGP Grant # SAF/SGP/OP4/RAF/09/01


These pictures show current erosion gullies and soil loss in Mambulu Village as well some old growth trees growing in the valley floor. The tyre structures are from Manukelana Nursery where they help to stabilise soil movement in planting beds.

Annex A contains the approved grant proposal that was prepared by the Rural Educational Development Corporation for the GEF SGP.

Table of Contents

Project Summary Information 3Project Location 4Project Context and Motivation 4Preliminary Elaboration of Components 8Conclusion 10Budget Summary (12 Months) 11

RUCORE / GEF SGP – Thandanani Reforestation and Sustainable Livelihoods Project 2

Project Summary Information

Project Title Thandanani Reforestation and Sustainable Livelihoods Project

Implementing Agency Rural Education Development Corporation (RUCORE)

Contact Person Paul Cohen, Executive Director

Total Project CostUS$48,570(R390,000)

Amount RequestedUS$48,570(R390,000)

Funds requested from:GEF / SGP

Project Duration:12 months

Brief Project DescriptionPropagation and planting of indigenous and traditional medicine trees and supporting sustainable livelihoods within Mambulu Village (KZN) and the surrounding areas.

Proposal Prepared byRural Education Development Corporation (Rucore)


Project Location This project is located in the Mambulu Village, near Kranskop, KZN, which falls under the Maphumalulo Municipality. Mambulu Village is situated within Ward 2 of the Municipality. The Maphumalulo Municipality is located within the Ilema District (DC 29) of KwaZulu-Natal.

Project Context and Motivation

The Project AreaMambulu Village is representative of many of the rural villages found in KwaZulu-Natal. It consists of traditional homesteads spatially organised within the valley of the Mambulu River. In this case, Mambulu Village residents rely solely on this water source, a tributary of the Tugela River. The natural environment is arid and semi-arid. The area does not have high agricultural potential according to the local


municipality, Maphumalulo. Over the past decades it has become increasingly denuded through increased human settlement demands for grazing livestock and firewood harvesting. Currently there is no water harvesting in place and rainfall continues to contribute to land degradation and loss of biodiversity. As a result, community members spend increasing amounts of time collecting water and firewood. The village population is largely made up of women and children. Many of the homesteads rely on remittances or state grants for an income. At this time a new potable water line from the Tugela is being installed with no other services from the state currently available. There are also few opportunities to generate an income within the village. Villagers must travel to nearby urban centres to access state services, purchase household supplies or generate income. As in many other rural villages around the country, roads are poorly constructed and transportation is irregular and costly. Travelling to and from urban centres consumes a great deal of time and financial resources.

The Project Stakeholders and BeneficiariesThere is an important connection between what happens in a small village such as Mambulu and the larger global community. The members of the Thandanani Garden Club are the primary stakeholders and direct beneficiaries of this proposed project. The club is a community driven project, which has been in existence for almost ten years. While the community garden initiative is successful under the leadership of Joseph Gcwabaza, it has also benefited from the long-standing relationship between Rucore and Mr. Gcwabaza. This relationship has provided the garden club with access to knowledge, expertise, experience and resources. Rucore has visited the site several times over the past 4 years, engaged with the garden club members as well as providing capacity building and skills development in local sanitation technology. The garden club is supported and encouraged by traditional authorities in the area, as well as the local authority and the Department of Agriculture.

The Mambulu Village as a whole are also important stakeholders and beneficiaries in this proposed project. Mambulu Village is situated within Ward 2 of the Maphumalulo Municipality, which falls under the Ilema District (DC 29). Ward 2 consists of several villages and towns. The most recent Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for the Maphumalulo Municipality (2009-2011) contains the following statistics regarding the demographics of Ward 2:

1. There are 1694 households with a combined population of 10070 people living in an area that is 159 square km.

2. Around 59% of the population is female and 41% male. 3. Almost half of the population is between the age of 5 and 19, 16% are

between 0 and 4, while14% are between 30 and 49. 4. It is one of the poorest wards in an impoverished municipal area: 18% of

the households receive no income, 17% earn between R1000-R2400, 15% earn between R2401-R6000, 12% earn between R6001-R12000 and less than 5% earn more than R12001.

While these statistics are aggregated for the ward that Mambulu Village is situated in and provide only an indication of demographics of this specific community, they


do highlight some potential trends that are relevant for many similar rural communities.

Local government is another important stakeholder. The statistics regarding ward 2 also highlight the reality that the local authority is working with. The recent IDP document produced by the Maphumalulo Municipality highlights the importance of job creation, service delivery, spatial development and environmental management as key areas for development. The municipality’s ability to fulfil its responsibilities will be enhanced through the positive efforts of the Thandanani Garden Club.

Project PartnersThe Rural Educational Development Corporation (Rucore) and Thandanani Garden Club from Mambulu Village in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) are the project partners for this initiative. This partnership has emerged organically out of long standing relationship between the Paul Cohen, the director of Rucore and Joseph Gcumbaza, the originator of the Thandanani Garden Club.

Rucore was established in 1991 as a small NGO focusing on innovative and integrated strategies for rural development. It is structured as a Section 21 company with advisory members and a professional management committee of four. Rucore provides strategic support to rural communities. Its primary objective is the promotion of sustainable livelihood practices in rural communities. Rucore’s work in this field has focused on the establishment of the Tlholego Learning Centre near Rustenburg in the North West Province. This learning centre has provided training and capacity building in permaculture design, natural building technologies and ecological design to support sustainable village development over the past 20 years. Rucore continues to work closely with the development of the Tlholego Village and other rural projects such as Thandanani and is also a past GEF/SGP partner.

The Thandanani Garden Club came into existence through the efforts of Joseph Gcwabaza. Joseph spent two years on an apprenticeship at the Tlholego Village in 1997 where he was trained in permaculture and community self-reliance. He returned to his home, Mambulu Village, in 2000 and set up the Thandanani Garden Club as a community driven initiative focused on food self-reliance. The project is not currently registered as community organisation. It is a membership organisation, which presently involves 90 women and some men. Their participation in the garden has a significant impact on the household economy of their respective homesteads. Many of the women are unemployed. Up to 30% receive no other form of economic support. Members collaboratively farm a 2 hectare plot of land and are developing a secondary site of similar dimensions. Family members tend to work 3 days a week in the garden to farm their particular sites within the larger community garden.

The Project MotivationThe existence of the Thandanani Garden Club presents Mambulu Village with a significant and timely opportunity to focus on the rehabilitation of the natural environment. The villagers involved in the garden club are clearly committed to the


project. The fact that the project has been in existence for almost a decade bears testimony to their commitment. The primary motivation for their involvement in the initiative is a need for increased food security and income generation. There is also a concern for the state of the natural environment although active engagement in environmental conservation is thwarted with several challenges. In most instances longer-term conservation projects have less tangible benefits to communities. Water availability and its distribution are a challenge, so is education, resources and management capacity. The establishment of a nursery for propagating indigenous and traditional medicine trees in association with an environmental education and planting program with local schools will create for Mambulu Village a new capacity to engage directly in reforestation initiatives within their local watershed and in the surrounding areas.

Community members are very ware of the issues around water, food and firewood in relationship to their immediate lives. For instance, 70% of the time members spend working in their community garden is focused on collecting water from the nearby river. Vegetable seedlings have been purchased in the local town and are only available at certain times of the year. Although some seedlings are now propagated in open ground seedbeds in the garden, this method of production is sporadic, prone to pest attack and unsustainable. Establishing a protected environment for the production of seedlings will contribute significantly to increasing the productivity of the garden as well as helping club members to generate some income by selling surplus seedlings within and around the surrounding areas. The proposed seedling nursery will also contribute to the preservation and enhancement of local agro-biodiversity.

In the case of Mambulu Village there is great potential to integrate the activities and aspirations of the garden club members with a wider program for environmental reforestation and enhancement. This is the space that the Thandanani Reforestation and Sustainable Livelihoods Project is focused on developing and expanding. It is an important space because the convergence of local and global needs regarding sustainable development and rural livelihoods means that there is possibility of developing a successful project that benefits local communities and which has the potential to contribute to the national agenda around sustainable development1. The experience and efforts of the Thandanani Garden Club and Rucore will result in knowledge and understandings that can be transferable and replicable in other areas around South Africa, as well as globally.

Preliminary Elaboration of Project ComponentsThe Thandanani community garden project is focused on the enhancement and expansion of an existing community driven initiative situated in the Mambulu 1 SA National Government: Our Vision

“South Africa aspires to be a sustainable, economically prosperous and self-reliant nation state that safeguards its democracy by meeting the fundamental human needs of its people, by managing its limited ecological resources responsibly for current and future generations, and by advancing efficient and effective integrated planning and governance through national, regional and global collaboration.” The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (2007) Planet-People-Prosperity: A National Framework for Sustainable Development in South Africa, pp.13


Village. The specific elements of the proposed project have emerged out of a participatory process with the members of the Thandanani Garden Club facilitated by Rucore over the past 4 years. The club members identified two objectives:

To increase their productive capacity and to produce surplus; To grow more trees in the environment around them.

In addition to these two primary objectives, the club members have also expressed a desire to learn as well as to share their knowledge and experience with people living in their village as well as other in the wider region.

The two primary objectives of this project reflect the outcome of this process with the members of the garden club. They are:

a. Conservation, sustainable use and management of biodiversity in and around rural communities.

b. To support sustainable rural livelihoods.

The tables below provide a detailed breakdown of the specific outputs and activities that are connected to each of these objectives. Broadly speaking, the first objective will be realised through a tree propagation and planting initiative involving schools in the village. The second objective will be realised through the development of facilities that will enhance the current gardening initiative. These proposed outputs and activities would be operationalised over a 12-month period. This 12-month period is seen as the launch of a much larger project that Rucore and the Thandanani Garden Club will continue to collaborate on over the next few years. The proposed 12-month phase of the reforestation and sustainable livelihoods project will include ongoing monitoring and evaluation of these objectives.

Objective 1: Conservation, sustainable use and management of biodiversity in and around rural communities

Outputs Activities

1.1 Capacity to propagate indi-genous as well as traditional medicine trees

1.1.1 Construction of tree nursery

1.1.2 Design and installation of nursery irrigation system1.1.4 Seed harvesting1.1.5 Tree propagation1.1.6 Management of young trees

1.2 Established relationships with SGP partners

1.2.1 Building of relationship between Thandanani Garden Club and Manukelana Indigenous nurseries1.2.2 Engaging in a learning exchange between Thandanani Garden Club and Manukelana Indigenous Nurseries

1.3 Educational programme to plant trees in schools

1.3.1 Environmental education and awareness raising around conservation of biodiversity1.3.2 Tree planting at local primary school1.3.3 Tree management in school grounds

Objective 2: To support sustainable rural livelihoods


Outputs Activities

2.1 Enhancement of the existing community food garden

2.1.1 Planning, design and construction of plant nursery with storage shed

2.1.2 Design and installation of nursery irrigation system

2.2 Expanding local food produc-tion knowledge

2.2.1 Evaluation of current production systems

2.2.2 Provision of training in garden techniques including pest control

2.3 Enhancing communities capa-city to build and conserve agro-biodiversity

2.3.1 Local seed sourcing and propagation of seedlings

2.4 Increase of food self reliance for rural women and their families

2.4.1 Year round seedling production at nursery

2.5 Increase income generation capacity for rural women

2.5.1 Production and sale of surplus seedlings

2.5.2 Production and sale of surplus food stuffs2.6 Establish sanitation facility at garden

2.6.1 Building of compost toilet2

2.7 Strengthen organizational structure

2.7.1 Register Thandanani Garden Club as CBO

ConclusionThe project falls directly under programme one of the GEF SGP’s biodiversity conservation focal area for arid and semi-arid ecosystems. This project will have an immediate and hopefully long term benefit to the surrounding biodiversity. It will also have an immediate positive impact on the livelihoods of rural women and the wider community through fundamental improvements to the existing community garden infrastructure and member capacities. The proposed project interventions will result in increased food self-reliance as well as the as well as the capacity to generate income for garden club members. The project objectives have emerged from a participatory and consultative process with garden and community members and have insured ownership and responsibility amongst the members, which will clearly have a direct impact on the project success and outcome.

2 The compost toilet technology proposed for the Thandanani community garden is an above ground, aerobic system that ensures safe management of human waste as well as nutrient recovery to support future tree growth. This technology was selected because is functions without water, a resource that is currently unavailable for this purpose. This particular technology has been successfully tested at Tlholego over the past 15 years and one unit has already been built at Mr. Gcwabaze’s homestead.


Budget Summary (12 Months)

Note: Rucore’s annual financial statements and any additional company documents are available on request. Thank you for your time and consideration of this proposal.


Annex B: Project Budget of Local NGO

The local NGO project budget has not been included into this interim report as discussed with the GEF SGP National Coordinator.

Annex C: Progress Report

In this interim report for (March, April and May 2010), I have focussed on the progress both Rucore and the Thandanani Garden Club are making towards achieving the objectives set out in the project proposal. I have followed the proposal format below and consider each activity related to the main outcomes and provide an update in each case. This format is consistent with that used for the project budget that follows in Annex D below.

The two primary SGP objectives for this project are:


Outputs Activities









Outputs Activities







2.3 Enhancing communities capa-city to build and conserve agro-



biodiversity2.4 Increase of food self reliance for rural women and their families





2.6.1 Building of compost toilet



Progress towards meeting objective 1: Conservation, sustainable use and management of biodiversity in and around rural communities.

1.1 Capacity to propagate indigenous as well as traditional medicine trees

At this stage the construction of the tree nursery has been successfully completed. Recent images of the completed nursery are presented at the end of this report. An irrigation system for the nursery has been installed which consists of a storage tank of 5000 litres and three stand pipes located in the nursery. Thandanani garden club members still need to carry water from the river to full up the storage tank. This is something we are committed to changing within the grant period. However there are several considerations that need to be worked on.

The Mambulu River, which is the only current water source for the village flows over a rock bed as a shallow stream with no head of pressure during the wet season and can run dry on the surface in the dry season. Local government provided a pump and piping for the garden three years ago but have not yet constructed a sump into which the pump can be placed for pumping. The rock bed would have to be blasted away to create some debth for the sump to fill, which is a major construction project. This would also effect using any form of hydraulic ram pump for this purpose. Local government has made progress with regards to the installation of water services from the Tugela to Mambulu village. Discussions are in progress to connect this system to the garden water storage. However it is not clear when this system will be switched on. There is a drilled well within 200m of the garden that was installed some years ago where villagers can pump water via a hand rotating system when the river runs dry. This may be the best short-term system to tap into. A tank could be placed near the well point and an electrical driven (or solar) mechanical device installed on the pump to drive water into a supply tank in the garden. From here the whole garden could be irrigated as needed. Further analysis and discussions need to take place before a decision can be taken in this regard. This will happen in the coming month during 2 planed site visits.

The first stage of the extended garden and nursery area is now fenced in.


Currently vegetable seedlings are being planted in the nursery and certain local indigenous tree seeds have been collected and planted. At this stage there are several hundred cabbage, beetroot, onions and tomato seedlings, which is sufficient for all garden members. At this stage all young saplings are being managed in the nursery. Further training is scheduled for later in the year.


After the initial visit to Manukelana a good working relationship has been set up with Thandanani Garden Club. Plans are in place for a follow up visit with Manukelana Indigenous nurseries Manukelana to visit Thandanani in September. The objective of this visit will be to build further the local capacity in seed harvesting and propagation of useful indigenous trees and plants. Manukelana have expressed a keen interest for Thandanani to produce several thousand (10000 or more) of the species papea capansis (umqhoqho) certain varieties to be grown out at Thandanani. I am waiting for further details and will include them in this report as soon as I have them.


Meetings have been held between Thandanani and the local school around environmental education and tree planning at the school. As there are not yet trees available to be planted from the Thandanani nursery, the school has approached Food and Trees for Africa to supply trees for planting in the short term. Plans are in place for this will commence in early September during arbour week when Thandanani is planning its opening celebrations.

Progress towards meeting objective 2: To support sustainable rural livelihood.


The progress in terms of this outcome is the same as that for 1.2 above. The nursery is complete and an irrigation system has been installed and if now functioning well.


2.2 Expanding local food production knowledge

An initial evaluation of production techniques has been completed. Generally the gardens are doing quite well although there are several areas where improvement can be made. Mulching is difficult because of the presence of harvester termites in the area, which consume all mulching material as soon as these are laid down. It has also been determined that when mulch is used, harvester termites also will damage young seedlings. Because of this, no mulch is currently used. Ideas of using stone mulch have been explored and this could be implemented once a plan for transporting more stone to the gardens has been arranged. Stone mulch has been used in other similar environments quite successfully. Similarly other mulches need to be explored including green mulches. Pest problems in the production of seedlings have been reduced due to the propagation process moving to the nursery. Further pest problems in the garden are been looked into and will be considered in more detail during the upcoming garden evaluation in early September. The use of local manures has increased. All the garden beds have been reoriented to align with the natural contours of the land resulting in significantly reduced soil erosion susceptibility. Generally there is a greater interest in the gardens from members as well as the surrounding community who are very happy with the improvements being made.

Currently the following crops are being planted: spinach, beetroot, onion, potato, tomato, carrot and cabbage. Ninety women are involved in the growing of these vegetables and depend directly on them for household nutrition for their families. The quantification of production is currently being determined.

While a garden space of approximately two hectares has been fenced in for the production of staple crops such as corn, pumpkin and beans, problems obtaining timely ploughing services have limited the production of these crops. Hopefully this will improve as the garden develops. Traditional ox drawn ploughing is also being considered.

2.3 Enhancing communities’ capacity to build and conserve agro-biodiversity

The capacity for Thandanani and the Mambulu to build and conserve their agro-biodiversity has been increased due to the completion of the nursery structure as well and the initial training with Manukelana. The fenced in area surrounding the nursery has created a goat safe area to begin planning out seedlings.


While Thandanani members have grown their interest for and understanding of the value of local bio-diversity, members are looking forward to further training and inputs from Manukelana in September. Ewald Viljoen, one of the key trainers working on the project, has initiated discussions on behalf of Thandanani with Mr. Elliot Ndlovu who runs a successful indigenous nursery in the Natal midlands to provide important inputs to the nursery. Mr Ndlovu has also successfully implemented the legal processes for registration, growing and marketing of indigenous plants. Mr Viljoen has been in contact with Mr. Wilfred Umshlongo from KZN Wildlife who administers this permitting process. Mr. Umshlongo visited Thandannai in March to evaluate current developments on site.


The new nursery infrastructure provides a year round environment for seedling propagation. Seedlings are now being propagated for the current planting season and the capacity is set for this process to be ongoing.


There have been several enquiries from surrounding community gardens for purchase of vegetable seedlings from the Thandanani Gardening Club. Propagation of vegetable seedlings has increased beyond Thandanani’s own requirements in order to fulfil this market. In addition orders have been placed for papea capansis trees from Manukelana Indigenous Nursery. In will take some time for this production to develop however these are positive signs given the short time the nursery has been operational. Currently no surplus produce is being produced however overall productivity of the gardens is increasing. The garden club has heard that there are plans in place to develop a new commercial centre closer to Mambulu Village and there is growing interest within the club to supply this new market with fresh produce.

2.6 Establish sanitation facility at garden

Construction of the garden club’s compost toilet began in May. Good progress has been made and the bottom structure was completed. Bricks for the top structure have been made on site and completion of the top structure is now 90% complete. The construction process has been implemented as part of a training and capacity building exercise involving seven members of the Mambulu Village and the Thandanani Gardening Club. The individuals involved have become very interested in this technology and are now in a position to replicate this technology


within their village and well as the surrounding area. Given the fact that there is almost no sanitation technology that exists in this area, a significant opportunity has opened up in this regard. Time is being taken to ensure that all aspects of this technology, both technical and skills based, are transferred to the new building team. The compost toilet roof feeds rainwater into a 2200 litre storage tank, which now provides a source of safe drinking water to garden members. Pictures of the current progress are presented in the last section of this report.

In order to ensure that these skills are property transferred an additional budget amount has needed to be allocated to this aspect of the project. At this stage an amount of R10,000.00 from the irrigation and rain water harvesting has been reallocated to the compost toilet training and construction. This has been the most appropriate reallocation as it is expected that the local government’s water services programme will bring water directly to the garden where the distribution and irrigation infrastructure is now in place.


Plans to register the Thandanani Garden Club as an NPO are in place. Currently a list of office bearers is being compiled for later registration. A logo has been chosen by the club which is a ‘bee’, Thandanani the busy bee’s.

The following section covers the main indicators that were included in the January report and have been updated in terms of current project progress.

Outcome 1. Sustainable community protected area governance approaches recognized, strengthened, and adopted by national partners, protected area systems, and multilateral processes

At these early stages of the project the primary objectives are geared towards strengthening the Thandanani Gardening Group in terms of their awareness and role in the conservation of biodiversity in and around rural areas and the value of Indigenous and Community Conserved areas. Additionally the value of these assets to the local community and in terms of national and global policy within the broader region has been discussed.

Considering that this project is geared, certainly in these formative stages, toward strengthening the capacity of the Thandanani group to expand their food security capacity and engage in the protection and management of their biodiversity, the number of ICCAs currently recognised include the Mambulu Village, specifically areas in and around the community gardens, the new plant nursery, members homes (at this stage just over 90 members) as well as the local schools and church areas.

Even so, there is a growing interest from the wider village and neighbouring communities as many people here share similar concerns regarding these critical


landscapes and their longer-term capacity to sustain the tens of thousands of people who rely on them for their livelihoods.

Currently these areas are not officially protected and no locally consultative bodies have been set up. It is anticipated that Thandanani will become a node point where such protections can develop. Introducing the required management of legislation for growing and selling indigenous plants will strengthen Thandanani’s institutional networking as the project develops.

Outcome 2. Sustainable use of biodiversity established in production landscapes / seascapes (including agriculture, forests, fisheries, and tourism) through community-based conservation, innovative approaches, and market mechanisms

The Thandanani project is contributing to the conservation of native crops, medicinal plants, NTFPs and other biodiversity products. There still exists much traditional knowledge concerning the value of these plant resources within the local community and many of these species are still broadly used.

As a result of a successful learning exchange with SGP partner project Manukelana Art & Indigenous Nursery in St Lucia late last year, there has been a renewed interest in the value of local biodiversity in the Mambulu Village and surrounds. New knowledge has been gained as to the identification, protection and propagation of these species and the community are keen to expand their knowledge and knowhow of production methods and marketing.

The visit to Manukelana was attended by eight project members including all five of the Thandanani committee members and facilitated much practical learning regarding actual nursery propagation and management practices, the costing of inputs as well as the value of seedlings at market related prices.

Already Manukelana have requested production of particular tree species that occur naturally in the Mambulu Village environment for sale to customers. There have also been requests from other community gardens for food plant seedlings. As the local production of seedlings proceeds, more native food and medicine plants will be produced.

While the need for local food production and support by government in this regard continues to grow, the demand for local knowledge of such systems is also increasing. At this stage there are a number of volunteers interested in spending time at Mambulu village learning and sharing their knowledge about local food production. Thandanani members have identified this interest as a form of agro/edu/eco tourism and opportunity to support local rural livelihoods in this area.

Outcome 3: Intensify the replication, scaling up, or mainstreaming of climate change mitigation barrier removal models that have been successfully tested and practically applied at the local level, in national development priorities and plans

Currently as there is minimal supply of electricity to Mambulu Village, solar panels have been installed on the roofs of many local homesteads, mainly to provide electricity for charging cell phones and other small usage appliances. However in


most instances the batteries for these systems no longer operate resulting in power availability from these systems being periodic.

Rucore is facilitating discussions with local organizations including an American technology company to introduce renewable energy systems to the village. Additionally biogas sanitation technology is being looked into that may contribute to the energy supply for cooking and a reduced demand to fuel wood. However this technology requires an understanding of micobiological systems to ensure the microbes in the biogas system are healthy. There may also be some competition for garden nutrients. At the same time high efficiency wood burning stoves are being looked into that use small diameter fuel wood (pruning’s) for its operation, both contributing to greater local resilience and less demand on local fuel wood. A test unit will be trialled at Thandanani during the next scheduled site visit in early August. Additionally solar cookers are another source of cooking energy that would bring together a mix of technologies more suited to the needs of Thandanani’s intent to mitigate the negative impact of climate change.

As the government is increasingly promoting rural development, these technologies and approaches are important in influencing national development strategies in this regard. Additionally as Thandanani strengthens as a centre for sustainability practices, this will help influence the key institutions working in this area toward investment and knowhow in climate mitigation capabilities in these remote rural areas.

Outcome 4: Community-Based Adaptation (CBA) practices promoted and incorporated in national development priorities

At this stage strategies for mitigation of anticipated effects of climate change have been discussed in planning sessions at Mambulu village prior to the commencement of the project in October last year. Initially these strategies have centred on watershed management, with particular attention to rain water harvesting and soil preservation on these extensive sloped areas. The management of water in an around Mambulu village is seen as a key underlying factor influencing biodiversity resilience in this area.

Thandanani project manager, Joe Gcwabaza, and the development practitioners involved in this project are using Permaculture design practices to think about and design the longer-term resilience planning for Mambulu Village. The Thandanani members currently see the SGP project as an important beginning to this process.

Innovative strategies using water-harvesting earthworks on contour (swales) are being incorporated into the water management practices around the new nursery area. Terraced garden design linked to native plantings and water management strategies on a wider scale has been discussed. There are plans in motion to use Thandanani as a demonstration site for a specialised training workshop on water harvesting in the village early in 2011 where all role-players will be invited to participate.


Outcome 5: Demonstration of community-based approaches for the implementation of SAPs, and models replicated, scaled up and mainstreamed

At this early stage of the project such SAPs have not been formalised. However as is indicated above discussions with role-players are moving in this direction. In this way the value of this work in Mambulu Village is important particular with regards to the potential for supporting an integrated land and water multiple focal area operational program in the wider region.

Thandanani Garden Club is planning an opening celebration in early September this year and has invited the most relevant role players operating in this area. These include the local Nkosi and Nduna, local municipality, Departments of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Social Development and Water Affairs. It is anticipated that this event will encourage further cooperation and investment towards to overall objectives stated in the project.

Outcome 6: Innovative and adaptive community-based approaches demonstrated, piloted, and integrated into global efforts to address unsustainable agricultural practices, rangeland and forestry management, while promoting local livelihood

Subsistence farming using a combination or traditional and modern approaches to sustainable farming production has taken place continuously for the past ten years. Project coordinators have backgrounds in permaculture design and this has informed the strategies for developing a more resilient local social ecological system. There are several areas where production processes can be largely improved in the short term. These include pest management, soil improvement, nutrient delivery, seedling production and irrigation technology, all of which are being engaged in as the project progresses. In this way the community is undertaking community based activities to support the implementation of national plans for ecologically sustainable farming practice.

Outcome 7: Community-based approaches demonstrated on waste management to prevent open burning and Persistent Organic Pollutants pesticide management related to health issues, with good experiences disseminated to support the National Implementation Plans (NIP’s)

No pesticides are currently used in farming practices at the Thandanani Gardens and according to many local sources, have never been. Improved knowledge of integrated pest management will help as well as will the increased use of permaculture practices at the household level. The capacity for increasing organic food production at homestead level is expected to improve as the governments water delivery system comes on line, which is planned to be sometime this year.

The use of proven and appropriate sanitation technology will reduce the pollutants currently being distributed within the Village. Rocket stoves and solar cookers could reduce the use of open fires for cooking by up to 80%.


Outcome 9: Partnerships strengthened with bilateral and multilateral donors, government development programs, as well as with non-traditional funders, such as the business and financial sectors at the national and global levels

No partnerships with bilateral and multilateral organizations have been set up as yet. Rucore is working within its network structure to connect Thandanani with organizations to strengthen its current position and development plans within Mambulu Village. These plan are geared to further investment in more resilient social ecological systems, including (water, soils, food production, sanitation, energy, education and training, marketing)

At this stage we have established good working relationships with Kranskop Buildit who have supplied the project building material at lowest possible process. Applications have also been sent to Buildit head office for further assistance in this regard. The local Buildit are also assisting the local project in terms of warehousing, transport, logistics and networking.

Rucore is planning to include Thandanani in a forthcoming earthworks for water management workshop planned for 2011. Rucore is currently looking for funding to assist in the construction of an agri/edu/tourism accommodation space for volunteers to visit and work with the Thandanani garden club.

Most current efforts are centred on bringing the new nursery into operation. In September, Thandanani will officially introduce the wider community and stakeholders groups including local Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs to the project and the wider vision of this work.

Outcome 10: Strengthened capacity for implementing concrete actions and for networking on GEF priorities by communities, CBOs, NGOs, and other civil society (through the project)

Currently three GEF SGP projects are connected which have mutual benefit to each other.

The Tlholego Village, which specialises in sustainable construction technology, is working with Thandanani on the development of a composing toilet technology. Manukelana Nursery is engaged in an educational exchange and providing specific training in nursery production. Thandanani is gearing up to supplying Manukelana with product from its nursery.

Rucore is working on energy technologies for cooking for Thandanani as well as being involved in ongoing relationships around overall programme development and mentoring. Rucore is working on funding the implementing of an integrated homestead resilience strategy around water, sanitation, energy and food.

Discussions are underway within the Thandanani group to incorporate permaculture and other best practice approaches in order to expand local cultural and traditional knowledge and capacity to support more resilient local social ecological systems.


Outcome 11: Enhanced country institutional capacity by strengthening positive government and civil society partnerships in GEF SGP National Steering Committees and through GEF SGP participation in country Resource Allocation Framework planning and coordination bodies, as well as in other bodies concerned with environment and sustainable development matters

Thandanani is currently building working relationships with strategic partners to realise its goals. These partners represent individuals and organizations that have been working in implementing sustainable development strategies at the community level for many years.

Participation in national planning and coordinating bodies in these related fields is at this stage still premature.

Outcome 12: Enhanced enabling environment for community involvement in addressing GEF priorities in both policy and practiceMuch of the knowledge and experience that is present and developing at Thandanani is very relevant to the understanding of sustainable communities and more resilient social ecological system in general.

As this project unfolds within the larger village framework, this knowledge and experience is sure to become more significant and applicable within the wider region.

Outcome 13: Global Knowledge Platform for exchange, codification, and dissemination of community knowledge establishedCurrently +/-90 families are receiving new knowledge on their community’s cultural and environmental assets, improved production techniques and livelihood opportunities.

Co-FinancingPlans are in place to include Thandanani in a water resources workshop to build a more resilient hill side rainwater harvesting and soil management system that would have a significant benefit to improving the biodiversity in an around Mambulu village. The value of participation in this training will be in the region of R100,000 including the usage of earth moving machinery for completing certain aspects of the work.

Rucore continues to invest its resources into the development of the Thandanani project. In 2004 Rucore funded a composting toilet that including an education component to the value of R15,000.

Rucore is negotiating finance in the order of R100,000 to provide a vehicle for use by Mr Joseph Gcwabaza which will also be available to service Thandanani’s transport needs.

Mr Ewald Viljoen is approaching Food and Trees for Africa as a potential partner and currently applications have been sent to FTFA by the local school. Exact value of these contributions is not yet available, however the value of this relationship could amount to R50,000 being invested into Thandannai over the coming few years.


Recently Thandanani has started a new relationship with Phinduvuye, a project based in Pinetown supporting nutrition for children. This has prompted the establishment of a new crèche at the garden where gardeners can leave their children while they tend to their gardens. Additionally Phinduvuye has organised significant resources from food products, clothing, bedding and storage for the new crèche. The value of current contribitions is in the region of R10,000. It is the hope of Phinduvuye that Thandanani can become a strategic centre for the wider region.

Mainstreaming, Up-scaling, Replication

At this stage of the project all efforts are geared to ensuring that the systems currently being developed are as successful as possible. Based on these successes Thandanani will provide an important community resource for upscaling viable local solutions for water, food, nutrition, energy, sanitation and environment management within Mambulu village as well and within the wider region.

Rucore is assisting in setting up a web presence for Thandanani to communicate more widely their successes and opportunities related to relevant practices that develop more resistant community livelihoods in this area.

Lessons learned, Challenges or Other Matters

While the project is progressing well, certain challenges have slowed operations down slightly. These have included late materials deliveries due to excessive rainfall and the remoteness of the project from nearest supply centre (Kranskop). The overall timing of the project has not been affected and planned outcomes are expected to be complete on time.

There was a general slow period during December and start up in Oct/Nov – but main objectives well underway.

Additionally normal project disruptions and delays have occurred such funerals, work offerings for individuals away from the project for short periods, incorrect deliveries and the general time and degree of difficulty accessing resources from Kranskop. While these have resulted in some delays, the overall progress and enthusiasm is very positive and we are on line for a successful project implementation.


Annex D

Interim Report on the use of RAF funds

SGP Grant # SAF/SGP/OP4/RAF/09/01


Date: 4 June 2010Project Title: Thandanani Reforestation and Sustainable Livelihoods Project Name of the Local [NGO]: Rural Educational Development Corporation

Total Amount of RAF Funds Under the Agreement: $50,000Date of signature of the Agreement 4 October 2009

FOR THE PERIOD COVERING FROM March 2010 to May 2010

Total Budget approved: $50,000 (R370,000 @ exchange rate of 7.4)RAF Funds already advanced: R262,075

Amount of expenditures: R160,796.83RAF Funds requested: $10,000

Balance (if it exists): R101,282.17

Date of the next request for RAF funds: 28/06/10

Certified by: Mr Paul Cohen

Name and signature of the Representative of the Local [NGO]


Annex E: FINAL REPORT

Contractor

Name of the Local NGO providing the report: Rucore (Rural Educational Development Corporation)Address: PO Box 48226, Kommetjie Cape Town, 7976Person in charge of the final report: Mr. Paul Cohen

Identification of the project

Name of the project: Thandanani Reforestation and Sustainable Livelihoods Project

Agreement number: SAF/SGP/OP4/RAF/09/01Type of project: Rural communities, biodiversity and livelihoodsLocation: Mambulu Village (near Kranskop) KZNStart-up Date: October 2009Completion Date: September 2010

[Participants/beneficiaries Capacity Building/Training ]

Number of females: 200 Number of females: 90 Number of males: 80 Number of males: 10 Number of children: 250 Number of children: 40

Budget and finance

Total Project Cost: R462,236.00Amount received under this Agreement: R352,236.00Amount received from other sources of funding: R60,000.00Contribution of the Local [NGO][CBO] or the recipient community: R50,000.00

Activities

The planned activities performed under this agreement are listed in the table below. The extent to which these activities were performed follows afterwards.


Outputs Activities










Outputs Activities







2.3 Enhancing communities capa-city to build and conserve agro-biodiversity







2.6.1 Building of compost toilet



1.1.1 Construction of tree nursery: Successfully completed.1.1.2 Design and installation of nursery irrigation system: The basic installation has been

successfully completed, consisting of a 5000l supply tank with supply lines to standpipes at each end of the nursery with hosepipes and spray nozzles that cover production throughout the nursery.

1.1.3 Seed harvesting: Seed harvesting knowledge and skills have been improved through the learning exchange established with Manukelana Indigenous Nurseries. Several varieties have been identified by Manukelana Nurseries for direct purchase in seed and plant form. The main variety is the Jacket Plum or umqhoqho, which Manukelana has requested, in large amounts (10000 +).

1.1.4 Tree propagation: Tree propagation commenced in April 2010. Indigenous varieties currently include 35 lucky beans, 50 umvumvu and 10 mathundulukwa (wild fruit). Twenty pawpaw trees have been planted as well as 10 avocados.

1.1.5 Management of young trees: Management of young trees in the nursery has been established and is ongoing as part of the regular garden management. Most of these trees will be planted into the garden around the edges and where there is adequate protection from goats and for ease of management. Trees will also be planted at club members’ homesteads.

1.2.1 Building of relationship between Thandanani Garden Club and Manukelana Indigenous nurseries: This relationship was first established through a visit to


Manukelana by Thandanani project leader Joseph Gcwabaza and directors from Rucore and the GEF SGP in October 2009. Following on from this, nine members from Thandanani spent three days training at Manukelana in nursery techniques. In September this year three members from Manukelana visited Thandanani to share in the opening of the nursery and the 10th year celebrations of the community garden. This was a good opportunity for Manukelana members to learn first hand of the progress taking place in the Mambulu Village and to determine how these two projects can best support each other with knowledge sharing and supply of seed and plant material. Thandanani are progressing with collecting seed and propagating the Jacket Plum or umqhoqho as requested by Manukelana.

1.3.1 Environmental education and awareness raising around conservation of biodiversity: In September this year the Thandanani Gardening Club, together with members of Rucore and their international training team spent a day at the local primary school raising awareness of the value, preservation and enhancement of natural environment. Considering that this took place during a national strike, there were nevertheless a turn out about 40 children and 4 teachers including the principle who participated in the learning day.

1.3.2 Tree planting at local primary school: During this education day several trees were planted in the school grounds as part of the 2010 arbour day celebrations. Trees planted included Natal wild plum and two citrus varieties.

1.3.3 Tree management in school grounds: The school principle was very happy to have these trees planted at her school and will be taking personal responsibility for their care.

2.1.1 Planning, design and construction of plant nursery with storage shed: The nursery is complete as per 1.1.1.above. After the compost toilet construction project was successfully completed, it was decided to build the storage shed out of the same technology. The new shed has been designed and preparation to make the blocks is in place. All materials have been purchased and the project is moving forward in pace with existing capacity.

2.1.2 Design and installation of nursery irrigation system: As per 1.1.2.2.2.1 Evaluation of current production systems: Current production systems have been

evaluated. See report in Appendix G below.2.2.2 Provision of training in garden techniques including pest control: Throughout the

period of this grant training has been ongoing. Focus has been on flood management and water harvesting as well and production techniques. Training has been provided through the services of Rucore contracted field trainers, Mr Ewald Viljoen and Ms Robina McCurdy. Generally production yields have improved and this could be observed during our recent visit to the gardens in September. The following yields were noted. Spinach was growing in thirty-five 70m-length rows (divided into smaller

sections) roughly 700mm wide. Each row consisting of 12 plants per section, a total of 500 plants per row, the total number of plants being 17500. Estimated market value for spinach is around R3 per bunch.

Cabbages were growing in twenty-five 100m long rows, divided into smaller sections of 700mm wide. Each row consisted of 6 plants per section, a total of 300 plants per row, the total number of plants being 7500. Retail market value for cabbages is around R6 per head.

Onions were growing in fifty 100m long rows, divided into smaller sections of 700mm wide. Each row consisted of 9 plants per section, a total of 500 plants per row, the total number of plants being 25000. Retail market value for onions is around R.75 per onion.

At the average prices given above the retail value of vegetable production generated by the Thandanani Gardening Club would be in the region of R52,500 for spinach, R45,000 for cabbage and R18,750 for onions.


All plants looked to be in a healthy condition considering the lack of organic matter and nutrients present in the soil. Given the scope for improvement outlined in the garden report below, there is much for Thandanani to look forward to in terms of production and diversity and yields in the years to come.

2.3.1 Local seed sourcing and propagation of seedlings: Seedlings are now being propagated in the nursery. Current varieties include spinach, beetroot, onion, cabbage, green pepper, eggplant, tomato, potato and carrot. Mr Joseph Gcwabaza is sourcing local varieties to introduce into the garden production system.

2.4.1 Year round seedling production at nursery: Seedling propagation in the nursery is ongoing. Currently there are spinach, onions, tomatoes, eggplant, green pepper and green beans.

2.5.1 Production and sale of surplus seedlings: With the knowledge and observation of the growth at Thandanani within the Mambulu Village, requests have been coming in from the wider community for purchase of seedlings locally. Surpluses are being made available for this purpose and Mr Gcwabaza has taken over the running of a local store where seedlings will be sold which can be more easily accessed by members from the surrounding villages.

2.6.1 Building of compost toilet: The compost toilet construction project was successfully completed and included integrated rooftop rainwater collection and permaculture landscaping around the toilet structure. This has created a source of potable water in the garden itself. Members of Thandanani gardening club participated in the training and skills for replicating this technology within the wider village have been transferred. The modern usage or traditional earth materials in the construction was easy for Thandanani members to relate to and appreciate. Discussions are underway to develop a mechanism to roll out this technology in member’s homesteads.

2.7.1 Register Thandanani Garden Club as CBO: two mini workshops have taken place between Mr Gcwabaza and office bearers of the Thandanani Gardening Club and Rucore around registering the club as a CBO. The relevant registration forms are with the gardening committee and are complete. Rucore has arranged for Thandanani Garden Club’s membership with KZN CBO Coalition (COMBOCO). This relationship connects Thandanani to a regional network and source of mentoring and capacity building over the longer term, which is important considering that Thandanani as an organization is at an early stage of development.

The Thandanani’s branding exercise is complete and project logo, stationary and signage has been produced. Rucore has included a web presence for Thandanani on its official site website and signage at the garden site.

Results:

The following section describes to what extent the objectives of the Agreement were accomplished. The two main objectives of the agreement are:

1. Conservation, sustainable use and management of biodiversity in and around rural communities and;

2. To support sustainable rural livelihoods

Given the unanimous support Thandanani received, at the celebrations in early September this year, for their positive involvement in both the livelihoods of the Mambulu community and the health of the surrounding environment, it is clear that overall the project has been very successful and to a large extent all the objectives have been achieved.


Key infrastructure elements have been built, skills have been transferred and relationships have been established, both with outside organizations and within the larger local community itself that will stand Thandanani in good stead going forward.

Immediate benefits received by the participants and/or the recipient communities:

From an infrastructure perspective, the nursery and water system are a major asset for Thandanani. This foundation has laid the ground from which the community is concentrating its efforts to building indigenous plant stock as well as significantly improving the environment for seedling production and management on an ongoing basis. Local economic opportunities have been created through the improved ability to sell seedlings and knowledge services.

Additional skills in nursery management, plant propagation, seed harvesting and gardening practices have been transferred to Thandanani members. Environmentally sound sanitation technology using local materials and traditional knowledge has been successfully introduced to the Thandanani group and plans are in place for rolling this out at member’s homesteads within the village. Further application of this building technology has been applied to the storage shed and other structures within the village. A source or potable water harvested from the compost toilet roof is in place in the garden.

Valuable relationships have been established with the GEF SGP, Manukelana Indigenous Nurseries and Rucore. Phinduvuye, a local NGO, are involved in supporting early childhood development at Thandanani. A new crèche has been built in the garden for this purpose.

The wider community have been exposed to the work of Thandanani Gardening Club and are fully supportive of their development plans going forward. The integration of local cultural activities in relationship to a love of gardening and working with the soil has been strengthened. This supports both local development as well as creating an inspiring learning environment for young people locally and globally. Quantification of this interest comes from the numerous requests to spend time at Thandanani from international volunteers and from the wider South African community.

The registration process for Thandanani as a CBO is in place and a mentoring relationship with Rucore and KZN CBO Coalition (COMBOCO) has been established to support this process. Materials in the form of branding, logo, website and video documentary have been developed to market Thandanani both locally and globally. This improves Thandanani’s ability to raise further funds and to attract volunteers to this area.

Relationships are ongoing with Rucore and Phinduvuye. Rucore is working with Thandanani on a program for rainwater harvesting/farming, which is one of the most important issues to address in the immediate future in relationship to biodiversity conservation, farming and community livelihoods. Phinduvuye are discussing creating a central hub for their activities at Thandanani through which they can reach more people in these remote rural areas of KZN.

Long-term benefits:

Thandanani Gardening Club has been operating successfully for the past ten years and has shown its capability for long-term sustainability. The investments that have been made over the past 12 months in terms of infrastructure, skills and new relationships have strengthened Thandanani’s capacity to continue their important work as a locally driven social enterprise supporting biodiversity conservation and rural livelihoods.


Thandanani is already a key resource in this area and for locally driven environmental conservation and climate adaptation in an around rural communities. From this perspective it is important however to continue finding ways to support Thandanani over the long-term. While significant progress has been made, there are still many refinements that must be implemented to improve production, build further capacity and create greater wealth within the local community. This process of community driven development in partnership with supportive organizations, adapting global knowledge and expertise to local culture and development is creating a viable space for the younger generation to become inspired about. This project has played an important role in laying the foundations for this ongoing process.

New Developments and unexpected difficulties/problems :

Providing enough time for relationships and understanding to develop between the different people involved, while important for achieving project objectives over the long-term, is also in conflict with the shorter timeframe (12 months) of this grant. Adapting to the natural disruption in project implementation plans due to the remoteness of the project, weather, local capacity and availability of resources resulted in difficulties to ensure all outcomes could be achieves within the timeframes allocated. The fact that the project started towards the end of 2009 and had to absorb the inevitable December/January downtime resulted in two months being lost to the available implementation time. This has resulted in a few of the project activities been rolled outside of the stipulated timeframe.

Several challenges were experienced in terms of finding a suitable solution for pumping water from the river into the supply tanks in the garden. While efforts were explored to access a suitable position in the river for installing a ram pump, in the end it was decided that the Mambulu River was simply unsuitable for this purpose. At that same time local government was in the process of installing the village wide water supply system and it was hoped that this supply could be connected to the garden. The challenges in making this work have proved quite difficult thus far and it is still unclear if this will be possible. The borehole which is located about 300m from the garden was identified as a suitable source to connect into but with the delays in switching on the village water system, this source had to remain available to villagers who rely on this water, especially during the dry times when surface water from the Mambulu river becomes more scarce.

After running the project implementation for several months it became clear that certain activities originally planned for within the budget, required adjustment to fit the realities on the ground. The two main areas where this was necessary were to do with seed collecting and the pumping system from the available river water. Additionally certain outcomes were over budgeted for and certain items under budget. The items completed under budget were the construction of the plant nursery. The items requiring additional budget included the training and construction of the composting toilet and the registration, branding and signage for the Thandanani Gardening Club.

Actions taken to solve them:

The challenges relating to the short timeframe of this project are more challenging to overcome and the inevitable scaling down of activities has been unavoidable. Certain relationships have been established which are ongoing, namely the early childhood development and the ongoing relationships with Rucore and Manukelana. Rucore, as mentioned in working on the next stage of development around rainwater harvesting and the further implementation of composting toilets in the village. The activities that could not be completed within the timeframe ending September 30, 2010 have been completed in


2011 period. These activities include completion of the storage shed and the registration of Thandanani as CBO.

As far as the water system is concerned, the municipal supply is now coming on line and water is becoming available at standpipes nearer to people’s homesteads. This will vastly improve access to water in the village and support tree planning at household level. The issue of pumping water into the supply tanks still needs to be solved. With the village system coming on line, this frees up the borehole near the garden to be used for supplying water to the garden. As an interim strategy we are laying a supply pipe from the borehole to the supply tanks, which means that Thandanani members do not have to carry water from the river to the garden when river water near the garden is unavailable. Our next stage, once the municipal water supply becomes more stable, will be to obtain consent from the local authority and community to reequip the borehole to supply directly to the garden tanks.

As far as financial readjustments of items are concerned, we have made the necessary changes to our implementation and budget plans. Our amended plans have been successfully implemented and all activities envisioned under the scope of this project are now competed. We have notified the GEF SGP country reprehensive of these adjustments as required.

Remarks/lesson learned :

The Thandanani Garden Club and the development context around the Mambulu Village has proved to be a powerful space for learning and capacity building in relationship to environmental protection, climate adaptation and sustainable livelihoods for both members of Mambulu village and a wider community. One clear example of this is in relationship to the construction technology used in the building of the composting toilet. There is something unique and powerful here, where those interested in sustainable construction using earth based technologies, can learn from people who have been working with these materials, and still do, for hundreds of years. While this learning environment creates value for a wider learning community, the delivery is at a local level where it is most needed. There is certainly much scope to develop and leverage these community assets in the interests of local and global conservation efforts in the years to come.

While this project has added significant value and created meaningful capacity in relation to the challenges addressing biodiversity and climate issues in and around rural communities, adequate longer-term interventions are beyond the scope of this project. While the foundations that have been laid are important, in order to engage with the present challenges more effectively, especially concerning current patters of land degradation, ongoing support over the longer term is needed.

While these issues are well known, findings ways to maintain such creative development processes is vitally important. Within the scope of this project however, I believe the work that has gone into Thandanani and the Mambulu village, through the partnership with GEF SGP, has created tremendous value for all concerned and it is Rucore’s intention to continue with this process to the best of its ability in the years to come.

Date: October 2011

Proposed by: Mr Paul Cohen


Annex F: Final Report on the use of funds

Project Number: Project Title

Date: 5 October 2011Project Title: Thandanani Reforestation and Sustainable Livelihoods ProjectName of the Local [NGO]: Rural Education Development Corporation (Rucore)Total Amount of Funds Under the Agreement: US$ 50000Date of signature of the Agreement: 4 October 2009

FOR THE ENTIRE PERIOD OF THE GRANT

Total Budget approved: US$ 50,000.00Funds advanced: R338,075.00

Amount of expenditures: R352,195.82Funds requested: US$ 5,000.00Balance (if any exists): R40.18

Certified by: Mr. Paul Cohen


Executive DirectorRucore Sustainability Foundation

Annex G: Thandanani Garden Report

CURRENT SITUATION

90 gardeners, the majority being women from family homesteads in the Mambulu Village, manage this whole garden co-operatively under the guidance of project leader Joseph Gcwabaza. The system of bed allocation and responsibility is: one family member is responsible for a 70 m long row, currently growing silverbeet, spinach, onions, cabbage, carrot, eggplant, green pepper and green beans. Additionally they have one 40 m long row of tomatoes. The gardens are laid out with ‘indented’ segments (for water retention), with 3 – 4 plants of the same species in each segment = 24 plants in 4 sq meters.

There is no piped water to the garden, and each gardener carries buckets of water every 1 - 2 days to water their plants. This is labour intensive and time consuming, although it does generate some social connection through people meeting down at the river and en route to and from the garden.

CONCERNS

evaporation and water loss

soil exposure to sun

distance from water source and quantities carried

optimised space utilization

pest management strategies

crop diversity

mulch consumed by termites

green manure’ grown as living soil-food

shade for crops in very hot summer

composting system

humus in soil

RECOMMENDATIONS

(A) LAYOUT

(1) Adapt configuration of mini-beds: In the rows, expand each indented mini-garden in size to encompass the 3 neighbouring mini-gardens, so the overall size is 2 * 2 m, the maximum size to enable harvesting from all sides. This shape optimizes space, as there is less space taken up with bunds between smaller indented beds. An inter-planting


approach (see below) should also increase the number of plants in 4 sq m from 24 plants to 36 (minimum). These ‘indented’ beds of 2 * 2 m (slightly rounded at the corners) do not necessitate altering the row distances, as this shape is the width of 2 current rows. It is also possible to harvest from the outside to all places in the garden space.

(2) Interplant instead of mono-crop - for diversity, pest and disease management, space utilisation and minimizing water transpiration. A series of 4 indented rotating garden crops could be planted, with fresh manure/compost and/or some green manure tops (see below) forked in between each new planting of crops. Given the range of vegetables eaten and currently grown, an example of progression is: Bed 1: interplant with carrot, cabbage and onion (pest management) Bed 2: Bush beans Bed 3: Cabbage, kale, onion etc. then after harvest plant the next crop in the cycle in each bed. Bed 4: Sunhemp (a green manure crop)

(3) Forest Garden concept: In places, apply the forest garden approach. Change the garden layout to 30 – 40% forest garden system with guilds of perennial vegetables as the under-story. This can also include a few perennial green manure shrubs. Around the periphery of the garden, as well as having one area in the centre (circular shaped is recommended), allocate the garden as a typical forest garden pattern, with fruit trees providing a shade canopy for vegetables in the hottest times of the year. This planting pattern consists of: a main fruit tree, smaller fruit tree, and an understory of perennial veges (e.g. parsley, silver beet, celery, onion) under the outside trees and annual veges under the innermost trees.

It should be calculated in advance how much shade these trees will throw when fully grown (especially the central area) and the area around them plant accordingly in the kinds of veges which like the types of microclimates this will provide. The underneath and surrounding annual vege species will change from the time of initial tree planting (when tree is small) to when the tree is fully mature.

Also around the outside, in between each guild, perennial nitrogen fixing shrubs (see species list below) should be grown, to provide twiggy branches for the temporary shade strategy (see below).

(B) MULCH & SHADE

(1) Use bark/chunky wood mulch and stones to mulch between plants, and smallish branches sticking into the edge of the small north facing bunds around each indented garden. This is to help prevent water evaporation and lessen plant transpiration. Wood suitable for mulching was found lying on the ground under the trees at the entrance to the garden.

(2) In the hotter months, it is important to create temporary shade for young veges until their inter-planted guilds get sufficiently big to provide some shade for each other and leave none of the ground in the garden bed exposed to the sun. This can be done in two ways:

(a) stick short skinny branches/long twigs into the north-facing side of the bund, so that shade is created over the bed when the sun is at its most intense time of the day

(b) stretch small branches/brambles across the indented gardens, resting on their mini-bund sides, to provide shade when the plants are still small.

(3) In autumn, plant a ‘living mulch’ – a suitable mix of ‘green manure’ and grain crops specifically for soil fertility building, every 4th row, in-between the indented gardens. This


would mean that this row was not organized in the smaller indented gardens pattern, rather be one long straight row with slightly lipped edges to better hold water. One concern is that this ‘green manure’ crop also needs watering until it gets up high enough to hold its own moisture. This would require the amount of it minimized initially until improved watering systems are in place.

In early spring, when the seasonal calendar would guide a new planting cycle to begin in 50% of the gardens, half of this mulch is slashed and given to other beds (indented), and lightly turned in as food for the soil. The next season this ‘green manure’ bed then becomes a main cropping bed e.g. 1 row for potatoes, another row for tomatoes. NB: to avoid soil borne diseases, tomatoes should never be grown in the same place twice, as is currently the place with ongoing dedicated tomato beds, in which some of the plants are diseased.

To avoid changing the shape of the ‘indented beds’, as this would require considerable effort, this long straight row bed should continue as the main green manure bed. It could also support an edible nitrogen-fixing crop that doubles-up as green manure, such as peas and beans.

(C) COMPOSTING

(1) Each homestead, as well as the crèche to have its own worm farm, fed from the scraps from the kitchen (also shared with the chickens), situated within the homestead compound. This would also be given manure and dry leaves or damp cardboard (packaging waste). The liquid ‘tea’ and vermicast from these worm farms would provide increased fertility for the garden.

(2) Once a year, at the end of a major harvesting season (autumn), make long ‘windrow’ composts to provide fertility for the nursery trees and gardens. The maize stalks (chopped), pumpkin stems etc will be utilized for this purpose.

(D) STAPLE CROPS

As done last year, allocate a separate area for the ‘3 sisters’ – maize, beans, squash combination, ploughed and then planted in just before the main rains. In between crops, to cover and cool the soil, provide nitrogen and encourage soil micro-life, this garden should carry a hardy more rambling type, green manure crop e.g. akou sulla, hairy vetch.

(E) SEASONAL CALENDAR

To assist all of the above recommendations to work more effectively, since this system is expected to be more complex than previously practiced, following a seasonal calendar is most helpful. The development of this calendar should be done as a participatory process with the Thandanani garden club contributing their local knowledge and new information (e.g. on green manures) included by the facilitators. This timing is an opportunity for new concepts to be introduced and a sample re-shaping of gardens and planting of a green manure crop done.

(F) RAISING SEEDLING

The allocated area within the tree nursery structure for the raising of seedlings is well suited for this purpose. Independence in seedling raising and seed saving is improving and certainly important for the sustainability of Mambulu Village. Raising seedling, as is currently happening, is leading towards a viable income stream.


(G) POTENTIAL GREEN MANURE SPECIES & PLANTING TIMES

Warm-season (sow spring/summer)

Legumes: cowpea, Glen jointvetch, lablab, mung, soybean

Non-legumes: buckwheat, Japanese millet, sorghum

Cool-season (sow autumn/winter)

Legumes: lupin, Woolly pod vetch, field pea

Non-legumes: oats, rapeseed, annual ryegrass

Cover Crops (sow spring/summer)

Legumes: Bargoo jointvetch, Crotalaria (shrub species), Desmondium, Glen

jointvetch, Lablab, Lotononis, Pigeon pea (shrub species), Pinto’s/Amirillo

peanut, Wynn’s cassia.

Cover Crops (sow autumn/winter)

Legumes: Haifa white clover, Kenya red clover, Lucerne, Maku lotus

Non Legumes: Perennial rye

Legumes, Annual & Biennial: broad bean (W), Mung beans (S), Soy (S), Willy-pod vetch, Botali beans, Blackeyed peas, Cow-peas (S/S), Japanese millet

Perennial: Lablab (S/W), Pigeon pea, Wattle (Brisbane), Moringa (drumstick tree) – also a water cleanser, Arrowroot, Havea, Sasparilla vine (mini ha-ha) – a climbing N-fixer.

(3) Guide to proportions in different soil types:

Sandy: two-thirds grain, one-third legumes; Clay: one-third grain, two-thirds legumes.

(4) Some green manure combinations

1.Cowpea, lablab, mung bean

2.Cowpea, linseed, Japanese millet, buckwheat

3.Pidgeon pea, amaranth, millet (+chickweed, comfrey)

4.Cowpea, mung, millet

5.Cowpea, soya, Japanese millet


Progress Pictures

1. Completed nursery structure

2. Thandanani Garden Club members


3. Changed orientation of garden beds aligned with natural contours

4. Paul Cohen explaining compost toilet designs to Thandanani building team prior to construction.


5. Breaking ground on the composting toilet

6. Construction of substructure in process


7. Completion of substructure

8. Thandanani Garden Club founder and coordinator Joseph Gcwabaza


9. Thandanani ladies plastering

10. Compost toilet nearing completion with rain water harvesting


11. Crèche being build using local traditional methods

12. Phinduvuye coordinator, Jabu, handing out supplies to Thandanani Garden Club members


13. Compost Toilet complete

14. Locally available building materials


15. School environmental education day

16. Schools gardens


17. School tree planning day


16. Thandanani gardens – September 2010

17. Mr. Gcwabaza discusses garden bed design with Robina McCurdy (NZ)


18. Opening of nursery celebrations – September 2010 - youth

19. Opening of nursery celebrations – September 2010 – Shembe Church


20. Opening of nursery celebrations – September 2010 – Mambulu Village

21. Opening of nursery celebrations – September 2010 – Representatives from GEF SGP and Manukelana interviewed by film crew.


22. September 2010 – Thandanani Chairperson


23. September 2010 – Thandanani project manager, Joseph Gcwabaza


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