June 26, 2005
East London

E-newsletter # 15

Dear Friends,

Our first newsletter from East London, in March 2004, mentioned our introduction to Reeston, an informal settlement not far from our house. At that time, we learned that the local Benevolent Society had applied for and actually received a grant from the National Lottery to develop food gardens in the area. They had begun to explore cooperation with other players in the field—the Reeston branch of the social service program of the Dutch Reformed Church, the provincial Department of Agriculture, the 4H Club, commercial suppliers of tools and seeds.

From time to time during the intervening months, we heard stories about the many obstacles to implementing what seemed to be a fairly simple undertaking. Where should those gardens be planted—next to families’ homes or in a central location? What kind of training would be needed to teach basic gardening skills? Who will do the hard work and who should benefit from the harvest? How much would it cost to erect fences against roaming cows, pigs, goats, and dogs? Where would the water come from—drawn from the public-metered taps, carried in from the nearby reservoir, or collected in cisterns that catch rainwater from roofs?

Early on, at the strong advice of folks experienced in these kinds of development projects, the necessity of active involvement of the community became a crucial issue.

Over time, three segments of the population began to take ownership of the project: members of a senior citizens feeding scheme, representatives of the local youth, and a group of people with HIV/AIDS and other disabilities. From among these groups emerged about 20 committed persons who began to prepare the ground in two sizeable community plots. In one location, an innovative irrigation system was installed.

June 13, 2005, was the big day. The seedlings arrived for the planting of the first quadrant of each plot: cabbage, onion, beetroot, broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach, with carrot seeds set aside for later use. The plants were put into the ground in alternating rows right next to the tiny holes in the irrigation pipes and covered loosely with dry grass as protection against the sun. In a couple of weeks, the next quadrant would be planted, to assure ongoing harvests in a climate which allows for year-round growth.

In spite of strong winds and relatively cold “winter” weather, the mood among the workers was one of excitement and energy. With only a quick orange for lunch, the planting went on until late afternoon. A few snags with the irrigation system hardly dampened the enthusiasm—first the “hose pipe” (garden hose) was too short, and then the extension did not fit the public tap. The makeshift connection had to be undone and then redone every time a local resident came to fetch water.

We were thrilled to be part of this joyous event. Ken, who misses our vegetable patch in northeast Ohio, had the opportunity to “play in the dirt” along with the women. Susanne, who likes to tinker with home repairs, joined the guys in trying to invent an easy way to refill the watering tank. At the end of the day our bones were as sore as everyone else’s.

We wonder what will the next months bring? Will the irrigation system work under the given circumstances or turn out not to be appropriate technology in this setting? Will the motivation of the workers last? Will hungry families be able to set aside part of the yield to invest in the next set of seedlings? Will this demonstration plot encourage other people in the community to plant their own gardens?

We promise to keep you posted. But one thing is already clear to us. An undertaking of this sort requires a lot of mutual understanding and shared commitment that can only come through relationships nurtured over a long period of time. Persistence and patience, unlikely bedfellows at first sight, need to come together in the struggle against hunger and poverty.

Please pray for the people involved in gardening projects in the Eastern Cape, particularly the one in Reeston. Perhaps you should even pray for rain, just in case the newfangled human technology doesn’t deliver.

Susanne and Ken

The 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 339