Transforming Lives: Khayelitsha's Organic Garden Empowers Children
Thunariso Organic Garden founder Thozama Sikiti addressing the students and their parents before the formalities take place.
Image: Phiri Cawe
The Thunariso Organic Garden team led by Thozama Sikiti.
Image: Phiri Cawe
Thunariso Organic Garden in Khayelitsha congratulated its learners who are now able to plant and maintain their own gardens. Graduates received certificates, as well as blankets, toiletries, and party packets.
Image: Phiri Cawe
A total of 136 children graduated from a gardening programme run by Thunariso Organic Garden in Khayelitsha on Friday, July 18.
Each learner received a certificate, along with blankets, toiletries, and party packets as part of the Mandela Day celebrations.
The founder of the garden, Thozama Sikiti, said the initiative aims to equip children with practical gardening skills to promote healthy eating through organic produce.
“I want children to take responsibility for feeding their homes and have their own home gardens,” she said.
She said the programme teaches children how to grow their own vegetables and encourages them to adopt sustainable habits at home.
“We are in partnership with local schools to teach children. Today we are honouring them with their certificates after working hard this holiday. Because it is Mandela Day, we also organised sponsors to provide them with blankets and toiletries. We felt they deserved better after working this hard," she said, adding that she hoped it encouraged them to have their own garden at home or at school.
The garden began as a backyard project at Ms Sikiti’s house in 2019. In 2020, she bought a piece of land where the fully fledged garden was established. It now helps feed its members and the broader community. One of Ms Sikiti’s goals is to support her community, and she feels it has been achieved.
“It excites me when people talk about how they have planted their gardens through learning from here. That is a dream come true for me. I know it can be a challenge for some to have a vegetable garden. But what people do not know is that they can also plant using old car tyres and old dishes,” she said.
Thandeka Kodwa, a member of Thunariso, said she joined because of her love for gardening.
“I started here in 2002 and never looked back. But I must say, it was not as easy as I thought it would be. But I persevered, and today I am able to teach others, like these children,” she said.
She congratulated the new graduates and wished them well. She said it would be a bonus for her to see the graduates go on to establish their own gardens at home.