HOME FOOD GARDENING TRAINING IN THE DIOCESE OF LESOTHO
Supported by the United Thank Offering Grant, the Anglican Church of Southern Africa is rolling out Food gardening Training in the Dioceses.
The Diocese of Lesotho completed a wonderful training focussing on young people, with the goal of inspiring green entrepreneurship.
Eco- culture Project facilitated a home food gardening project in the Diocese of Lesotho. It took place at three venues: the Cathedral of St James and St Mary’s in Maseru, Hoohlo Primary School and Thaabe primary School.
Seedling production. The first day we had Mme Tebello Mosuhli, an Agriprenuer who specializes in seedling production. She trained the trainees about soil preparation, how to plant seeds in the seedling trays, how to take care of the seedlings until they are ready for the market and how they are sold.
Plot preparation: on the second day we had Ntate Teboho Moiloa, an agriculture expect and agripreneur. He gave us an agricultural background, how seeds were collected and why, different soil beds and the ancient practices of migrating seedlings to proper soil, adaptation to improving the soils instead of moving from one place to another. We later moved to the garden to prepare plots for crop production.
On the third day we continued with soil preparation, and then planted the seeds, green beans, rape and spinach.
On day four, we learnt about mushroom production in response to climate change, the positive impact it plays in mitigating climate change and its health benefits. We later prepared our Mushroom bed and built a shelter around it to provide shade because the mushroom does not need direct sunlight. We learnt all these from Mme Ntsoaki Sekhesa, a former lecturer and a farmer.
Day five was food preservation and storage day. Food waste in environmental issues needs to be abolished, so there are ways that food can be preserved which include drying of food and bottling of foods. The practical preservation exercise that was done was bottling of carrots which will be used at a later period, bottles used to preserve were recycled as they were used differently from their initial purpose.
On Day six the home gardening team attended the church service to acknowledge and show appreciation to the church as they had been given land to grow their foods (exhibition site). The team was asked to introduce themselves and to share the purpose of the project, which they did beautifully, and later went and irrigated the production.
Day seven was tree planting day, the home gardening team visited Hoohlo Primary school where an orchard was established, the trees planted were different varieties of apples, the purpose of the tree planting initiative was to produce apples which can also be tried and stored for future purposes, as continuation of preservation lessons.
On day seven we continued with the tree planting initiative. The home gardening team went and visited Thaabe Primary School and planted trees which had been donated by the Ministry of Environment
On the last day of the home gardening project, home gardening team engaged with Mother’s Union Guild in establishing an orchard for the Cathedral Church of St James and St Mary’s. The project served the same purpose, growing food, which can be consumed as fresh fruits and can also be tried and stored for future use.
The home gardening project became a success as the lessons have been passed that food can be grown in the back of our own homes which will reduce the amount of money spent each day on food. The cost of living is now high, and the ability to grow one’s own food is a lesson all of us need and its also good for the environment as the environment takes care of us.
Thapelo Lipholo
Project Facilitator: Senate Lerotholi
We are grateful for the support of Green Anglicans and the United Thank Offering Grant
Photo credit – Eco Culture
