by Tracy Stokes
www.ecostreet.comThe Abalimi Bezekhaya organisation assists urban farmers to produce food for themselves, their families and communities and to sell their surplus crops.
One Tuesday a few weeks ago I accompanied Duncan Drennan (The Art of Engineering), Duncan’s beautifully pregnant wife Donne, Pia Taylor (Mother City Living), Stefan (a lecturer in applied mathematics at Stellenbosch) and Ruan (a helicopter pilot in training) on a tour of the Fezeka community garden in Gugulethu and the Harvest of Hope packing shed in Phillipi. Both the Fezeka garden (one of many community gardens) and Harvest of Hope form part of the Abalimi Bezekhaya organisation that assists urban farmers to produce food for themselves, their families and communities and to sell their surplus crops.
“Even as I spoke, an immense shape Materialised in the night air, Grotesque and enormous stature With heavy jowls, and an unkempt beard Scowling from shrunken, hollow eyes Its complexion earthy and pale, Its hair grizzled and matted with clay, Its mouth coal black, teeth yellow with decay. —Camões, The Lusiads Canto V.