I worked in a small company getting involved in urban farming when I came to Johannesburg again 2013. This blog has mainly been about my time since resigning from the company and trying to be self sustainable off traded for land in the city. It has led me to interaction with many people in an effort to produce or share how to grow their own food and medicine.
These projects are projects that are also empower people financially, along with myself in the process. We all love this work, and we all do it for x amount a day at these projects, for a short time and for absolutely nothing but the harvest at Pirates in most cases. In fact these considered ”homeless” people have been the most positive input into my world because Nkla-kla for one smiled at me, waved and later even saluted me from a distance. One day, I was in an emotional state as I passed by the tree he sleeps under and I quite firmly asked him why he is so sad, no one is bothering him, he has nothing in his life, no people , no shit energies, just his own … he was stunned… I told him to get up and walk. He started to stand up, and I suggested we just go buy something for ourselves to share at the shop. That was the start of a long walk together. Thank you Nkla-kla. He took his own initiative and created things in the garden, calling himself an artist at times 
Unfortunately, during the time of my breakdown I lost touch with Nkla-kla, and he changed his way of surviving. We still greet each other in the park, and he is always going to be free to eat out the garden as he wishes, yet he does not take much, if anything at all.
Joseph was among many people I greeted on my walk to Pirates and accompanied me some distance on a few walks. We walked in silence and talking, learning from each other or affirming our beliefs about eating organic food and mindsets Joseph traded for a room like I did, and worked in the garden or doing odd jobs in exchange. He also lived off of less than R300 a week and often ate fish out of one of the city park dams. He wanted to work for a space to grow his own food. I was happy to have a strong worker in exchange just for food. He worked in the entire setup at Westbury Youth Centre and was retrenched once the garden was done. He still assists at Pirates, and was taken to a farm project I worked on.
I would love to meet you out there at any project and thank you in advance for any support shown in any way toward my endeavors to educate, empower and inspire through the example of doing what one loves, and the rewards of health, longevity and abundance that comes from a degree of self sustainability that we ALL aught to experience.
The posts below begin with Art of Craft Funding slash donation request proposal – which is something I was working on for the garden and space at Pirates Sports Club. In it a suggested way of getting funds for us to supply fresh organic veggies locally grown to the club members and community, among other things… Please check it out and get in touch with me on 072 146 9017 if you can assist us in any way. Unfortunately I cannot keep the ideas set in stone without funds, so it is best to contact me directly for current updates.
If you would like to assist me and volunteer on a farm outside Machadasdorp, I go there every week and can usually take one person along from Johannesburg for a few days. We will need all kinds of people out there, we do it from from mapping out and digging swales, building teepees and ablution blocks, plumbing, educational walks about plant medicines and indigenous plants and more. I am mainly there to start a garden that will produce the medicinal teas and assist in the planting up and growing of the food forest itself, as I learn more about everything else. Do get in touch
I hope to be adding to this list continuously
1. Art of Craft Funding / Donation Requests
2. Westbury Youth Center Garden Project
3. Food Foresting & Tea production in Ingwenya mountain range
Leave a Reply