Help a woman feed her family in South Africa

GlobalGiving Report: Quarter 3 (May – August 2022)

Project name: Help a Woman Feed Her Family

Overview

The effects of COVID-19 pandemic and mitigation measures, high food prices, drought and economic decline mainly drive major causes of hunger and food insecurity in South Africa. Approximately 11% (6.5 million) of South Africa's population is hungry and food insecure.The NIDS-CRAM study (July 2021) established that hunger is most severe in the black African population. Food insecurity is a noticeable problem for South African women who head up the majority of single-person households. Therefore, empowerment of women from vulnerable households with agricultural skills to produce food for their families remains crucial, especially support targeted at households with children.

The ‘Help a Woman Feed Her Family’ project addresses food insecurity and hunger at household level by empowering women with agricultural skills to enable them plant food in their backyard gardens.

Through the partnership with GlobalGiving formed in September 2021, Young Global Entrepreneurs was blessed by an opportunity to participate in the accelerator fundraising campaign to raise funds towards the ‘Help a woman Feed Her Family’ project. YGE continues to be grateful to our donors for their generous support. 

The two beneficiaries from Vereeniging, a suburb located 50Km South of Johannesburghave expanded their vegetable gardens and agricultural knowledge as YGE continues to work with them.

• Beneficiary 1: A widow raising two children, but also interested in helping other women in the area. She has some knowledge on growing vegetables.
• Beneficiary 2: A woman running an orphanage. 

Activities accomplished

• Continuous training and support offered to the beneficiaries.
• Teaching the women about crop rotation and optimisation.
• There has been focus on management of winter pests and fungi.
• Meeting with government officials in the community to build strong collaborations.

Outcomes

• The vegetables harvested including tomatoes, butternut, pumpkins, spinach, onions have helped women feed their families.
• The women also managed to sell the surplus to earn an income.
• Damaged spinach was donated to friends and family.

 Monitoring and evaluation (M&E)

• The beneficiaries are visited once a fortnight to monitor the gardens.  

 Challenges encountered

• Management of pests and fungal diseases is a continuous challenge.
• Weather challenges, especially the cold winter season damages the plants.

 Conclusion

• The current beneficiaries are very grateful and excited about the opportunity.
• YGE will greatly appreciate any donation from you the donor, to help support this worthy cause.
• YGE needs to raise more funds to support more women

Planned activities for Quarter 3

• Requesting support, in form of tunnels, from government and community stakeholders to protect the plants from the harsh weather conditions and enhance the project’s outcomes.
• Continue with training and monitoring
• Continuing to fundraise though GlobalGiving and other ways

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