| Community & Conservationin Southern AfricaKalahari Garden ProjectThe Kalahari Garden Project – July 2008 The Kalahari Garden Project was launched in July 2007, with the aim of assisting the San population in the Omaheke region in improving their food security and nutrition through the development of home gardens. The project also set out to help promote and preserve traditional environmental knowledge, and contribute to building the skills and opportunities necessary for creating a renewed sense of self reliance within the community. Over the year, the project has assisted the San with the development and maintenance of twenty nine gardens spread throughout three villages. Eighteen of these gardens have produced harvests, while the others have only recently been constructed and are either awaiting the germination of winter vegetables or the next sowing season in August/September 08. We have recorded harvest data and foods eaten from the gardens during this period, which suggests that diets have been improved with the addition of these foods to the daily consumption of maize porridge. Furthermore, some of the food crops grown, such as watermelons and pumpkins, have been sold locally, bringing in extra household income. The gardens are 10 x 14 meters and have strong, livestock proof fencing and eight rows of tilled sand improved with dung and ash. Vegetables sown during spring and summer include tomatoes, maize, kale, morogo (Amaranth sp.), chilli pepper, pumpkin, butternut squash, beetroot, carrots, watermelon, onions and Swiss chard. Clementine, pomegranate and fig trees were also planted, with each garden receiving two fruit trees. Vegetables grown over the colder winter months include chard, kale, onions, cauliflower, cabbage, turnips, carrots and beetroot. Where water pressure is sufficient, the gardens are equipped with drip irrigation systems. Due to gardens requiring a reliable water supply, the project has also focused its attention and resources on water delivery systems in each of the villages. We have made improvements to these systems in two villages and are currently working in a third village. These improvements include; a) installing a new solar pump, panels and generator in one village; b) installing new 10,000L water tanks on raised stands to improve the water pressure and increase control over water delivery to the gardens; c) laying new pipelines to all of the beneficiary households and installing new taps (many of the households didn’t previously own taps); d) fixing leaks in the existing lines and assisting with engine repairs; and e) facilitating water point committee meetings and community based management of water in the area. The systems we have put in place continue to work well and we are providing ongoing support to the management of these systems. The San involved in the project have been enthusiastic from the start. Of all the San households in the villages in which we are working, only one house didn’t sign up for the project. Children have been actively involved in some of the gardens, helping to sow the seeds and learning about the gardens when they come home from boarding school. Garden owners have expressed that the gardens are helping them to feed themselves and their families. A local San lady, Ida Gei//amses reported, Plans for the second year (July 2008 -July 2009) Construction of at least 16 more gardens – reaching 43 in total Read more about the Kalahari Garden Project at : Community & Conservation in South Africa, KGP's blog , or download january newsletter , April newsletter, July newsletter and the 2007-08 annual report You might also want to contact Hattie Wells or download pdf brochure .
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