Environmental Projects
Healthy Village Project
Waste management
One of the foundational reasons for the creation of Jabulani was to address the causes of many of the problems faced by the community in Zithulele and not just treat the symptoms when they present at the hospital. As the interconnectedness of poverty, health, education and the environment have become clearer over the years, we trialed a variety of projects and interventions until we were in a position to launch the fully fledged Healthy Village Project in the year 2013-2014.
We now have a refuse and recycling centre, that was built on Zithulele Hospital land in 2016, in return for us also arranging collection of their refuse, and we now have a contract with the Mqanduli Municipality to undertake weekly refuse collections. We do monthly (and sometimes fortnightly) deliveries of recycling to Mthatha, 95km away (approximately one tonne or more of recycling a month). We have installed bins all around the village and do bi-weekly litter collections, but the community is definitely in need of education about waste management and how it affects the environment, and we need to explore how we can build the capacity to do more in this area.
Trees
We plant indigenous trees and non invasive fruit trees. This is to maintain windbreaks and shade, as well as providing for a sustainable fuel source and improving the biodiversity of the area. Trees have also been planted in communal spaces such as informal markets, taxi ranks, road-sides and parks. The project commits to planting a minimum of 200 fenced trees per year (fencing is imperative to protect saplings from being eaten by roaming livestock).
One of the foundational reasons for the creation of Jabulani was to address the causes of many of the problems faced by the community in Zithulele and not just treat the symptoms when they present at the hospital. As the interconnectedness of poverty, health, education and the environment have become clearer over the years, we trialed a variety of projects and interventions until we were in a position to launch the fully fledged Healthy Village Project in the year 2013-2014.
We now have a refuse and recycling centre, that was built on Zithulele Hospital land in 2016, in return for us also arranging collection of their refuse, and we now have a contract with the Mqanduli Municipality to undertake weekly refuse collections. We do monthly (and sometimes fortnightly) deliveries of recycling to Mthatha, 95km away (approximately one tonne or more of recycling a month). We have installed bins all around the village and do bi-weekly litter collections, but the community is definitely in need of education about waste management and how it affects the environment, and we need to explore how we can build the capacity to do more in this area.
Trees
We plant indigenous trees and non invasive fruit trees. This is to maintain windbreaks and shade, as well as providing for a sustainable fuel source and improving the biodiversity of the area. Trees have also been planted in communal spaces such as informal markets, taxi ranks, road-sides and parks. The project commits to planting a minimum of 200 fenced trees per year (fencing is imperative to protect saplings from being eaten by roaming livestock).
Community Garden & Nutrition
Through witnessing the degree of malnutrition evident in patients accessing care at the hospital, the decision to start a community garden was made. The community garden was Jabulani’s first ever project, and it is still going well. The community elected a Nutrition Monitor, Nontandikile, who still oversees the garden. After the significant change in 2015, when the location of the garden had to be moved, the way this garden was managed also changed and this new system is still proving to be effective. Nothandekile’s teaching and support means that there is continual investment in the knowledge of the community participants maintaining the garden. The families involved continue to grow their own vegetables in a sustainable way, both for feeding their families and to sell excess produce for additional income. This project is kindly sponsored by a Dutch foundation, Stichting Zithulele, although other donations are always welcome.
Nothandekile also visits Zithulele Hospital’s paediatric ward on a weekly basis to educate the women of the admitted children about how to garden in a nutritious way. She also maintains the vegetable gardens at Zithulele and Khanyisa Early Childhood Development Centres, where gardening is incorporated into the curriculum, with children not only learning about how to grow vegetables and the importance of a balanced diet, but where they also eat the produce from the gardens as part of their school lunch.
Nothandekile also visits Zithulele Hospital’s paediatric ward on a weekly basis to educate the women of the admitted children about how to garden in a nutritious way. She also maintains the vegetable gardens at Zithulele and Khanyisa Early Childhood Development Centres, where gardening is incorporated into the curriculum, with children not only learning about how to grow vegetables and the importance of a balanced diet, but where they also eat the produce from the gardens as part of their school lunch.
