We are proposing a partnership with the Zululand Conservation Trust and £1,000 in funding to hire skilled labour to repair damaged water lines that provided water to their previously constructed vegetable gardens in the KwaMandlakazi region. 

This work will ensure families in the villages can once again access a sustainable, healthy food source; and the ability to generate income. 

Why?

The Mandlakazi region is in northern Kwa-Zulu Natal and has 98 households. Only 14% of its residents have completed formal schooling, and none have piped water inside their homes or flush toilets connected to a sewage system (according to census data for Mandlakazi).

The community is located near the Manyoni Private Game Reserve, which is managed by the Zululand Conservation Trust. Unfortunately, the residents have limited access to education and basic services, making it difficult for them to improve their socioeconomic status. Additionally, the area faces environmental challenges like soil erosion, invasive plants, and soil compaction, as well as the impact of a changing climate and a struggling wildlife economy.

Four vegetable gardens in the community have been providing families with nutrition and income. However, the HDPE pipes that carry water to two of the gardens are damaged, preventing them from producing food and providing hygiene access.

The Solution

For this project, we will be partnering with the Zululand Conservation Trust. With the £1,000 funding they will receive, they will co-ordinate and hire skilled labour to:

• Dig up the existing pipeline, 

• Lay the trench with river sand to protect the pipes, 

• Lay down new pipes and,

• Connect the water resources again.

How does Zululand Conservation Trust Work with Communities?

The Zululand Conservation Trust is committed to conserving endangered species whilst maintaining and supporting partnerships with neighbouring communities. 

Through their “Mandlakazi Food and Water Security Program” program, the goal is to bridge the skill and poverty gap between these outlying communities and societies at large through community projects.

They work with local communities to uplift, educate and empower through poverty relief, creche building and support, offering assistance to local schools, food security projects and supporting the communities with their basic needs where possible. The community in the Mandlakazi region is one of their food security project beneficiaries.

Impact

For people in the Mandaklazi region, this ensures that the two gardens are back in operation and they are, once again, able to produce food, generate income for their families and have access to clean water. This will directly impact 96 people. These gardens are also placed at each community creche, which 84 children attend. 

The completion of this project will also lay the foundation for further investments into vegetable farms and adjacent sustainable agriculture projects in South Africa.