Supermarket chain plants Madiba magic in Reiger Park
Mandela Day, July 18, is supposed to be filled with magic and celebration and nothing less could be found at the Reiger Park Community Crisis Centre on this special day.
Checkers joined hands with Green Acre Living and other sponsors to kick the day off busying the youth of Reiger Park with the establishment of an organic vegetable garden at the centre.
Other initiatives on the go at the same time included feeding the many young and elderly beneficiaries of the centre lunch and providing a treat in the form of a special 10m long Mandela Day cake.
The cake was sponsored by Goosebumps, a manufacturer and distributor of frozen dough products and confectionery. The team completed the special icing touches at the venue on the morning.
Sufura Sheriff, divisional public relations manager Checkers: Gauteng, said they have been involved with the crisis centre for many years, also having recently done a total revamp of the building and facilities.
Elderly members of the community received a hot meal and a slice of the special Madiba cake.”The community crisis centre plays a vital role in Reiger Park. I live in Boksburg too and this community is close to my heart. The support for our event today has been overwhelming,” she said.
The founder of Green Acre Living, Geoff Green, explained the philosophy of this non-profit organisation is that on only an acre of land a family can double the national monthly income average by growing their own food.
It is possible, he said, for a family to earn R10 000 from vegetables grown on an acre of land.
Green and his team were hands-on at the Mandela Day event, teaching youngsters how to compost the soil and plant seedlings, and imparting knowledge about making their own compost, how to grow seedlings and about planting vegetables in the correct cycle.
“We use and teach cultural farming techniques. For a project like this to be sustainable, takes commitment.
“We see the Reiger Park project as a training garden because with the right training and dedication the community centre has the potential to earn an income from this vegetable garden,” said Green.
The centre will have continued support to achieve this from Green Acre Living and Checkers.
All the activity at the community centre and, no doubt, news of the massive Madiba cake caused quite a stir and throngs of people soon lined the street outside hoping for a taste of the festivities.
Not wanting to send anyone away empty-handed, Checkers arranged for its mobile soup kitchen to make a turn at the event to feed the families outside the gates.
