Amatola Irrigation working to prove sustainability in South Africa
With the help of Action International Ministries, local children’s home, (Greensleeves Children’s Trust) is aiming to become sustainable. Housing over 96 children in foster homes and providing 45 with a primary and high school education, the aim is to be producing 35% of their total food consumption on a sustainable basis within 5 years and to be a closed system in which they meet all their food, energy, shelter and education needs themselves.
This is not the first time that this is being done – Action International Sustainable Office has developed similar projects in Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, India, Malawi, Uganda and Zambia– but it is the first time that they are doing this in South Africa. The hope is that once the concept is proven in the unique climate and soil conditions of South Africa, that it can be replicated in other Southern Africa Countries, bringing nutrition, education and shelter to the poorest people.
The key to becoming self-sufficient requires a surprising amount of channelling water resources from one place to another for many different purposes; household water, drinking water, irrigation and production of compost tea for the food gardens… the list is long!
Matheus Negri, Project Leader, says, “We have designs for the water systems we want to install, but haven’t always been able to find the same parts as we have been able to source elsewhere. This is when having a local irrigation partner has proven to be invaluable. We take our designs to Len at Amatola Irrigation and his team work out the bill of materials required to build them.
So far the Amatola Irrigation team has installed:
● A solar pump and filter system that take borehole water to the households.
● A pump and filter system to take dam water into the houses for showering and washing purposes
● An Irrigation system which irrigates 2 hectares of fruit and vegetable gardens with water and biofertilizer.
● A biofertiliser brewing and distribution system which takes the nutrients from solid fertiliser, dissolves them in water, aerates it and then pumps it into the garden irrigation system
Len Moerdyk of Amatola Irrigation says, “It is a real privilege to be involved in such a worthwhile project. Can you imagine what it must mean to the children, to have an abundant, fresh food supply right there where they live.”
Davin Lehy, Principal of Fig Tree Independent School says, “Water forms such a vital part of hygiene and healthy living for the children of Greensleeves Children’s Trust and Fig Tree Independent School. Thanks to Amatola Irrigation we now have a regular water supply for our school, homes and gardens.”
