Residents tap into gardening
I discovered that people in Kenya, Ghana and China who lived in crowded cities were developing flourishing gardens.
As the Covid-19 pandemic bites, residents in Windhoek are tapping into new techniques to grow food overcoming food insecurity.
In the heart of the bustling informal settlement of Goreangab, 42 -year-old Lucky Matunge is breaking new ground and growing vegetables in sacks that are filled with manure, sand and stones right at the back of her rental apartment.
"Because I am renting and I have limited space and water, I had to think outside the box and see how I could still have a garden given the limited space. I then started doing research and discovered that people in Kenya, Ghana and China who lived in crowded cities were practicing vertical gardening and developing flourishing gardens," Matunge said.
After extensive research and making use of her agriculture background from college, Matunge decided to take a leap and started her own garden in July with just two sacks.
"I had to come up with a good composition of soil that would be suitable for Namibia. I also had to figure out how much water I would need and plan which vegetables for which seasons," she said.
Population
With the increasing urban population in Windhoek, space is no longer an option thus people are finding it difficult to find space where they can grow their own food for subsistence.
"The idea is to now teach other people in the informal settlements who also have limited space and water how they can have gardens for home consumption or even start a business. Sack farming can also be a business where one can sell vegetables to the community or start supplying restaurants," Matunge said.
For Matunge, sack gardening has changed her life as she now is not only able to put food on the table but she can also derive an income from it through selling vegetables to her neighbours and also through training people from the community. – Nampa/Xinhua
In the heart of the bustling informal settlement of Goreangab, 42 -year-old Lucky Matunge is breaking new ground and growing vegetables in sacks that are filled with manure, sand and stones right at the back of her rental apartment.
"Because I am renting and I have limited space and water, I had to think outside the box and see how I could still have a garden given the limited space. I then started doing research and discovered that people in Kenya, Ghana and China who lived in crowded cities were practicing vertical gardening and developing flourishing gardens," Matunge said.
After extensive research and making use of her agriculture background from college, Matunge decided to take a leap and started her own garden in July with just two sacks.
"I had to come up with a good composition of soil that would be suitable for Namibia. I also had to figure out how much water I would need and plan which vegetables for which seasons," she said.
Population
With the increasing urban population in Windhoek, space is no longer an option thus people are finding it difficult to find space where they can grow their own food for subsistence.
"The idea is to now teach other people in the informal settlements who also have limited space and water how they can have gardens for home consumption or even start a business. Sack farming can also be a business where one can sell vegetables to the community or start supplying restaurants," Matunge said.
For Matunge, sack gardening has changed her life as she now is not only able to put food on the table but she can also derive an income from it through selling vegetables to her neighbours and also through training people from the community. – Nampa/Xinhua
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