Many pursue vegetable gardening to simply enjoy organically-grown foods and save money, but Sandile Mathenjwa’s passion for agriculture places great value in strengthening family bonds and the well-being of his community.
Employed as a Trainer at Wildlands, a leading environmental conservation NPO in Pietermaritzburg, Sandile hails from the remote Mathenjwa community of Ingwavuma in northern KwaZulu-Natal. As a young boy, it was a chore for him and his siblings to work in the family vegetable garden, but little did he know this would later turn into his lifelong passion. “This has made me appreciate my family more because we enjoy quality time working together in a vegetable garden,” he shared.
It was inevitable for Sandile to study Agriculture specialising in plant production, which would enable him to reinforce his practical knowledge with theory. It was here that he developed a love for Agro-ecological farming and particularly the cultivation of vegetables. “In my line of work, I’ve taught rural community members to develop their own vegetable gardens, make compost and secure their basic food supplies. What I love about agro-ecological farming is that it’s both sustainable and environmentally-friendly,” he said.
Recognition for great work
Sandile’s team was recently acknowledged by the iLembe District Development, Tourism and Economic Development, for instilling a culture of conserving the environment and creating awareness around food security in communities. “Encouraging community members to plant trees and get involved in recycling activities far supersedes the monetary benefits as it ensures that the environment in which we live is clean and continues to thrive,” he said.
Mentor and manager Dave Moldenhauer of Wildlands described him as a confident and self-motivated person who has community development in his heart. “Sandile has the ability to avoid politics whilst focusing on the ability of individuals to take ownership of the opportunities before them,” beamed Moldenhauer.
Sandile’s strong work ethic and professionalism has made him a great leader in the eyes of the communities he works with. Childhood friend Ben Ndlovu described Sandile as someone who cared deeply about the betterment of his community, especially the youth. “I remember that Sandile was very vocal on issues affecting youth at varsity, and as a result became youth chairperson of a youth movement SASCO”, said Ndlovu. He added that Sandile had great leadership skills. “He’s the kind of leader that is driven by the need to serve and empower his community,” he said.
Improving quality of life
The Mathenjwa area from which Sandile comes is gripped by drought but through his relentless efforts, it is set to receive 50 water purifiers from Wishing Well International Foundation SA. Whilst the community is in a drought-stricken state, Sandile has appealed to the NGO to change the plight of community which will see more than 500 households have access to clean and safe water for the first time.
With boreholes and water pumps not functional and some wells and rivers going dry, receiving water purifiers will be a great intervention. “This will greatly improve the quality of life of community members who have to travel long distances to get water that was muddy at times,” he shared.
The community will now drink and cook from a closer body of water that has been purified and this will certainly improve the quality of lives in the Mathenjwa community.
WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust - IT No: 4329/1991/PMB)