Sompondo Village Committee - Communal Garden - roughly 30 x 80 meters

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In October, after our group returned from our recent trip, we received this report from the Sompondo Committee:
SOMPONDO COMMUNAL GARDEN

REPORT SEPT TO OCT 2012 

The Sompondo Home Gardens Project has received R11 000 from Mate towards our Communal garden.

We held a meeting where we decided on garden implements and machines to be purchased:

30 m Netwire
100m. Drag Line
2500 litre Jojo Water Tank
6 hand hoes
6 fork spades
10 spades
5 rakes
7x50kg barbed wire
21x 30m Netting Wire

VISIT BY TIM WIGLEY

Tim Wigley visited the project on 08 October 2012.
  • He told us how to prepare a seed-bed from which we can obtain seedlings for planting.
  • He explained why it was not advisable to use medicines and sprays that we buy from the shops to kill insects and bugs that eat our plants. Such things contain chemicals that are dangerous to the plant and to us human beings,
  • They also destroy the soil structure.
  • We should rather use nuka-nuka, aloes, and other natural plants which we soak in water for a week or two, to kill insects that destroy our plants.
  • Tim recommended mulching, that is, covering the soil with grass and weeds all the time, because mulching protects the soil  from loss of water, sunrays and insects in the soil, which we cannot see.’
  • He inspected our Communal garden and recommended that we build a weir from the river and pipes leading to the Communal garden, so that irrigation may take place through the force of gravity.
  • He advised us against the use of the generator, saying it is expensive in terms of service, fuel and maintenance…….
  • He also advised us to plant fruit trees in the garden – oranges, bananas, pears and apples.
  • The members appreciated his visit, and he promised to come again on 05 November 2012,
 Babalwa Makalima  - Secretary
Perry Mayekiso        - Treasurer

The Sompondo Village Home Garden Committee:

The Sompondo Home Garden Committee has 24 members.  The officers of the committee are:
Convener is Mr. Ncamosi Mana - 72 years old.
Secretary is  Babalwa Makhalima - a 37-year old widow taking care of a household of 5.
Treasurer is Nomsebenzi Periwinkle [Perry] Mayekiso - a 62-year old former elementary school teacher who is a soft but well spoken leader who was among the initial group in 2000 to receive Heifer International chickens.

SOMPONDO OUTSTATION CHURCH

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MATE helped put this roof on this Outstation Church that was started in 2008, and which twice endured heavy rains and wind storms that damaged the far wall.  Earlier in 2012, we sent to them sufficient funds with which to purchase the metal to complete the roof and protect the structure from further damage.

Sompondo as viewed from Auckland

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Pictured here is a classic example of the rondoval - the tradional daub & wattle structure with a thatched roof. 

To view Tom Wigley's report on his visit to the village in October, click HERE.  For the November report, click HERE.,