The work has begun; I have already paid a visit to the project and I have met with all the members. The uMthathi project members visit schools in different areas in and around Grahamstown, where they help them with gardening. They also help educate the schools about how they can keep their gardens green. I went to Siyazama crèche, where the uMthathi members were gathered to educate the Siyazama teachers about the importance of gardening, nutrition, budgeting and health care. Upon my arrival I saw people who were familiar to me (because I had met with them in the staff meeting at Umthati). There were also some new faces, and these were members of the surrounding community who have also joined the teachers to learn about gardening, plants, herbs, vegetables and so forth.
Everyone was looking at me and my group members as we arrived, carrying our equipment. We greeted everyone there, and we were welcomed. At this point, the facilitators were demonstrating to people how they can make their own small gardens at home. Like everyone else, I stood and I listened. After a short time, we also started to move around, and interviewing some of the people there. I watched the facilitators working the soil, while others were making fertilizer, community members helping and involved. After a long time of observation and listening attentively, something inside me said, ‘so are you just going to stand there and watch other people working. Is that really what you are here for?!’ Then I realized that the only answer I have for these questions is to take a garden spade and do what everyone is doing.
I excitedly took the garden spade; I thought I could do this because I have been watching while others were doing it. However, I realised that it was not easy; filling a garden spade with soil requires lot of energy. After a short time, I got tired and I complained but everyone laughed at me. I laughed too because while I was watching others do it, I thought it was easy. I am glad I did this- I participated. I was glad to be part of the people who participated during this day because I felt as if I am making a difference. Even though I did not do much but no one had to again do what I have done.
I am convinced that what I did made a difference. Taking a garden spade and working the soil is no child’s play especially in a hot day like that. This is not the only thing I did but I also interviewed some of the facilitators (who were keen to talk to me). What I noticed is that when I asked them to tell me about the different roles that they play, all of them were very excited to do so. They are passionate about what they are doing. I think the whole idea of this project is brilliant. Educating the community about the importance of gardening is very important, and they do this without expecting anything in return besides the fact that the schools have to maintain the garden.
I also talked to the kids who were playing outside making a lot of joyful noise and others crying. I interviewed them as part of my research; I wanted to know if the kids understand what was going on in their school. Some of them knew while others were too young to know. I asked them to tell me the names of the vegetables that they know, and almost all of them did not forget to mention carrots. I enjoyed interviewing them even though there were times when I wanted to laugh (because of their pronunciation of words, for instance carrots as calots) but I could not because “Miss” (as they called me) cannot laugh. It was now time for us to go, we said our goodbyes and off we went.
So I would say that on this visit, everything went well. When we left Umthati, I was tired and my hands dirty, but it does not matter; it is the dirt on my hands that confirms my participation in the garden and in everything that was happening.
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