Began in 2008 to lend a hand make certain meals safety for a charity, the Siyavuna programme has expanded to concentrate on farming, coaching and rising its price chains.
Picture: Provided
Began as a small meals safety programme 14 years in the past, Siyavuna has grown to offer livelihoods for 1000’s at the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) South Coast.
Siyavuna manner ‘harvest’ in isiZulu, and the Siyavuna Abalimi Building Programme used to be first piloted via the Give a Kid a Circle of relatives initiative, a registered kid coverage organisation selling the rights and well-being of youngsters and households.
The Timeline
The programme began in 2008 to lend a hand make certain meals safety for the ones throughout the care of Give a Kid a Circle of relatives, with 86 farmers on board serving to supply get right of entry to to recent produce markets.
By way of 2009 an extra 628 farmers have been taken on board and vegetable gross sales had expanded to 4 communities. This signalled the start of the Kumnandi logo, now a family title at the KZN South Coast.
The yr 2010 noticed Siyavuna website hosting 1 130 energetic farmers who have been operational in 9 other communities.
Owing to its nice luck, Siyavuna moved on from the pilot level and become an absolutely fledged agricultural trade with its personal club. In 2011, it used to be registered as a non-profit organisation of greater than 1 200 energetic farmers.
With greater than 2 000 farmers skilled in meals manufacturing via 2014 and the advance of farmers’ associations, Siyavuna used to be providing in-field mentorship and accomplishing inspections often, offering 2 000 households with get right of entry to to nutritious meals.
In 2015, it performed an organisational review that led to growing agri-hubs, with 3 agri-hubs registered.
The growth endured with the advance of price chains and 3 trade plans: the Bulbine Frutescens Plan, applied in 2021, and the Dried Vegetable and Formative years Activation in Agriculture plans, applied remaining yr.
Since its inception, Siyavuna has expanded its succeed in to more than a few spaces throughout the agriculture sector, specializing in farming, schooling and coaching, increasing price chains, early life empowerment and strengthening the rural ecosystem.
Regardless of the addition of more than a few limbs, together with agri-hubs and co-operatives, the cornerstone of Siyavuna’s venture is meals safety for all. That is accomplished via schooling, upskilling, coaching and outreach, following the main, “In case you give a person a fish, he’s going to devour for an afternoon; when you educate a person to fish, he’s going to devour for an entire life.”
Along with the seeds, seedlings and recent greens produced via the farmers of Siyavuna, the organisation has additionally branched out into the manufacturing of amaranth and Bulbine frutescens – a succulent plant that produces a gel extract used within the cosmetics trade – and dried greens, together with paprika.
Siyavuna creates localised alternatives for communities to develop into extra self-reliant and no more depending on advert hoc help and programme investment. Its manner comprises alternatives for people in any respect levels, from seed to gross sales.
An in a position chief
On the helm of Siyavuna Abalimi Building Centre is govt director Oxolo Mofokeng. Described because the organisation’s “slayer of doubts”, Mofokeng has had a seven-year adventure of growth and enlargement at Siyavuna, the place she began as a non-public assistant.
Her interest for group construction is simply a part of her management abilities.
Mofokeng’s choice to propel Siyavuna ahead has been rewarded with the success of the SAB Basis Social Innovation Award 2021. She used to be additionally recognised via the Mail & Parent in 2022 as one among South Africa’s 200 Younger South Africans for her contribution to early life empowerment at the KZN South Coast.
By way of fundraising and strategic making plans, whilst operating intently with the board of administrators, Siyavuna is the seed and Mofokeng brings the rain. She oversees all operational facets of the organisation, from seed to reap, from harvest to sale.
Talking to Farmer’s Weekly, Mofokeng recounted the onerous but promising adventure of Siyavuna. The status quo of the programme, Mofokeng defined, got here from Give a Kid a Circle of relatives launching the initiative as a way to beef up the households of the youngsters of their care in addition to permit them to make an source of revenue via promoting their extra produce to their communities.
“Typically, loss of source of revenue, loss of assets and the truth that there’s no meals
safety within the family [contributed to the problems]. They began the initiative of educating the ones households methods to develop their very own greens for them to eat after which promote to their neighbours.
“The opposite side that they added that will permit the households to earn source of revenue used to be for the Siyavuna programme inside of Give a Kid a Circle of relatives to shop for the produce they couldn’t eat and promote, equipped it used to be nonetheless of excellent high quality, without reference to the volume, and it used to be offered within the city markets, such because the hospitality trade and eating places.”
She stated that within the communities, other people now not concerned with Give a Kid a Circle of relatives confirmed a lot passion when the undertaking began, and this caused the growth to incorporate any individual who used to be .
“By way of the top of 2013, the programme used to be running in 12 communities. The only factor that attracted everybody used to be that they have been in a position to promote their produce to Siyavuna, so that they had a assured marketplace. This become some of the demanding situations we needed to arrange as a result of we’d acquire produce to the price of R35 000 however most effective 46% to 51% of that used to be offered. This supposed the remainder share used to be written off and used to make our compost. However you don’t get the similar go back from compost as you do from recent greens!”
At that level, that they had Siyavuna as an organisation, then their logo Kumnandi, which is healthier identified, as this is how their cars are branded, and Siyavuna the emblem.
“We perform in two municipal spaces: Mdoni Municipality and Ray Nkonyeni Municipality. We separated those spaces, with other people from each and every municipality belonging to their very own co-ops. We had two co-operatives inside of Siyavuna, that have been controlled via a board. However we realised that farmers weren’t actually within the co-ops. They didn’t connect to them; they only sought after to be a part of Siyavuna.
“In 2014, we performed extensive strategic making plans, the place we had all of the stakeholders, funders akin to Wesbank, Natal Portland Cement, the Commercial Building Company [IDC], the board, farmers, the place we mentioned methods to maintain the fashion.”
It used to be then made up our minds to create agri-hubs, a group staff that will arrange their very own price range, the produce grown, the pricing and the markets.
“Handiest 3 of the 12 communities confirmed passion. Those gained beef up from the IDC with infrastructure and fiscal beef up. They’re nonetheless operational and the opposite 9 are nonetheless promoting to Siyavuna, and that’s how we’re nonetheless structured these days.”
Curiously, the agri-hubs began competing with Siyavuna. “Our farmers know our shoppers, in order that they began promoting to them. They have been satisfied to shop for at once from the farmers as it used to be extra pleasing, as they know their tales.”
Consistent with Mofokeng, they learnt a precious lesson when their chairperson identified:
“In case your beneficiaries don’t problem you, then you definately’ve failed. In case your beneficiaries get started difficult you, then you definately’ve accomplished your paintings.”
No chemical substances
Siyavuna is making giant strides in opposition to ‘inexperienced farming’ and all of the programmes purpose for sustainable agriculture. Being environmental stewards calls for SETA-accredited coaching, natural chemical-free meals manufacturing, waterwise farming strategies, and meals processing that enormously reduces meals waste.
“It’s well worth the effort as a result of natural farming sustains the ecosystem, improves manufacturing, and in addition will increase diet in meals – so essential in South Africa, the place malnutrition is prevalent.”
Describing their strategies, Mofokeng says that Siyavuna does now not use chemical substances.
“We practise permaculture farming and agroecology, and are a part of the PGS SA staff [which supports participatory guarantee systems]. We don’t use chemical substances, we do our personal inspections and peer-to-peer tracking. We even have annual visits and an annual PGS day the place we’ve shoppers, different PGS participants from all over the place South Africa and our farmers, and we do spot exams within the farmers’ gardens to test if they’re adhering to our requirements. This additionally lets in shoppers to peer the place their produce is grown and who they’re supporting, so the relationship makes it extra sensible and the individuals who purchase from us perceive the price of the undertaking.”
Within the tournament that they to find farmers the usage of chemical substances, they’re suspended for 2 years.
“In the event that they wish to come again after that, we commence afresh with coaching and lend a hand them to rebuild and ensure the chemical substances were washed away. There’s so much we do earlier than we take them again.”
Demanding situations and alternatives
The IDC assisted Siyavuna with investment to adopt a value-chain feasibility find out about, which took 18 months and used to be finished an afternoon earlier than lockdown. The result used to be two trade plans and one trade case.
“The primary used to be to develop Bulbine frutescens, which is used within the beauty trade, and which we carry to an organization in Limpopo, Botanica Herbal Merchandise. Now we have a three-year off-take settlement that ends this yr. Via that marketing strategy, we carried out to the SAB Basis Social Innovation Fund and have been winners in 2021.”
In 2022, during the Presidential Stimulus Fund Social Employment Fund, they started using 1 000 early life to start out their very own gardens.
“We educate them (we’ve SETA-accredited coaching), we mentor them they usually even have a assured marketplace the place they promote their produce to us. We sourced individuals who have been serious about signing provide agreements with us, so now we’ve the AGT Meals contract to develop paprika, which we dry.”
Siyavuna has a maintain Umoya Meals to offer it with dried amaranth leaves. It additionally has a vegetable drying facility, provided with a drying system in order that produce can also be dried and milled to powder or flakes, relying on what shape is needed.
Throughout the primary yr of the COVID-19 pandemic, Siyavuna misplaced 12 farmers to the virus and struggled to retain investment because of the industrial downturn caused by the lockdown.
“After COVID-19, banks have been the largest buyers to be had and we have been funded via the Nedbank Basis. For 6 to 8 months, we have been on short while or getting paid just a share of our salaries.”
After the lockdowns, the call for modified massively. “Our largest shoppers have been in Durban – ‘haute delicacies’ stores in Umhlanga, Durban North and Kloof purchased their produce from us.
However on account of [the COVID-19 lockdown], maximum of them closed, which supposed that we misplaced a few of our largest shoppers. Handiest this month we heard that a few of them are opening once more.”
The flooding in July 2021 additionally posed massive issues. “Our 5ha Bulbine web site used to be flooded and the roads have been broken. Despite the fact that we don’t lose vegetation when it rains closely, all of the inputs are washed away. Purchasing Ecocert natural inputs isn’t kid’s play. After each and every heavy rainfall season, we need to purchase inputs, the whole lot from scratch.”
Talking about the place Siyavuna is now, Mofokeng stated: “Over the last 14 years, we’ve invested in construction, analysis, analysis and realignment, at all times in shut session with our farmers and key stakeholders. The following couple of years will see us focusing additional on entrenching our farmers in sustainable agri-ventures, increasing our price chains and strengthening the rural ecosystem.”
Telephone 039 312 0543, or e mail [email protected].