In April 2018 Food & Trees for Africa launched our first gardens for Homes project with Tiger Brands in Mohlakeng. We have partnered with Tiger Brands to work at the St John the Divine Orphanage in the area over the last 10 months. The initial work done has focused on scaling up the centre's existing food garden to ensure they can begin to supplement the feeding scheme. In addition, 2000 trees have been distributed to local community members to improve environmental conditions, provide fruit, and generate buy-in on the community level for the work St John the Divine does. 

FTFA

International Day of Forests

This month, 8 schools in the Knysna, George and Plettenberg Bay region will receive indigenous shade and fruit trees donated by Konica Minolta South Africa (KMSA). The schools were identified by Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA) as requiring indigenous shade trees following the devastating fires in the region in 2017. On the 20th of March 2018, KMSA staff will plant trees at Concordia High School, together with pupils and school staff, to kick off tree planting in the region.

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in partnership with the South African National Biodiversity Institute, Food & Trees for Africa and other role-players will host a seminar on the International Day of Forests under the theme “Forests and Sustainable Cities”. The seminar is held to focus on highlighting the key role of forests in our society as well as to encourage public participation in forestry related initiatives such as greening.

In 2017 a total of 98 trees were donated through MySchool donations to Food & Trees for Africa. These trees were allocated to four schools around Johannesburg, who received a combination of fruit and indigenous shade trees. Learners got involved in planting the trees and were really excited to contribute to the greening of their school grounds. Refhitile Primary in Shoshaguve received fruit trees only, to establish an orchard on the property.

JOHANNESBURG – 9^th March 2018 – In the build-up to the International Day of the Forests 2018, Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA) will be breaking ground on the organisation’s first urban food forest. 1000 trees have been committed by the South African National Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), for the benefit of the Evaton, Sebokeng and Orange Farm community members. 20 of these trees will be planted on the 9^th of March, as FTFA, DAFF and local community members break ground on the Food Forest at Letsema Illima Primary School in Evaton. The remaining 980 trees will be donated to pre-identified local farmers and schools, who will use the trees to start food forests on their premises.

JOHANNESBURG –February 2018 – This month, forty schools in the Pretoria area will receive gifts in the form of fruit and indigenous shade trees. Konica Minolta South Africa (KMSA), a division of Bidvest Office (Pty) Ltd, have donated a total of 1,071 trees to beneficiaries in Ga Rankuwa and Shoshanguve. Staff volunteers from KMSA’s Pretoria branch kicked off the tree plantings on the 15th February at Rantailane Secondary School in Ga Rankuwa, where 50 indigenous trees were planted to shade the playground.

On the 8th of February 2018 the Nelson Mandela Foundation together with Keith Kirsten launched the Mandela Rose, developed in honour of our late president. It was a moving day at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, where struggle stalwarts, friends and family packed into the auditorium to reflect on Tata Madiba’s legacy.

In 2017, Tiger Brands reached out to Food & Trees for Africa. After community development meetings held in March, vegetable gardens and tree planting initiatives were planned for the year ahead. These initiatives are designed to address food security, carbon sequestration and community greening. 

Since then, FTFA has assessed 22 of Tiger Brands’ NGO partner organisations across the country. 
Our Food Gardens Department then implemented Permaculture Starter Packs (PSP1’s) at 8 selected community food gardens, after which an additional 9 sites were included. These are being implemented this year (2018).