Page 13 - Thetha Issue 7

#MandelaUniversityGiving

at Mandela University7
The number of
campuses and faculties

GreenTEC members, from left, Bongi
Mkolose, Sinenthlanthla Zono, Seofra
Nathane, Khanya Liwani, Nozama Gege and
Siyamthanda Gwayi (Not present: Executive
Member Asiphe Mxalisa)

“Growing plants in a greenhouse is not only good
for mental and physical wellbeing, it also can teach
students and the community responsibility, plant biology,
entrepreneurship and more.”
GreenTEC was established at the end of 2021 and
started operating in 2022, with funding and mentoring
support through CIPSET.
In May 2023, it partnered with Passport to Health at the
University’s Department of Human Movement Sciences.
The cooperative volunteered labour and received funding
for materials from the programme. This enabled them to
clean and paint school bathrooms and repair toilets, and
paint and repair school infrastructure to invite children into
active play during school breaks.
CIPSET’s work over the past five years with community-
based food producers includes a range of organised, and
frequently youth-led, actions to address the livelihoods
crisis and hunger across the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.
Initially, this greenhouse and community food systems
project will serve community food producers associated
with the Zwide Development Forum. Later, depending
on funding, it hopes to serve across the Nelson Mandela
Bay Metro.

mentoring to strengthen their policies and systems.
An additional benefit is the focus on seedling production
with community food producers. “Greenhouses
This will support local food production and contribute to
eco-consciousness and climate change resilience. Until now, … can be an
seedlings have been bought from commercial producers.
GreenTEC cooperative secretary Khanya Liwani said the incredibly valuable
group was “super excited” to be part of the greenhouse
and community food systems project. educational tool.”
“Greenhouses are not just a tool for the home gardener
to extend the growing season, they can be an incredibly
valuable educational tool too.

2023 |www. mandela.ac.za | 11