PERMACULTURE – WHAT A BETTER WAY TO LIVE!!!

The year 2001 brought good news to the school. Food and Trees for Africa
chose Thoho-Ya-Ndou Primary School to participate in the Permaculture
Project – food gardens.

Permaculture is a word used to describe a system of farming and
gardening that combines plants, animals, building water, the landscape
and people in a way that produces more energy than it:
• produces more energy than it uses,
• recycles all waste and nutrients, and
• imitate nature as much as possible.
Permaculture is about caring for the environment so that it can care
for us; if we feed the soil, the soil will feed us.

The project started in May 2001 when a Memorandum Of Agreement
between our sponsors, “Woolworths” and “Food and Trees for Africa”,
was completed. Volunteers of 18 in number formed a committee
comprising of office bearers and thus the constitution was drawn.

Sponsors bought the necessary tools and the project went underway.
Cabbage, onion, lettuce, spinach and herb plants were to be grown
in the garden.

The project benefited the learners, educators as well as the
community in providing job creation. From the sales of the vegetables,
the school would be able to fill its coffers and feed the learners as well
as clothe and improve the standard of living. Skills acquired by
the learners and members of the community will be passed from one
generation to another even after the withdrawal of
“Food And Trees For Africa”.

Thoho-Ya-Ndou excelled in their garden and qualified to be
in the finals of the Eskom Eduplant 2001 School’s Permaculture
Competition.

They believe that one should not wait for handouts but
instead persevere to start their own garden. The school also
stands on the phrase:

MVULA KHA INELE THOHO-YA-NDOU PRIMARY SCHOOL

which translates to:

LET IT RAIN ON THOHO-YA-NDOU PRIMARY SCHOOL