LANDMARK FOUNDATION EDUCATION
KOS IN DIE KAROO PROJECT VISIT 18TH FEBRUARY
REPORT
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BACKGROUND
Kos in die Karoo is a sister project of KOS EN FYNBOS which runs in the George area.
Kos En Fynbos is a ground swell movement initiated by members of the George community in 2014. It
aims at creating a community that is independent, self- sustained, creative, loving and sharing, a
community that desires to improve themselves and their environment by taking the first steps in
creating that change. Food, water and waste are the key elements totally interwoven in changing the
environment people live in.
KOS IN DIE KAROO is a collaborative with the GCBR and was launched Friday 23rd September in a
gathering of community members in Van Wyksdorp, interested in food gardens. In our follow up visit in
February 2017, we visited some of the sites where food gardens had been initiated. It must be said that
this community driven project relies on the will of the people.
If the community is not ready for a self-sustained life then it
will not grow. It needs the full commitment of the gardeners.
This project does not rely on a funder to
make it happen, as project managers we
can only give advice, assist with knowledge
and bring seeds, trees etc. to the party.
The success is in the hand of the people.
We visited the home of oom Japaulus
Cloete. He seems to be very proactive
about food. His garden is lush and has a
large variety of vegetables as well as fruit trees and flowering plants. He is a keen gardener. The project
has shown him a few ways to preserve water through mulching and he has continued that method, the
vegetables are healthy and despite the drought he has large spinach and vegetables growing. We will
continue to work with him and add to his garden.
He is a leader and understands the importance of self-sustainability. We recommend that he engages
with more community members and helps them do the same.
LANDMARK FOUNDATION EDUCATION – KOS IN DIE KAROO – GREEN PROJECTS
In the meantime the church has given a large piece
of ground to the community to plant vegetables.
Although the ground is very large for this
community based project, there are a few members
of the community who are dedicated to growing
vegetables and have been working hard at
preparing the ground using the NO DIG method.
Two dams were installed to capture the water that
runs through
the canals
into the town
from the
mountain. This is a good move, especially as the water runs off
and would normally go wasted.
We did a potato planting demo in a tyre using the same method
and mulching it. We will visit the site in the next month or two to
see how the potatoes are doing.
We take the opportunity to
congratulate the members in this
community that are working toward a
sustainable living. They are making a
difference.
In Education,
Monica Vaccaro
Landmark Foundation Education
083 711 8322
LANDMARK FOUNDATION EDUCATION – KOS IN DIE KAROO – GREEN PROJECTS