Founded by residents Abeda Charles and Mishkah Bassadien, the Bo-Kaap Community Garden serves as a space for healing and natural therapy for children.
Through their extensive knowledge and experience in gardening and teaching, Ms Charles and Ms Bassadien managed to grow a sustainable garden from scratch with almost no assistance.
They run initiatives which include storytelling, garden yoga and upcycling to uplift the children’s minds, bodies and souls through positive energy.
To coach and teach children to take care of themselves and their environment in a green space, has been a dream of theirs for nearly a decade. They said their passion lies with the children and showing them the love and respect they so rightfully deserve in the community.
The gardening resources were donated by South African Leaders of Tomorrow (SALT).
CEO Sebastien Alexanderson said they were there to assist organisations that are already doing great work to develop children and their communities.
“The Bo-Kaap Community Garden is a perfect example of a sustainable project which benefits the community while developing the youth of the area as well, and we are proud to be associated with it,” he said.
The Bo-Kaap Community Garden founders said they were grateful to have an opportunity to provide an educational alternative for children within a safe and serene garden setting.
“We also give them a purpose, as they help to organically grow fruit and vegetables which can be consumed by those who need it most, and who have been most affected by the economic ravages of Covid-19.
“We are edging closer to our goal of erecting a garden shed to provide a sheltered classroom for our children during the cold winter months,” they said.
“We are enjoying the literal fruits of our labour when we see how excited the children are to experience the growth of their seedlings and their sense of pride for a job well done when their efforts are able to feed them, their families and their community at large.
“Our garden will never be a commercial venture. We grow from the earth to feed those on the earth,” they said.
Meanwhile, Reddam Atlantic Seaboard pupils were among those who celebrated Garden Day last week. They made paper vases with paper flowers which were delivered together with some treats to an old age home, Sea Point Place, on Friday morning. The children also wore paper garlands to school on Friday.
