18 July 2024 – Food & Trees for Africa is planting Madiba’s legacy this Mandela Day.
In 1992, Nelson Mandela, recently released from Robben Island, launched Food & Trees for Africa’s (FTFA) inaugural Alexander Township Greening Project. This pioneering initiative aimed to address the inequities created by Apartheid’s land and housing policies, with trees planted in homes and schools. Remarkably, many of these trees thrive today.
At the launch event, Mandela emphasised the need to plant trees in denuded areas and green under-served areas in the pursuit of environmental equality stating, “We must support organisations like [Food and] Trees for Africa in their important work on environmental issues.”
Madiba’s legacy is a golden thread that is present in FTFA’s DNA today. Over the years, FTFA has expanded its mission to encompass reforestation, food security, education, and climate action. Thousands of trees have been planted in honour of Mandela’s vision for equality and freedom.
Longstanding sponsor Konica Minolta South Africa (KMSA) has been instrumental in this mission, recently achieving the milestone of planting 75,000 trees at significant sites, including Robben Island and Mandela’s birthplace in Mvezo, Eastern Cape.
In celebration of this iconic day, FTFA will plant another 2,065 trees with the support of 10 sponsors throughout July. These trees will sequester 762 tonnes of carbon dioxide over their lifetimes, contributing to environmental sustainability and climate change mitigation.
FTFA’s efforts this year also include two food garden events, linking environmental sustainability with the enhancement of food security in communities. Bacardi South Africa sponsored permaculture workshops at Mothushi Tshegofatso ya Karabo, a well-established food garden in Sandton, Gauteng. The sponsorship enabled FTFA to provide advanced training, and resources such as herb and vegetable seedlings, garden tools, mulch and compost. The Department of Agriculture was in attendance to show its support at the event on 18 July.
Aurex also sponsored a Permaculture Starter Pack (PSP) for Sedi Laka Primary School in Kaalfontein, Gauteng. The PSP included a workshop and garden resource distribution, culminating in Aurex volunteers planting seedlings and 30 trees in the school’s flourishing food garden on 18 July.
Robyn Hills, Head of Programmes at FTFA, proudly reflected on the organisation’s progress, “Inequities are still inherent in the current system, so under-served communities need multi-pronged approaches, such as those provided by FTFA, to empower them to mitigate the impacts of poverty and climate change. FTFA’s greening and food security programmes add threads to a fundamental safety net that is much needed in developing countries.”
FTFA has made remarkable strides in tackling the complex and intertwined challenges faced by many South Africans over the last three decades. With more than 4.7 million trees planted and hundreds of new school, home, and market gardens established each year, FTFA is improving lives and landscapes across Southern Africa. By the end of 2024, FTFA aims to reach the milestone of 5 million trees planted.
“As we celebrate Nelson Mandela Day, FTFA remains dedicated to honouring Madiba’s legacy through our restoration and food security efforts. Together, we are building an empowered, more resilient South Africa, rooted in the principles of equality and freedom that Mandela championed,” says Nicole Ras, Communications Manager at Food & Trees for Africa.
