Funding boost for food security programme
FUNDING: 7 different types of vegetable seedlings have been provided to project participants
Wednesday, 10 September 2014
A R100 000 donation by humanitarian organisation, the Iqraa Trust, is set to boost an innovative programme designed to give food security to the communities surrounding CPUT’s Wellington campus.
“Our donation of R100 000 will be used as a start-up funding for the Food Security and Agricultural Livelihoods Programme (FSALP),” says Mahmoud Youssef Baker, Chairman of the Iqraa Trust.
“This will see some 80 households being trained to feed and support themselves and other community members through the sale of their surplus veggies.”
Participating community members have already begun a series of modular, very hands-on training sessions, and will ultimately produce fresh vegetables from “back-yard” type gardens.
EMPOWER: A group of community members with students and staff of the Agriculture Department following a training session
“Iqraa Trust’s mission is to uplift the quality of life of all South Africans by helping those in need due to poverty and disease,” says Baker.
“We’re delighted to be involved in this initiative, which will see CPUT both implement and supervise the project and give its students an opportunity to engage in research and practical farming training.”
FSALP Programme Coordinator Ben Saaiman thanked Iqraa Trust for their generous donation and says Phase 1 of the training has so far reached 36 participants.
“Phase 2, which begins just after the September recess, will target the remaining identified households from Mbekweni, Newton, Van Wyksvlei and Dal Josaphat.”
Written by Janyce Weintrob
Tel: +27 21 460 3514
Email: weintrobj@cput.ac.za
News categories
- Advancement 12
- Alumni 89
- Awards 28
- Campus Life 21
- Community Engagement 178
- Disability Unit 12
- Applied Sciences 91
- Business & Management Sciences 80
- Education 101
- Engineering & the Built Environment 127
- Health & Wellness Sciences 81
- Informatics & Design 59
- Fundani CHED 23
- Funding 19
- GBV 16
- Graduation 55
- HIV/Aids Unit 50
- Know Your CPUT 66
- Library 17
- News 3606
- RTIP 314
- Residences (Accommodation) 13
- Staff 710
- SIP 42
- Students 1417
- Student Health 48
- Sport, Arts & Culture 105
- SRC 5
- Student Affairs 16
- University Leadership 16
- Varsity Shield 11
- Vice-Chancellor 21
- Work-Integrated Learning 23
- THENSA 12
