Farming for the Future

The Inc. Project aims to create a sustainable income stream and capacitate and formalise the participating networks of people who use drugs so that the networks are integrated into their communities and can inform the local health and policies affecting people who use drugs (and other stigmatised and excluded populations).
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• A CDC-funded program for people who use drugs has been operating in Mpumalanga and is implemented by TBHIV Care.
• Driven by the significant efforts of the TBHIV Care site manager  and social worker:
  • A Network of people who use drugs is established
  • A 5-hectare piece of land land use rights has been ceded to the network.

• The TBHIV Care site lead and social worker:
  • Consulted with networks and the community.
  • Initiated discussions with relevant organisations and secured their support.
  • Secured the loan of heavy equipment, such as tractors, to clear land.
  • Started investigating the options for income generation.
    
  • ​C DC is providing SANPUD funds to oversee the continued development of the Network and the land.

​The initiative includes health education through comics, art and craft production and sales, agricultural and skills training and developing the land so it can produce a commercially viable range of crops.

The fence the network built.

Training the HARMLess Network

The HARMLESS Inc. participants have started to get training on how to create a viable and productive farm that will make them self-sufficient. In addition, they have also acquired the skills to build a fence and have built the fence around the property. Over the next few months, the 40 network members will complete new training modules in agriculture. AGRI SPEED TECH are the service providers and will continue to work with selected network members who will continue with the training and receive credits towards a formal Certificate in Plant Production.

The Land

The land in Schoemansdal where the project is being established. The photos show the CDC Country Director, Dr John Blandford, TB HIV Care CEO, Prof Harry Hausler, and CDC Key Populations Team Lead, Helen Savva, join the traditional leaders, site leaders and community members to celebrate the handover of the land.

Clearing the land

To create space for agriculture, areas of the land need to be cleared. Network members worked together to do the physical work. The loan of a tractor certainly helped with the initial clearing of land.

Storage

With the land cleared, the next step was to secure storage for the materials to fence the relevant areas and the tools to work the land. A container was purchased, and another container converted into a site office will be delivered once the fence is installed

Fencing, Training, PPE and more

The network members all received their protective clothing, and started training on how to install a fence. The training will last two weeks and the fence will be up and the network members will have a new skill.

Building Good Fences

The Schoemansdal Harmless Project has trained network members the skills needed to install the fence around the land to protect the crops from grazing cattle and illegal dumping.   Through the process all the network members will have developed skills that can prepare them for the future as part of the workforce with needed skills.