or donate by Cheque payable to ‘South Africa Community Projects’:
Mail to Dr. E. Vibert
Dept of History
University of Victoria
PO Box 3045
Victoria, Canada V8W 3P4

Cookbook fundraiser

As a fundraiser for Hleketani (‘Thinking’) Community Garden,
Basani Ngobeni and Elizabeth Vibert have produced a colourful little cookbook. If you’d like a copy of ‘Recipes from The Thinking Garden’ ($15 plus postage), send a note to: jopifarm@gmail.com

Funding priorities 2025

Top funding priorities for 2025:

• Funds to support ongoing stipends for 2 younger farmers being mentored as new farmers
  (C$100 each x 10 months) = $2,000.
• On going electricity costs. Electricity costs are extremely high and electricity delivery is problematic in South Africa. The farmers have been partly freed from the electrical grid by use of solar power.
• Funds to support ongoing wages of security guard (C$100 per month) = $1200.
• Long-term wish list: a second concrete water storage tank (reservoir) to make drip watering more efficient = $1500.
• MYRIAD THANKS to all the farm’s donors. In the recent past, generous donors have facilitated replacement of a stolen electrical transformer (2024); replacement of water-conserving drip irrigation infrastructure; stipends for new farmers; and installation of a small solar set-up.  With refurbished irrigation, the women are able to farm all 6 hectares in rotation, despite the challenges posed by recurring drought and occasional damaging flood rains.