Now you can buy your organic vegetables in Khayelitsha.
Moya We Khaya Community Garden has launched Moya Organic Garden Market, a vegetable market.
The garden, located in the Peace Park, was founded more than five years ago by Christina Khaba and Abalimi Bezeya to help the community grow and provide healthy and organic vegetables to residents.
It does not only produce fresh veggies but plays a role in uplifting the community.
A prominent figure of the garden, Mandokose Maqungo said after years of working the soil, they as a team decided during its mid-summer harvest to open a market where people could come to shop. She said it has never been easy but they managed to weather all the storms that come with being a local farmer.
Ms Maqungo said the project is self-sustainable and they would like it to remain that way.
The good news, she said, is that they have acquired another piece of land of two hectares.
“The open market will sell not only organic foods but we want people to put in their wines (locally made), those who sell fat cakes to do so and those who want tshisa nyama and many other local products to come here. We are still pondering whether to do it once a week or twice or something monthly. But it is happening and we urge people to use our space,” she said. Sandi Mongo, also a farmer, is ecstatic that finally they will be hosting an open market.
He said he likes to plough and plant but it would be great to work at the market.
All he wants is to see Khayelitsha benefiting and its economy growing.
“Moya alone is a big project. We are now showing the world that we are growing in leaps and bounds. As much as we still need more help, we are doing our own things to sustain ourselves. The open market will help us more in terms of a local market. People, those who knew nothing about us, will now know us,” he said.
A volunteer who helped the mothers and fathers with marketing and branding, Jackie Sebe hailed the project. She considers Moya as one of the country’s top gardens that is totally dedicated to organic farming.
“This is one of the greatest projects ever here. These mothers and fathers are capable of working this soil and producing a lot of organic foods. But we all know there is another side like marketing the project. But even so they try but we have to be on hand to help them,” she said.
Ms Sebe said the market will help grow Khayelitsha. She called on the community and young entrepreneurs to be part of the market. “This will sell Khayelitsha. We want to see tourists here, getting something different to what they are used to.
“Upon their visit here, tourists need to get traditional food here. They need to get a locally produced wine and other things,” she said.
For more information about the garden, call 021 674 0247.