FAST FACTS
Mosaic Community Developments, which helps family members care for orphaned children, is establishing a garden to boost food security.
Residents are taught to grow food, but someone is due to be appointed to look after the garden.
The garden is also intended to have therapeutic value.
Since its founding in 2009, the non-profit organisation Mosaic Community Developments (Mosaic) in Wellington has cared for the physical, emotional and mental well-being of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) participating in its programmes. And over the years, it has evolved ever-better ways of achieving this, improving its techniques and its facilities. For example, to better address the needs of these youngsters, Mosaic recently developed OVCmeasure, an easy-to-use yet scientifically rigorous measuring and evaluation tool specifically designed for OVCs. The tool is the first of its kind in South Africa.
“We tend to focus on the emotional well-being of our children, but they need more than affection and good care to thrive. The aim of OVCmeasure is to take the emotion out of decision-making, and identify and address risks before they turn into real problems,” says Meyer Conradie, CEO of Mosaic.
The tool is used to measure the well-being of children based on emotional, educational and nutritional parameters, and has been made available commercially for other organisations. A group of farmers near Groblershoop in the Northern Cape, for instance, is using the tool to monitor the well-being of children who attend a communal farm school and aftercare services.
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Denne historien er fra December 24 - 31, 2021-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
