When you think, your life is tough, think of Thelma. She is a member of the 5-woman Pella Food Garden Cooperative, which is receiving adaptive agriculture training and a commercial-scale aquaponic system from INMED and Old Mutual to help their farming venture survive the region’s long drought. Thelma, who is disabled, has been raising her grandson (pictured here) alone since her daughter died in child birth. Still, Thelma finds joy in life, despite its hardships. With an infectious sense of humor, Thelma is often teased for cursing like a sailor. One day, her grandson asked her, “How can you be such a religious person and still swear so badly?” To which Thelma replied, “I don’t mean to; the words just fall out my mouth,” along with uproarious laughter.
Life in Pella is hard, with extremely high unemployment, pervasive crime and little opportunity for many of its residents. The determined women of the Pella Food Garden Cooperative and INMED’s Adaptive Agriculture/Aquaponics program are a beacon of hope for the entire community. Follow the farmers’ progress on Facebook: @INMEDChildren.
@INMEDSA @OldMutualSA #adaptiveagriculture #aquaponics #climatechange
