She is a gardener in INMED Health in Action school Ben Nyathi Primary, Ebhongwe Primary and Sipho Hashe Primary. She started as a volunteer and became so inspired by working with the students in the school gardens that after she was hired, she used her stipend money to buy the “A-Z Gardening Book of Vegetables in South Africa” book—a big expense.
After reading the book, Mama Zandile realized that some of the plants she plucked from the garden, thinking they were weeds, were actually herbs that could be used to season the schools’ meals. She retrieved the herbs from the compost pile and replanted them for future harvest. Mama Andile said INMED’s Health in Action program with the Mondelēz International Foundation has taught her a lot about plants and nutrition.
Last week, 10-year-old students Ben Nyathi Asimanye Nkolongo, Liyabona Mdanyane and Aphelele Mbuqu volunteered to work in the garden during their lunch break to create container plantings in used tires. The learners are so enthralled with their Health in Action garden that they don’t need to be asked to help. INMED and the Mondelēz International Foundation are inspiring the next generation of farmers!
