BBL PARTICIPANT: JOSEPH SEDIKE, KOKOSI EXT 1, CARLETONVILLE, NORTHWEST PROVINCE
In a Nutshell
Through his participation in SocioTech’s Broad-Based
Livelihoods (BBL) strategies to stimulate personal economic activity, Joseph Sedike from Kokosi Ext 1 in Gauteng Province, is convinced that he can expand his current 3-hectare operation to a thriving, upscale organic farming business on their Community Property Association’s 780-hectare farm.
He says…
Even as a young boy I loved working the land. I took agriculture as a subject at school, and I liked it so much that my childhood dream was to continue with the discipline at university. Sadly, the money was not there for me to study
further so instead I went to work on the mines. Mining is an honourable job, and I am proud to have done it but I never lost that love of growing vegetables – there is something so satisfying about working with soil – seeing a tiny seed become a plant and seeing that plant become food to feed a family. I retired in 2014 and since then I have been working on a patch of land close to my house. The land I use is under the Eskom municipal lines which means that they can’t build houses there and so it is available for food production.
I first met the SocioTech team in April 2020. That meeting opened my mind to new ways of farming. Previously I had farmed the way my teachers taught us at school but that was a long time ago and it was time for a change. For instance, I wasn’t aware of how deep trenching could improve the soil and how much better my vegetables would be if they had that extra boost. It isn’t always easy, digging deep trenches
in the heat is a big challenge. Fortunately, with this type of farming, the farmer determines his own hours.
There is no boss shouting at you to continue when you are tired. A man can dig until he has run out of energy and then he can go home. Tomorrow is another day, and you can start again fresh in the morning. Also, you make those trenches once and it is hard work, but they then serve you for many years. They save time and effort in the long run.
It took me about 3 days’ labour to dig my first trench, but I didn’t do all the work one day after the other. I took breaks along the way. When my back hurt or I had other business to attend to, I stopped and came back later. Those first three trenches were a struggle to get through, but I am glad I put in the work, because the results are amazing. Since I dug them, my plants have not only been bigger and greener but also much tastier. While we were digging, other people would
"....other business to attend to, I stopped and came
back later....."
walk past and make stupid comments. They would ask whether we were digging graves and silly things like that,
but they are not laughing now that they see the vegetables. Especially since the tunnel went up.
Seeing how beautiful the vegetables I grow are, makes me proud, but it also makes me sad and frustrated. I have so little space here. Now that I know what can be achieved, I would love to be able to expand the amount of land I have under cultivation and create a proper farming business. With this small piece of land all I can really do is work for my stomach. What I mean is that my garden feeds me and my family, but it is no place to do serious business. Sometimes I sell a few bunches of spinach and I make a bit of money to buy little things like airtime, but I dream of a proper plot of land with enough space to buy and sell on a large scale.
These days I am always pleased to be able to take food from the garden home to my wife. I love it when she makes morogo with potato and peanuts that I grew with my own hands. In these days when the prices go up and up every day, it is good to be able to save money. I also know that the vegetables I grow are healthier than the ones at the shops. In this world that is so full of disease and pollution, it is good to know that the plants I grow are chemical-free.
Growing my own vegetables also provides opportunities to be a good neighbour. If a man comes to me crying with hunger, I can give him a bundle of spinach to ease his pain. When that happens, I always try to combine giving vegetables with a little teaching and encouragement to start a garden. I want to help other people to take charge of their lives. That is the wonderful thing about farming, it can take a man from nothing to something.
BBL MyFood
BBL Mentoring & Monitoring
BBL Veg Tunnel self-build
BBL FruitTree Campaign
BBL MyFuture
BBL MyBusiness
BBL MyPoultry
BBL MyLivestock
BBL BusinessBuilders
BBL FoodEconomy
BBL OurMarket
BBL TalentShow
BBL GardenCompetition
BBL YouthSurvey
BBL SportsTournament
- Highly effective farming methods to underpin his organic business
- Planning a fullfilling life trajectory through the MyFuture content
- Discovering his resilience and determination in response to naysayers
