Page 101 - Research & Innovation Report 2020

HEALTH SCIENCES

Household food garden started by a woman in Wells Estate Dr Busi Lujabe
that they could use, and what they wanted to happen in their
community. Many said they wanted to continue sharing food with
those who don’t have, and they wanted to develop food gardens
and start a soup kitchen. They also said they wanted to be skilled
or to use their skills to open their own businesses, but that they did
not know how to go about this.

“Starting with what they know, community members who know
how to grow vegetables were happy to share this knowledge
with others who wanted to create food gardens, which they did;
other community members offered a shack for the soup kitchen;
someone offered a small stove for the soup kitchen, and so it
started.”

Dr Lujabe also trained the members of the food kitchen to
conduct a household food security survey at Wells Estate, using
questionnaires. The data obtained from the questionnaires is
currently being analysed by a statistician.

“Wells Estate household members have skills and strengths which
can be strengthened to promote sustainable livelihoods,” she
explains. The questionnaires reveal a variety of skills and levels of
skills in the community.

“Whatever research we do has to have a practical solution. Yes the
research findings can certainly contribute to policy, but I strongly
feel it needs to inform implementable projects that the community
can take up, that can help enhance food security and sustain the Young people in Wells Estate learning to prepare the ground
community going forward.” for growing crops

Says Professor Blanche Pretorius: “The work Dr Lujabe is doing “It is also very important research in terms of the government’s
doubles as a living classroom where we have been able to bring resettlement policy,” Prof Pretorius adds. “In resettling people in
on students and postgraduates from other departments. It gives Ward 60 from all over Nelson Mandela Bay, the government did
real meaning to the kind of theory that we teach students, notably not look at people holistically. So it didn’t actually create a better
the asset-based approach through which communities own the life for people. Dr Lujabe’s pioneering research can greatly inform
process and develop a real sense of their own value. an improved resettlement process.”

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