When a government road reserve in Plumstead stood empty for years it turned into a dumping ground, drug haven and an eyesore. It was during Covid-19 lockdown that residents started talking to each other and agreeing that they needed to do something about the state of the site. 

With much effort, perseverance and some solid planning and collaboration they created a winning model. It’s a community garden that supports the most vulnerable in their community, as well as small business owners including those in the surrounding township areas. They’ve restored pride and enjoyment of their neighbourhood and created a better working relationship with their local council.

What was the problem?

A neglected open area of 3000sqm in Gabriel Road, Plumstead had become a place where people dumped everything from building rubble to household waste. It has also become a place where drug users were known to frequent, discarding used needles in the area and using the land as a public toilet. As a result there was growing tension and dissatisfaction among residents and homeless people. 

A few local residents took upon themselves to start clearing up the land over weekends but “By Monday it would start go back to square one” , says Elaine Rousseau, a local business owner, who initiated the first clean-ups in 2021.

They realised they needed a more durable plan.

How are they solving it?

They reached out to their local councillor and the advice was to form a residents association group to be able to have better engagements with the council. With this they formed the Gabriel Road Area Project Association (Grapa) and applied for permission to “clean, green and grow an organic community garden,” on the land, says Rousseau. 

While they continued cleaning, it took a year to get permission to start the garden. But when the council did come on board they helped by providing waste skips and apple seedlings, which the community planted as a natural border around the site. 

Grapa also enlisted social workers and reached out to the homeless community who used the land and offered them opportunities to work on the community project. This offer was declined by the people who lived on the land they moved on instead.

They worked in phases and fundraised along the way, asking the community for donations and making their plans clear to everyone. 

Within a year they had their first community vegetables sale. That day they only made R300, but they carried on. From the start Grapa’s philosophy has been to sell vegetables from the gardens at R10. This model has continued and now the community farm raises enough to pay wages and benefits for two full-time gardeners, electricity and water, seedlings and implements, and the odd extras.

“We have six vegetable garden beds, olive trees, lemon and lime trees, flower beds and our own compost. We also have a monthly market where we support small township sellers and artisans. 

“The R10 vegetable philosophy means that even those who are on their knees will not leave here without something to put on the table,” says Rousseau. 

And those who can afford more, give more. They also have volunteers who arrive to sort and wash vegetables, to supervise the stalls on market days, to help fundraise, and to be part of their Friends of Grapa Gardens group. 

What makes it work?

Working with the council  -  Getting permission and getting their councillor on board was essential to have support for their initiative. The council has even awarded them a prize for recognition of the wonderful turnaround of what was a city eyesore. 

Sensitivity to working with the most vulnerable – The project has a mindful, inclusive approach from working with the homeless who squatted on the land to supporting small-scale sellers and helping the most destitute and needy with fresh fruit and vegetables. 

Having strong selling points  – The community gardens are 100% organic – “even the snails and worms get their share” and they have promoted the idea of being about community first and about upliftment in beautifying an area rather than fleeing from it. 

Working with patience – It took the council over a year to give permission for them to go ahead. In that time they didn’t stop clearing and cleaning. They also worked in phases, not rushing to the end goal when they didn’t have the resources, momentum or buy-in. 

Growing a strong volunteer base – The Gabriel Road Gardens relies on volunteers to show up and pitch in. They also rely on donations for fundraising and for people to buy into a bigger idea of why the betterment of their neighbourhood benefits everyone. 

Acknowledgements

Author: Fixlocal Reporter

Additional articles/sources: https://www.grapa.org.za/

Photograph: Gabriel Road Area Project Community Garden