Dihwayi tsa Phomolong was co-founded by community member, Sabina Baloyi, after the local Tshwane municipality allocated a 1ha piece of land to 31 members of the surrounding community who were interested in farming. With the direct translation of Dihwayi being "people who scratch to fend for themselves", the responsibility was placed in the hands of Sabina and her community to handle the duties required to make the project a success. Sabina and her team have been so successful that their project was runner-up at the Gauteng Agri Women Awards in 2012 for Community Project of the Year.
Nissan wholeheartedly supports the project and its potential to encourage self-sustainability. The organisation erected 60 tunnels in which to plant crops and provides farming technology and implements, fertilisers and training. Of particular importance to the organisation was that with the current water crisis in South Africa, the tunnels allow for effective irrigation with little water wastage or run-off.
Using the tunnels, the community grows vegetables such as spinach, which they either use, sell or donate. Sabina explains, "We sell the veggies to the community and give some of them to the patients of the Phomolong Clinic. We also make sure that those of us working on the project take home veggies once a week, and after saving up our earnings, we split them among ourselves."
Keba Matlhako, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Nissan South Africa, comments on the organisation's involvement: "We came on board with this project because we saw an opportunity to educate the community about efficient farming methods and water usage. This ties in closely with our environmental and philanthropic goals as an organisation. It is also particularly close to our hearts, given that our plant operates in Tshwane and we do what we can to support the surrounding communities."
It's a great example of how giving a community the skills and tools they need can empower them to change their lives. And the project is still going strong five years down the line. As it continues to grow, with sales revenue hitting R1,000 a day during peak season, Nissan is working with the community to find ways to reduce labour intensiveness, improve productivity and increase the produce.
