Companies partner with FTFA to plant trees on Mandela Day

17 Jul 2012

Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA), South Africa's first social enterprise to address sustainable development through climate change action, food security and greening, was started in 1990, the year of Nelson Mandela's release from prison. FTFA's founder, Jeunesse Park was inspired by Madiba and to this day the FTFA philosophy is that one can make a difference.

FTFA has certainly made that difference by distributing over four million trees, developing thousands of organic food gardens for the poorest, some bamboo bio energy plantations and organic farms has changed the South African environment and the lives of many. Just one tree or food garden can make a huge difference and this year, partnering with FTFA in celebration of Nelson Mandela Day are Santam, BHP Billiton, Grindrod, Terabytes Telecomms and the South African Post Office.

Create new gardens

On 17 July, Santam will be planting 20 indigenous trees at Phuthaditjhaba Home for the Aged in the eastern Free State. On Wedenesday, 18 July, another Santam team will be assisting The Alexandra Farming Co-operative in Johannesburg to clean up land allocated for food gardens, create some new food gardens and assist wherever possible. This project was started early in 2012 by a group of five unemployed, committed ladies from the community. They have been given 1,6ha of land to develop to grow vegetables and fruit to sell to the Alexandra community.

Also making a difference, BHP Billiton will plant 20 trees on 18 July in Soweto, Grindrod will plant trees at King Shaka School in Umlazi in KwaZulu-Natal, Terabytes Telecomms will be distributing 25 trees at Athlone Primary School in Somerset West and the South African Post Office will be planting ten trees in KwaZulu-Natal.