25 May 2014

The passing away of her husband in 2009 was a tragic blow for Ms Moenyana Ngaka and her children, as it left them both emotionally and financially drained.

Her husband was the sole breadwinner of the family and when he passed on Ms Ngaka and her children, who were much younger by then, were left with nothing to fend for themselves

It was the beginning of a very difficult time for Ms Ngaka as she was mourning the death of her husband while trying to evade a life of poverty. She had four children who are now aged 27, 25, 17 and 13.

She was forced to stand up and fend for herself, so she started cooking fat cakes and selling them at local primary schools in Tonota. But the proceeds were inadequate to cater for the needs of her large family.

She vividly recalls the anguish she felt from watching her children having to walk long distances to school because she could not afford the taxi fare. This was not the life they were accustomed to.

They had everything they wanted when their father was alive. But now he was gone and they had to adapt.

“It really broke my heart watching my children braving the chilly mornings to walk that long distance to school,” she said Her big break came in 2011.

While listening to the radio, she heard about government’s poverty eradication programs, among them LIMID and backyard gardening. Her curiosity grew when she heard yet another announcement that training will be availed for Tonota residents who were interested in enrolling for the backyard gardening program.

She attended a follow-up meeting in Mandunyane and immediately registered for the training program. All applicants were assessed by officers from the Ministry of Agriculture and Department of Social Welfare in February 2012. “They went around every household to check if indeed the applicants’ circumstances qualified them for government assistance under the poverty eradication program,” she said.

With a smile, Ms Ngaka says she qualified for assistance and was selected as a beneficiary of the backyard garnering program. “But I wasn’t interested in backyard gardening, I wanted to be assisted under the LIMID program.

Unfortunately I had to accept what was given to me because changing programs would take a bit of time, which I didn’t have,” she said. After the selection, Ms Ngaka and her colleagues underwent training to equip them with knowledge about gardening.
She said she learnt a lot about caring for her plants and was later able to use her newly acquired gardening skills to operate a successful backyard garden. She received equipment and seeds of different vegetables like spinach, onions, beetroots, carrots, tomatoes and green pepper. She was also given a net that she erected to cover her garden.

“That was the beginning of the end of my troubles. I never looked back ever since, and today I operate a successful garden from which I produce fresh vegetables that I sell to local vendors,” she said.

Ms Ngaka said she has a ready supply of fertilisers as she simply collects manure from people’s kraals.  Her garden is so successful that she used some of the money to install plumbing and electricity in her two and half house.

She is also able to provide for her children’s education and they no longer have to walk long distances to school. “Gone are the days when my children had to walk long distances to school in the biting cold. I found my break through. I used to depend on donations, but now people come and ask from me.
It’s all thanks to my backyard garden,” she said.

She has been operating her backyard garden for close to two years now and she believes there has been a massive change in her life.

She also encouraged fellow Batswana who find themselves in unfortunate circumstances to seek assistance from the department of social welfare. “Government has put in place a number of initiatives that are meant to assist the poor. In reality, no one should be poor because government can help us to help ourselves. I am a living example.  The backyard gardening improved my life,” she said. ENDS