Windhoek
Can Windhoek we really grow food? The answer is yes, and it will be proven on October 16 at Van Rhyn Primary School on World Food Day.
Visitors can then learn about smart water management and changing agriculture in a changing climate.
“It will rain again”, Donovan Wagner from the Eloolo Permaculture Initiative points out, adding that this period when there is no water, could be used to plan and structure gardens, for education and training. And this is what Eloolo is teaching learners at Van Rhyn Primary School, including methods to produce food holistically and with minimal input of water, such as permaculture and aquaponics.
Further, partners in the event are the City of Windhoek and the World Future Council, a foundation that identifies best policies and programmes globally and promotes them. Sharing insights into urban agriculture is part of its initiative to bring elements of the successful food security model of the Brazilian City of Belo Horizonte to Namibia.
Councillor Fransina Kahungu, deputy mayor of Windhoek and Dr. B.D. Mouton, principal of Van Rhyn Primary School, will welcome the guests. Members of Eloolo Permaculture Initiative will explain layout and concept of the garden, especially with regards to water management. Guests can “Discover Moringa”, the new “superfood”, together with the learners of the school and the Theresia Foundation, which runs a Moringa Oleifera project, with children in the Kavango region. Vegetarian food and refreshing drinks will be available.
World Food Day is an initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. It is celebrated each year on October 16 to promote worldwide awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure food security and nutritious diets for all. This year’s theme is ‘Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too.’