Designing Hope has developed in 2011 a first pilot garden highlighting techniques of agroecology and permaculture in Piggs Peak, Swaziland. The success of this pilot garden encouraged Designing Hope to duplicate this initiative and link it to a pedagogical action.
Designing Hope benefited from close links with schools in Swaziland (support of orphans and disadvantaged children in 14 schools since 2011) and with the regional hospital (food distribution to HIV patients since 2005), that helped identify the beneficiaries for this extension of the project and organize the follow up.
Today a team of 6 people is in charge of training, and maintening the gardens. They work with school teachers and 240 volunteers children.They are also in charge of two community gardens, and a demonstration garden at the hospital.
At Garden of Skills, major redevelopment work has been carried out with the gardening team to redesign the most remote sections of the vegetable garden. These areas are being structured into terraces to make them more accessible, more productive and easier … Read More
Currently, they are setting up new raised beds to plant sweet potato cuttings. This meticulous work is part of an important crop rotation strategy. In this way, they preserve soil fertility and prevent soil depletion, ensuring sustainable harvests. The bed … Read More
The sewing workshop team at the Garden of Skills has just finalised a new work uniform for the women in the kitchen garden. Made from natural cotton, lined and resistant, these garments are designed to offer comfort and protection during … Read More
Après avoir agrandi de 50 % la surface des planches de culture du potager situé près de l’atelier du Jardin des Savoir-Faire, les femmes en charge du potager ont poursuivi leur travail ce mois-ci en repiquant de nouveaux plants préparés en … Read More
The women in charge of the vegetable garden at the Garden of Skills in Malanti, Eswatini, work their beds according to the principle of crop associations.In this way, the beds are never empty, crops are harvested according to kitchen needs, … Read More
The four women in charge of the vegetable garden at the Garden of Skills water the beds every morning, and the method of combining crops and harvesting them gradually means that the beds are never empty. The women replace vegetables … Read More
A wonderful initiative was recently launched near Malanti: the distribution of school uniforms to underprivileged children in local schools. The aim is to help families in difficulty and ensure that all children can go to school in a country where … Read More
At the Garden of Skills, the children in the crèche start the day by tending their own little vegetable garden, the Teen-Gi garden, accompanied by the crèche manager and one of the women in charge of the centre’s garden. The … Read More
Fesile presents the seedlings sown in the greenhouse as the southern winter approaches.The seeds were selected from the organic seed catalogue of agrosemens, a partner of Designing Hope.
Every month, Designing Hope and its local partner Fundzisa Live distribute food parcels to the most vulnerable HIV-positive patients treated at Piggs Peak Hospital. They benefit from this programme for 6 months, in order to strengthen their natural defences.
