Roosboom Garden, South Africa

A new gardener has just joined the team at the Half Way House in Roosboom, which is run by Designing Hope. Together with the two women who manage the centre, they are preparing new growing beds for the plants prepared … Read More

The greenhouse at the Half Way House in Roosboom, expanded with the help of the young farmers from St. Monica’s Farm in Lesotho, can now accommodate more plants, protected from the sun’s rays and from the birds and grasshoppers, which … Read More

Like every day of the week, the children enjoyed a healthy and balanced meal at the HalfWay House. The meal consists of rice and a sauce prepared with vegetables from the garden. This nutritional support benefits about 50 underprivileged children … Read More

In Southern Africa, Designing Hope and The Ivory Foundation strive to forge human links between the actors of the different projects they develop and support.  In 2017, the women of Eswatini and Roosboom came to train in permaculture the students … Read More

After completing the structure of the greenhouse in the Roosboom garden, the team of gardeners from St Paul’s School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Leribe, Lesotho, took charge of the interior of the greenhouse, using a grid … Read More

Each year, the organic seed company Agrosemens (La semence Bio) supports the association’s projects by providing reproducible seeds for the educational gardens. This valuable support will be accompanied by training in seed reproduction and conservation. Thus, the seed company and … Read More

While new plants are being prepared in the nursery, the Half Way House coordinators take care of the vegetables grown during the winter. These accompany the dishes on a daily basis served to the children at the Silethithemba centre.

The Roosboom Silethithemba reception centre Designing Hope’s local partner in South Africa, has harvested beautiful cabbage to feed the children of this underprivileged township. Good food in prospect!

Despite Covid-19 having slowed down the garden’s activity last year, the children and women of the garden enjoy the products of their crops. Thanks to the milpa technique, which consists in simultaneously growing corn, climbing beans and courgette on the … Read More

Zanele, Lulu and Fisani look after the Half Way House in Roosboom as if they were at home, children like those of a big family. The Roosboom Haf Way House is a little paradise in this underprivileged township of Roosboom.After … Read More

As part of the Roosboom garden’s educational programme, a plot of Milpa combining maize, climbing beans and courgettes has been set up. This technique of cultivation on different levels optimises the production of vegetables on a reduced surface area: the … Read More

At the “Half Way House”  in Roosboom, a home opened by the association @designinghope for orphans in this disadvantaged township in South Africa, the garden is used to produce fresh vegetables for the meals served daily to the children. This … Read More

Every day, 40 orphans from the township of Roosboom are welcomed at the Half Way House of Designing Hope, a centre where different activities are offered to the children for 2 hours after school. T hey receive a hot meal, … Read More

Roosbom’s “Half Way House” has adapted its functionning to the sanitary measures implemented in South Africa. A non-contact thermometer was purchased to check the children’s temperature before entering the center. The children can still benefit from a complete and healthy … Read More

In November, temperatures become warmer in South Africa. It is therefore an opportunity for the gardener and the women who are in charge of the garden to involve the children of the center in harvesting the last winter vegetables and … Read More

Today, on the menu, a vegetable and spinach sauce from the garden and an egg from the henhouse to accompany the rice! The youth could enjoy their lunch in the open space “Thebe Magugu”, the South African creator and sponsor … Read More

A small change in the organization of the Half Way House in Roosboom, the women, who were previously employed part-time to prepare meals for the children, are now there full-time, and take care of the garden the rest of the … Read More

Following the departure of the gardener in July 2020, the three women who look after Roosboom’s children at half time, wished to take over his job and share the activity of maintaining the garden. They look after the garden 2 … Read More

During the lockdown difficult times, the children were not able to go to the Half Way House. However, life is still active there! Masks were ordered to the sewing group for themselves and for the children of teh half Way … Read More

In July it is winter in Roosboom. Temperatures can drop as low as 5 to 10 degrees at night, but remain comfortable (15 to 20 degrees) during the day thanks to the strong sunshine (winter is the dry season). Perfect … Read More

3 women and one gardener run the Half Way House in Roosboom every day. In the morning, Lulu, Fisani and Zanele are also in charge of a home base care mission for HIV-positive patients living in Roosboom, entrusted by the … Read More

The South African fashion designer Thebe Magugu, went to Roosboom to visit Desining Hope’s Half Way House in February 2020. He discovered the outdoor exhibition of his creations photographed by Aart Verrips on scarecrows, in the open fields. This exhibition … Read More

Each week, Dessine l’Espoir organizes the delivery of meals for Roosboom’s children with a wholesaler located in the neighboring town of Ladysmith. Roosboom only has a few small convenience stores, in fact unsuitable for buying wholesale groceries (rice, oil, canned … Read More

A large covered greenhouse was installed in Roosboom to accommodate the seedlings of the vegetable garden. Unlike greenhouses that we are used to seeing in European gardens, what is most important in southern Africa is to protect from the sun … Read More

On the occasion of the photography exhibition organized in Paris to the benefit of Designing Hope, featuring the creations of the South African stylist Thebe Magugu on scarecrows, we proposed to the children of Roosboom to be inspired by Thebe’s … Read More

Roosboom’s mandala has taken on curves! We have undertaken to redraw the petals, both for aesthetic purposes, but also to increase its cultivated area. A work carried out with the children of the Half Way House.

The Mandala becomes a place of creation for children from different countries involved in educational garden projects…  The children of the Half Way House in Roosboom, adopted their own, and prepared a choreography around the petals of the garden…  

50 books about biodiversity, gardening, environment, nutrition, biodiversity, were purchased by Designing Hope to enrich the Half Way House library with the financial support of the A&A Ulmann fund. Books for all ages, to discover while having fun for the … Read More

In order to improve the nutrition of children, and with the support of the A&A Ulmann fund, a an abandoned local has been rehabilitated to accommodate a chicken coop with 40 laying hens. The room was covered, and secured with … Read More

Designing Hope added natural spices (Moringa powder, kurkuma, curry, etc.) to its monthly deliveries to replace the chemical condiments that are very popular in Africa. New recipes were adopted by the women who are preparing food at Roosboom Half Way … Read More

Moringa is both a fertilizing tree (which fertilizes the soil and the plantations that are made around its roots) and an important source of vitamin, thanks to its foliage. Moringa seeds are therefore harvested to plant new trees in the … Read More

Every day the children of Half Way House help gardeners water the garden.

A mixture of potting soil, topsoil and biochar was made with the children to do the sowing in the greenhouse.

An elongated greenhouse was made with the gardeners at Roosboom’s Half Way House to prepare the seedlings. A green shade was preferred to a plastic cover, to avoid excessive heat and to protect young plants from the sun, that can … Read More

Designing Hope encourages the preservation of the water resource. The washing of vegetables and hands is done in a basin, and the recovered water is used to wash the vegetables. Half Way House Roosboom, Ladysmith

The children of Roosboom took part to cultivating new vegetables on the mandala of the garden. Spinach and salads plants have been planted, replacing tomatoes that have been harvested.

Each month, the gardeners of Silethithemba are responsible for setting up a vegetable garden in a disadvantaged household in the neighborhood, affected by HIV. The beneficiaries take part in the installation of the garden, if their state of health allows … Read More

In Roosboom, Designing Hope offers 35 children a relaxing afternoon and a good meal, after school. Dance, games, sports, creative activities, maintenance of the educational garden that also produces vegetables to prepare meals.     These children, from modest background, … Read More

La Traversine and the Half Way House, two Transgardens educational gardens: one in France, the other in South Africa. The first is an urban garden, developed on the roof of a Parisian kindergarten with the aim of introducing youth to … Read More

Like every afternoon, the children of Roosboom’s Half Way House come together for creative activities, sports, and garden maintenance before their meal is served. This afternoon, the children just receive a large envelopped with pictures and drawings made by the … Read More

In Roosboom garden, the hen house is also a place for experimenting biochar. It is mixed with straw on the ground of the shelter. this combination has a double effect: -First, it cleans the henhouse, absorbs liquids, eliminates odors, and … Read More

The children of the center Siletithemba centre in Roosebom, received an envelope from the children of Bercy school in Paris. with a lot of curiosity and excitement, the young people opened the pack addressed to them and discovered letters and … Read More

In the context of the One House One Garden project, the occupants of the Half Way House helped during the construction of the new garden. Fencing, manpower and knowledge in permaculture, every month Designing Hope allows the establishment of a … Read More

Roosboom is located 10km from Ladysmith in Kwazulu Natal. The countryside is dotted with dwellings, and many children sometimes have to walk an hour or more to get to school. Many families have the opportunity to grow a plot of … Read More

A “mandala” garden has been set up in the vegetable garden of Siletithemba center in Roosebom, (KwaZulu Natal), South Africa. Mandala is a Sanskrit word, an ancient Indian language, which means circle. It refers to any diagrams of various forms … Read More

As part of the “One House One Garden” program, Roosboom’s gardeners have set up a new garden on the outskirts of the center. Cardboard was used in addition to carbonaceous organic matter to compensate for the lack of branches and … Read More

Small tour of the garden with the children of the halfway house in Roosboom. The children water the plots and harvest spinach that will complement the lunch that will be served to them.

Daily, the women in charge of the Roosboom halfway house prepare meals for the children. Vegetables from the garden are used to cook the dishes.

On the occasion of the agroforestry training given by APAF in May 2017, a visit was organized to Ladysmith. The children of the Halfway House of Roosboom have set up a nursery and sowed the seeds of fertilizer trees given … Read More

Today, the children take care of the chicken coop. The chickens have started laying this week ! The manure and straw are used for incorporation into the compost and enrich the garden.

Created by Designing Hope with Joseph Fonseca, an international volunteer based in Roosboom for 2 years, this book brings together recipes inspired by simple traditional cooking using vegetables from the garden. Its aims at encouraging the consumption of fresh vegetables … Read More

Chaya is a plant of Central America similar to spinach. Chaya is easy to grow in temperate climate. It is tolerant to heavy rain and drought. Propagation can be done easily by cutting 20cm of the stems and planting them … Read More

Preparation of winter seedlings in plastic buckets. The seedlings will then be placed on the garden beds.

As an activity this week in Roosboom the children made a herbarium by drying leaves of different plants and then decorated homemade frames (cardboard and transparent sheet) with paint.  

The children of the Half Way House take regularly care of the garden, watering the plants, and ensuring the maintenance of the beds, the management of the weeds etc … It is an opportunity for them to acquire the practical … Read More

After several months of throwing organic waste in the garden without organization, the children of the Half Way House decided to follow the advice of comics on permaculture and created a compost pile in the garden.  

Today at the Half Way House in Roosboom, it’s Halloween preparation … Today at the Half Way House children have carved pumpkins to make Halloween lanterns. 5 pumpkins were kept preciously for the occasion. Children first draw on the pumpkins … Read More

This afternoon at Roosboom children have created a Memory game on the theme of garden vegetables. This activity allow children to develop their creativity while providing them source of entertainment, and improving their memory and their knowledge of vegetables. EnregistrerEnregistrer

Many mole rats are causing damages in the garden of Roosboom, while digging their tunnels they tear the roots of the vegetable in the garden. To get rid of them, here is a simple technique using the means at hand. … Read More

In Roosboom, near Ladysmith in Kwazulu Natal, Designing hope started with local NGO Silethithemba the project “One House, One Garden”. Every month, one family with poor background is identified and the NGO helps financing and setting up a fenced garden, … Read More

Designing Hope’s comic about permaculture techniques is now used by Roosboom’s team to teach the children basics about permaculture and agroecology.   Related links : Comic book

The children harvested the seeds of chard ribs which they let grow seeds in the garden. These non-hybrid biological seeds can be reproduced.

Each month, canned tomatoes and red beans are used for children’s meals. The metal of the cans, laid flat, was used as wall for the chicken coop, studded on a wooden frame. the roof was made of wood, to isolate … Read More

At Roosboom Garden, the children started 2 new culture beds to compare the impact of biochar on crops. The first bed was cultivated with biochar imbibed with vermicompost, and the second one was incorporated dry in the culture plates. In … Read More

With an international volunteer (Peace Corps) in place for 2 years in Roosboom, Designing Hope has developed a recipe book inspired by traditional meals. Recipes are selected based on the vegetables they use, and the ability to produce them in … Read More

The first moringa seedlings are beginning to sprout. Culture of Moringa is very interesting because it is a plant with many properties and important nutritional values. In fact moringa leaves are richer in vitamins, minerals and proteins than most vegetables. … Read More

Designing Hope has produced, with the support of The Ivory Foundation, an illustrated brochure presenting the techniques of permaculture. This document addresses several topics, the creation of raised beds, crops rotation, crops associations, with a focus on milpa, compost… This … Read More

Children can enjoy every day a hot meal that uses some fresh vegetables they grow in the pilot garden.

Roosboom has been depending for years on a large tank of communal water, randomly refilled. This has led often to shortage of water, challenging the garden, specially during dry season. Designing Hope invested in a piping system to bring water from … Read More

The children of Roosboom work together and create new raised beds.

Children from Roosboom showing their milpa plot, combining maize, squash and beans.

Canned red beans are used for the daily meals cooked to the children of Roosboom. The children were asked to retrieve the empty boxes, flatten them to form a recovery material to make the walls of a henhouse. Women then … Read More

During the few hours they spend daily at the Roosboom halfway House, the children work in groups in the garden and are in charge of its maintenance. During the winter season, crops are limited, and cabbage is the plant that … Read More