École Tuxedo Park raises money for South Africa

There is a lot of love and compassion in Pembina Trails. One recent example is the great work done by the students and families at École Tuxedo Park, who raised $870 for people in South Africa. And with the Rotary Club of Winnipeg generously doubling that amount, a total of $1,740 was raised which is enough to purchase seven full Survival Garden kits.

The kits aim to address the water and food needs of communities in South Africa.  Each kit consists of a technology known as the “hippo water roller” plus basic tools to grow a garden, including a shovel, rake, hoe, watering can, seedlings, compost, and fertilizer.  Also provided is a guide on growing a garden, sanitizer and a face mask.  
 
 “Hippo rollers” are devices that greatly improve the ability for women and girls to transport water in 90-litre cylindrical containers that easily roll on the ground.  This technology saves labour and allows the women time to focus on other family building tasks, such as growing their gardens to establish some self-sufficiency.  This also frees up time for girls, allowing them to focus on their education.

The COVID pandemic has disrupted the availability of daily needs that are already scarce in remote South African communities.  Amongst these essentials is a consistent supply of clean water and food.  The gathering of potable water is carried out by women and girls, involves extensive labour, and sometimes requires that they walk substantial distances from their homes.  Traditionally, the water is carried in 20-litre buckets on their heads.  In addition, basic food supply chains have been disrupted as the country has introduced various lockdowns which have further isolated remote communities.