Meet Busisiwe Ngesi

Starting a community garden in Mbekweni

Meet Busisiwe Ngesi, a passionate change-maker hailing from Mbekweni, Paarl. Affectionately known as Busi, she stands out as a devoted community activist and an integral member of the Queer Food Growing Collective.

In the past year, Busi successfully completed her permaculture training at SEED and is now actively establishing a community garden around a church building in the township of Mbekweni. Her overarching mission is to nourish her community with wholesome vegetables, initiate a soup kitchen, and empower others with the skills to cultivate their own food.

Busi has needed to be resourceful and so gathers gardening supplies from wherever she can. An abandoned toilet on a bridge is salvaged for a planter, buckets that once contained the ice creams she sells in the community for extra income are used to transport water between beds, scrap cardboard is laid on top of the ground to effectively kill the grass over time, saving hours of backbreaking work that never seems to end otherwise.

In addition to her commitment to sustainable agriculture, Busi is currently delving into videography, eager to share her newfound expertise on dooiy in the near future.

If you’re inspired by Busi’s mission and would like to contribute or offer support, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Together, we can make a positive impact! 🌱🌍