Backyard Gardens Project: Manzini City’s Gallant Step Towards Reducing Urban Hunger, Porvety
As the world works towards meeting the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), municipalities, including the Municipal Council of Manzini, have a crucial role to play in driving localised solutions. While Goal 11 specifically addresses the need for sustainable cities and communities, other SDGs such as Goal 1 (No Poverty) and Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) also present pressing issues that require urgent action at the municipal level.
Municipalities are increasingly called upon to implement sustainable and innovative strategies to alleviate hunger, malnutrition and poverty in their jurisdictional spaces. In response to this global call, and in recognition of the state of indigency in some areas of the City of Manzini, the Municipal Council of Manzini has taken a strategic decision to embark on a pilot backyard garden project targeting low-income households.
This initiative aligns with the Municipality’s long-term strategic goal of reducing hunger, eradicating poverty and enhancing the standard of living for city residents by 2030. The pilot project, which focuses on urban agriculture, is being implemented in collaboration with World Vision Eswatini and the Ministry of Agriculture.
A total of 36 low-income households across the city’s neighborhoods have been identified for the project. The households have received comprehensive training on effective vegetable and crop production, including modern techniques such as vertical farming for areas with limited land availability. Moreover, the Municipality has equipped the households with farming tools, equipment and all essential inputs to ensure successful garden set-ups in their homes.
A key aspect of the initiative is its focus on sustainability. Rather than only producing food for household consumption, participating families are encouraged to grow surplus crops that can be sold at the market. This does not only help ensure food security but also enables the households to generate income for other basic needs and to reinvest in future planting cycles.
In support of this drive, the Municipality has committed to facilitating the beneficiaries’ access to the city’s informal trade sector by providing temporary permits for the sale of surplus produce. This will help the households to establish a consistent revenue stream and create a self-sustaining agricultural model.
The project has been warmly received by the beneficiaries, who have shown dedication and commitment to its success. The Municipality, in collaboration with its expert partners in agriculture, will continue to monitor the progress of the pilot and address any challenges that arise to ensure long-term success.
If successful, the backyard gardens project will be expanded in the next financial year, which begins in April 2025; the aim being to reach more households and strengthening food security throughout the city. The Municipality is optimistic that this initiative will not only address immediate food needs but also encourage the youth of Manzini to view agriculture as a viable income-generating activity.
The Municipality is proud to be leading efforts towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Through innovative urban agriculture projects like this one, the Municipality ensures that the vibrant city is not only sustainable but also prosperous and resilient for all residents.
The end goal is to transform Manzini into a city where no one goes to bed hungry, poverty is reduced and communities thrive; as envisioned in the 2030 global goals.
…PLEASE VISIT MANZINI FARMERS MARKET THIS SATURDAY
The Municipal Council of Manzini, in partnership with the National Agricultural Marketing Board (NAMBoard), will this Saturday host the Manzini Farmers Market at the Millennium Park, near the Riverstone Mall. This will be the second time the event being hosted in the city. The first was hosted last year and it was a resounding success. This year’s event will be bigger and better as participants will include almost all the players in the value chain; such as farmers, banks and development finance organisations, farm input suppliers, retailers, distributors, traders/vendors and the general members of the public. Activities will include farm input and farm produce exhibition, a food corner, entertainment and a kiddies corner. The overarching objective of the farmers’ market is to create a one-stop platform for farmers; wherein they will have access to all players in the value chain. It is more of a networking platform wherein farmers will share experiences and advise one another on how to unlock constraints that they face as they go about their farming businesses. The event will also help build and strengthen business-to-business and supplier-to-consumer relationships that will subsist for the foreseeable future. Buyers will interact with farmers on product demand, quality requirements and supply schedules. Anyone who is interested in being part of the event, be it suppliers, retailers and traders, is encouraged to contact the Municipality on 2508 5015/info@manzinicity.co.sz. The deadline is end of business day tomorrow. Citizens of Manzini and the entire country are also encouraged to visit the Farmers Market venue on the day of the event and be empowered with information whilst also supporting local farmers by buying the farm produce that will be on display and reasonably priced.
…WORD OF GRATITUDE TO STAKEHOLDERS FOR 2024 AGM
The Municipal Council of Manzini extends her heartfelt gratitude to all stakeholders who attended and actively participated in the 2024 Annual General Meeting which was held last week Tuesday at The George Hotel. Their presence and engagement made the event a success. During the meeting, the Municipality presented her operational and financial performance for the 2023/2024 financial year. The Municipality sincerely values the honest reviews, constructive feedback and forward-thinking suggestions that were offered by stakeholders. Their contributions are crucial as the Municipality continues her journey to improve service delivery and enhance the quality of life of citizens of the Manzini city.
