Bright and early Monday morning, the 19th of July, the team set off to Viva Village in the Alaska Informal Settlement, Mamelodi East. Viva Village is economic empowerment initiative run by Meleney and Leon Kriel. The inspiration of the village is from the traditional African village with its social and economic ‘headquarters’ centralized in this enclosed area with a chief and his wife. The aim of the village is to bring the skills to the people of Alaska and to empower them.

As Viva Village is still under construction, the Sci-Enza team offered its labour for the infrastructure development, in this case the vegetable garden. We helped by planting and sowing vegetables as well digging out another patch for a vegetable garden which will supply a fresh, healthy, affordable and much needed fresh produce. Spades dug into the earth, rakes were pulled out to smooth the vegetable patch and rocks were carried to prevent the soil from washing away.
The village crèche looks after a group of small children and during their break a little person suddenly popped up with a small rock where we were laying the rock fence. Little Bongani just couldn’t resist the buzz of activity and had to contribute his 67 minutes to the garden. A true little champ who, we have a feeling, will be watching over this garden.

The Sci-Enza team is multi-skilled and while out there our in house plant pathologist, Boitumelo Pitsi and our biotechnologist, Irene Schoeman, gave the young children and their teacher an interactive demonstration of how to sow seedlings in trays. The children really enjoyed themselves and took turns putting little beetroot seeds into the soil-filled trays.

The morning left definite but different impression on each member of the team. After the day Dineo Makala said the following about what she took away from the day: “We all have the power to change the world. I’m glad I made a difference with my 67 minutes. Remember the work is not done by you, but it’s done through you.”
For Thina Msomi, geologist and Intern Science Communicator, her moment came when as the team prepared to leave, the Chief shook her hand and said: "Ngiyakuthemba ntombazane, ngikuthemba kakhulu ngoba mawuthi uyeza, uyeza. Wathi uzofika on Saturday wafika. Wathi uzofika on Monday, wafika." (I trust you my girl, because when you say you are coming, you come. You said you would come on Saturday and you came. When you said you would come on Monday, you came.) “That moment made me feel really glad that we came and we helped.” said Thina. Last of all Puleng Tsie, who had planted one of the gardens, said: "67 minutes is not enough for all the work one could do, but it is definitely a start."

The team: Godfrey, Thabiso, Tumi, Puleng, Dineo
Thina, Yvette and Irene
Photographer: Helga