The WV OVC Food Security Project Coordinator Ms. Sophie Morienyane said the OVC food security project is funded by Global Fund Round 7 grants that started implementation on July 2008. Among others the project includes provision of garden tools, vegetables and cereals seeds as well as training of community on monitoring and evaluation and later training of OVC on farming techniques.

During the beginning of the project, beneficiaries received garden tools such as spades, rakes, digging forks and watering cans as well as seeds that include cabbage, spinach, mustard and rape, beetroots and carrots as well as potatoes. They also received cereals crops seeds such as maize and sorghum and given legumes seeds such as green beans and now received peas for winter cropping.

After the distribution of garden tools and seeds, world Vision trained care givers, Community Care Coalition (CCC) and members of World Vision executive committee at the community level on monitoring and evaluation to be able to monitor project progress at village level.

After the training, the CCC members are given forms that are filled during their visit to measure the impact of the project to OVC families. The CCC members were further trained on soil fertility and indigenous paste control to help OVC to ensure good production. The CCC will submit the forms to the ADP where agriculture officer will include the field report to the ADP food security report that will be forwarded to the project coordinator. The project coordinator conducts verification visits to verify the report.

In an interview, the Kota Agricultural officer mentioned that the production in general for all beneficiaries is good but there are areas where crops were destroyed by standing water table. Meanwhile other beneficiaries did not plant sorghum thinking the planting time has passed and did not want to risk their seeds.

“All in all the OVC food security project contributed in large extent to ensure food accessibility among needy OVC families in our area thank to Global Fund,” said Kota Agric Officer Mpho.

She indicated that world Vision encourages key holes gardens, planted using easy to find organic manure, to increase soil fertility and ensure best yield all year round. “We use CCC structure to monitor project progress.”

The CCC member, Mr. Sello Mohapi from Mathe center in Kota ADP said the production of maize, sorghum and potatoes were very good but the seeds were small to cover food access all year round. Mohapi appealed to World Vision and Global Fund to provide them with seeds to establish communal gardens, so that care givers could be able to produce enough food for OVC.

One of the OVC benefited from WV seeds distribution is Malitha Katiba 14 years old, her mother died in 2006 and her dad is chronically ill.

She completed her primary school in 2008 but did not go to high school because her da d is ill and unable to work like before. “My father used to work part time in stone breaking company but now he is ill and therefore there is no income in the house, even the food we are assisted by our relatives.”

Malitha is now vulnerable child because even though her father is alive but he is ill and not able to provide for her food or school fees. She was told about Government high school bursary for OVC late February and therefore she decided that she will go to school her secondary education in 2010.

She received garden tools and seeds from World vision. “Thank you for seeds and tools, they helped our family to be able to produce our own food and will stop begging from relatives for food.”

Another seeds beneficiary is Teboho Kotele 78 year old grand-father who is taking care for OVC. Kotele has worked in South African mines and now retired. He received government elderly grant M250 (which is equal to (USD 25.00) that helped him but not enough to also take care for three OVC under his care.

He said he planted all his cereal seeds received from World Vision and the production is good adding that vegetables seeds are many enough to plant even for next summer season but the cereals seeds are all planted during the last farming season.

The food security project did not only bring access of food to the OVC families but also bring them dignity as they are no more begging but are self-sufficiency since are now able to produce their own food.

World Vision is one of implementers of Global Fund Round 7 grants focusing mainly on food security component of Orphans and Vulnerable Children.