Local Hero nominee Sister Nobulali Bulurelo, 51, toils the soil of the St Peter’s Claver Catholic Church to fill the hearts and stomachs of the Duncan Village community.
The land around the church was transformed into multiple food gardens by Bulurelo with the help of 15 elderly residents who farm organic produce to take home to feed their families.
Sister Nobulali said: “It’s part of my belief that we are created in the soil and we will return to the soil.”
Sister Nobulali moved to Duncan Village in 2001 and took over the small food gardens dotted around the church building.
She was humbled by the nomination.
When I arrived the gardens were tended by the elderly nuns in their eighties. I’m proud of what we have done
“I’m speechless but I’m also happy at the same time,” she said.
“When I arrived the gardens were tended by the elderly nuns in their eighties. I’m proud of what we have done.
The gardens grow produce determined by the season which includes cabbage, broccoli, onions, beetroot, beans, and peas.
“I do this because I am an earth person — it’s part of my spirituality to work in the garden and with nature. I work with animals, with the soil, and planting trees.
“We have a few food gardens on the premises for families to grow their own vegetables and to support the feeding scheme run by the centre.”
Sister Nobulana said the gardens were operated by 15 elderly women from the Duncan Village community who tend their plots and take home fresh food for their families.
We have fed so many stomachs here in Duncan Village. The gogos feed their children and their grandchildren and great-grandchildren with what they harvest
“We have fed so many stomachs here in Duncan Village. The gogos feed their children and their grandchildren and great-grandchildren with what they harvest.
“We plant around the church wherever we see a piece of land.
The 15 women are in their 70s and tend the gardens from Monday to Friday and some on Saturdays
She said each garden bed had been named: there was the garden of peace, the garden of reconciliation, of humanity, love, and sustainability.
To fund the project and buy manure and new seedlings, the vegetables are sold to the community at a low cost.
“Whatever we do we do organically, which can be expensive but we sell it cheap because the community can only afford R5 or R10.”
She said the church-run kitchen also feeds more than 150 young people as part of their daily children’s programme.
Children between the ages of two and 18 receive a hot meal of soup or samp from Monday to Friday; ingredients are supplemented by what the gardens produce.
“We also give food parcels and donations of winter clothes from other Catholic churches and Dominican sisters — whatever we can offer.”
She said their biggest struggles were thievery and crime.
“Criminals interfere with the electricity, they break in and take what is inside the building and steal food from the gardens.
“They come at night and take spinach, vegetables, and avocados from the trees and if they see a big cabbage they cut it out the ground.”
The gardeners get their water from rain tanks but in the dry season cover their produce with dry grass to preserve moisture.
“I hope that in the future the young people of Duncan Village will be motivated by the work we do here and see the need to be part of it.
Young people with energy need to continue this project so it does not die. Young people don’t see that if they plant they will get money. It won’t be much but it will be something.”
Masithethe Counselling Services director Jackie Orsmond nominated Sister Nobulali.
Orsmond said: “She is absolutely amazing — you can’t believe what you are seeing.
“We have a small counselling centre at the church and we see the impact she makes, in the garden and by feeding more than 250 people a day.”
DispatchLIVE
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