A visit to the “Old Lady’s Farm” found an innovative method of drip irrigation. This involved the collection of 2 litre plastic bottles that are perforated with a needle and buried in the crop beds leaving mouths for filling in water. The water used is harvested by rain and collected on roof tops down to three storage reservoirs feeding each other and also a newly constructed pond that catches run off rain water.

Speaking to a group of CTA/NEPAD participants who visited her farm in Cullinan, Pretoria, South Africa, during the water and science week Ma Tsepo Khumbane said that she had decided to clean the environment by using the plastic containers for drip irrigation. She said she has also buried iron tins in her crop beds to help her plants take in iron which would then be very useful to women.

Ma Tshepo Khumbane is a founder of the Water for Food Movement which works with rural women in South Africa teaching them rainwater harvesting, home garden production and food production.

She said improving agriculture water investment and management in sub Saharan Africa was necessary for investments in agricultural water which where necessary to increase profitable production and food security while reducing poverty in Africa.

In her own words food security was “24 hours a day, 31 days in a month and 365 days in a year,” she said.

In her smallholder system innovation in integrated water management, Ma Khumbane was addressing the environment, social and institutional conditions required to improve sustainability of rainfed agriculture for smallholder farmers in sub Saharan Africa.

A walk in Ma Khumbane’s gardens and orchard found that she had dug trenches around the crop and fruit beds which store water for her plants.

Ma Khumabane also made her guests taste her home made juice which was a very rich drink as it was made from a mixture of different fruits from her orchard.

Ma Tshepo Khumbane has dedicated her life to giving a voice to the rural poor. She mobilises families to harvest rainwater and produce their own food as a first step. Her garden proves that food can be produced on the smallest of homesteads at minimal cost.