Australian Embassy Impressed with Project

Above: Garden interim secretary, Simangele Ndebele shakes hands with visiting Australian Embassy staff.

EMGANWINI – The Australian Embassy in Zimbabwe says it is impressed with the Green Fields Emganwini Garden Project to which the diplomatic mission contributed to its establishment.

The project, benefiting over 100 families from Bulawayo’s Ward 26, under which Emganwini falls, began late last year with funding from the Austrian Embassy’s Direct Aid Programme (DAP) and Sally Foundation and Global Development Group (GDG) also of Australia.

Speaking to beneficiaries after a brief tour of the project recently, Australian Embassy Deputy Head of Mission in Zimbabwe, Peter Macfarlane, said they were happy to have contributed to the project.

“I would like to say that I am very impressed with what you have achieved in a very short space of time,” said Macfarlane.

“Mr [Simon] Spooner and Yvonne [Berkhout] have both explained many of the benefits that come from this particular project. So from the Australian Embassy’s point of view, we are very happy to have contributed to the funding to get your where you are so far. We wish success in this project.”

Spooner is the ZDDT National Coordinator while Berkhout is a commercial farming consultant working with gardeners helping them to improve yields.

Macfarlane, who was accompanied by the visiting Assistant Secretary at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Gita Kamath, also urged the beneficiaries to look after the project in going forward.

Earlier on, Spooner explained to the visitors that the project is based on the principles of self- help, aimed at improving the livelihoods of Emganwini residents.

Above: ZDDT National Development Officer, Simon Spooner stresses a point to visitors and garden leadership