Abalimi Bezekhaya - Planters of the Home

Mission

Abalimi is a Non-Governmental Organisation working to empower the disadvantaged through organic Urban Agriculture and Environmental Conservation projects and programmes. We support our target groups’ ability to replicate their success and transform their lives in their urban and rural environments, through the following Key Result Areas: project implementation; resource support; training; organisation building; facilitation of partnerships; research, monitoring and evaluation.

Programs

Abalimi runs two core programmes: The Urban Agriculture Programme (UAP) and the Cape Flats Greening Programme (CFGP). The UAP capacitates the poor to grow organic food, and thus support themselves and others. The CFGP empowers the poor to improve their environment by planting indigenous gardens in the arid townships. In support of both programmes, Abalimi runs 2 non-profit garden centres. Various sub-projects (eg: SEED, focusing on Environmental Education) add value to Abalimi’s core work.

Current Projects on GlobalGiving

Capacity Building: Urban Farming and Gardening

Personnel Overview

Rob Small - Resource Mobilisation Leader and Board Secretary
Degree in biodynamic agriculture (Emmeson College U.K.); 24 years community agriculture experience; 14 years with Abalimi; Director of Abalimi from 1998 to 2004; Ashoka Fellow 2002; Presently Resource Mobilisation Leader and Secretary to Abalimi’s Board.

Christina Kaba - Abalimi Outreach Co-ordinator
Lifelong community activist; 16 years with Abalimi, working in both Urban Agriculture and Greening Programmes; Woman of the Year 2001; Desmond Tutu Leadership Award Finalist 2002; Nestle Community Nutrition Award 2002; Khayelitsha Community Development Award 2004; Initiates and leads numerous community projects in her personal capacity.

Leigh Brown - SEED Project Co-ordinator
Bachelors Degree in Journalism (Rhodes Unitversity, SA); 4 years experience as a Journalist; Completed a Diploma in Permaculture at the Permaculture Research Institute in NSW, Australia; Project Co-ordinator of SEED for past 5 years (since 2000).

Personnel Statistics

Robert Small,
Resource Mobilisation Leader and Board Secretary
Founded in 1982
Employees: 24
Volunteers: 14

Financial Statistics

Budget (2006): $ 563,246
Budget (2005): $ 502,283
Maximum Budget: $ 800,000
Overhead: 10 %
Other funding sources: Misereor, The Green Trust WWF, Local Government, National Lottery, corporates, trusts, service clubs and individuals
Religious Affiliation: non-denominational