In keeping with its values of giving back to communities and awareness around sustainability, Nedbank Personal Loans donated a vegetable tunnel garden to the Mikateka Primary School in Midrand. Nedbank Personal Loans has committed to feeding five schools in Johannesburg, Mikateka Primary School being the first beneficiary. The donation to all schools is worth R50 000.
This initiative is part of Nedbank’s ‘Caring for our Communities’ programme that engages with learners and community members on the basics of sustainability. Since the inception of this programme in 2009, over 6,000 learners at over 180 schools have been reached. In 2013, about 56 projects, consisting of vegetable tunnels and rainwater harvesting tanks, were implemented at schools around the country with the help of 650 Nedbank staff members.
“Reducing food security is a key focus for the initiative and, as such, Nedbank welcomes the opportunity of being part of the solution of finding new ways to address this whilst uplifting the community,” says Nina Wellstead, Environmental Sustainability Manager at Nedbank.
The vegetables grown inside the garden tunnel can be used to supplement meals prepared at school as part of the feeding scheme and to provide fresh and healthy vegetables to learners, who can also take this home. The vegetables may also be sold in the community as extra income for the school.
“We are excited to be working with Nedbank Personal Loans on this project and look forward to seeing the many fruitful results from this project,” says Principal, Ms Dikeledi Mboweni of Mikateka Primary School.
