An Inspiring Story Of Change – Bax The Urban Micro Farmer At Feed The Kaltsha
One of our Uthando dreams is exposing thousands of children from township communities to nature and tourist sites, thus planting seeds of hope within their spirits and igniting their dreams and aspirations.
Baluleka Sisusa otherwise known as “Bax” is one of the very successful and pioneering micro-farmers who founded the extraordinary “Feed the Kaltsha” garden in Khayelitsha. His dreams were ignited by a visit to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens when he was just a young school boy. This is his inspiring story in his own words.
“Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens is one of the finest tourist attractions in the world for locals and internationals and this tourist attraction is where I found my love for nature broadly.
In my junior years where we once visited Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens as an outing and team-building as junior soccer players. On this visit we played a variety of learning programmes games , we did hiking and also visited different sites. I got intrigued by how the tour guide explained Different plants and what I learnt on that day was the symbols of South Africa which included the “protea” plant as there is also the ” Giant protea, I was taught about” Fynbos” and how there is over hundreds of species in that natural vegetation. The most outstanding thing that captured my attention was when plants Where introduced as ” autotrophs” meaning they make their own food, the curiosity, passion and love was triggered by that because I wanted to Know how can food make their own food but we as human beings we cannot.
Educational Journal
When I was in high school doing grade10 I had drawn back to reviving the love for nature because this year I was choosing subjects and simultaneously had to choose my career path personally because I don’t remember anyone driving me back to loving nature but myself.
After High school I enrolled at Cape Peninsula university of Technology studying Horticulture which is the study of plants and cultivation, during my free weekends I used to go volunteer at small-scale farmers and on school holidays this was part of me since. I used to water on weekends and my volunteering tasks where weeding, cleaning site, cleaning tools and labelling . What I mostly learnt from volunteering is taking care of the soil which is fundamental to quality production. Horticulture focused too much on synthetics and chemicals which was great for the production but bad for the Globe we trying to green everyday hence I had to switch my practice to ” Organic farming” after finding out that it actually means saving the Soil and I took a deep dive into the ” Organic” practice and after making the decision to unlove “Inorganic” practice I engaged Into lifesaving farming practice.
After losing touch in Horticulture the struggle to find the genuine passion was doubtful and regretful to start afresh with no backup financially and support from family members. Tough as it was the volunteering was also not that much attended until I did my first project called “Soil For Life” at Abaphumeleli Home Of Safety Where I also took a one day “Urban Farming” course at Soil For Life Constantia and I really felt like I can do this more but with a better qualification and that is where I applied for the vegetable Production Expert course at Stellenbosch Elsenburg College Of Agriculture.
Bax is 4th from the left at the Provincial Parliament hosted by the Minister of Agriculture
Getting into Elsenburg has made my life start having a direction and finding purpose in life about what my future holds. 2019 was the turnover year for me as I was able to obtain my qualification at Elsenburg College . During my in-service training at Abalimi Bezekhaya is where I saw the niche market for Fresh Organic Produce and my Lecturer who facilitated me through the training Mrs Matakane I believe manifested how I will drive this vehicle of Agriculture into righteousness. Prio the establishment year of Feed The Khaltsha I already knew how I want to spend the rest of my life.
After holding my qualification paper by hand I had no interest in applying for a job as I knew jobs are hard to find and less employment in Agricultural. 2020 beginning of the year meeting with Thapelo and as we both had this desire to engineering from our own ideas and making something out of nothing. To start pushing a stationary vehicle is hard but once acceleration is gained things becomes at least lighter and this is one of the stories of Feed The Khaltsha.
Having to have taken so much experience, practice, knowledge and wisdom from other micro-farmers, journals, magazines and internet has shaped the climate of Feed The Khaltsha to be all colourful, diverse, innovative and disciplined. To be part of an initiative that continues to stick to its backbone of developing persona and community through skills and motivation of work is a blessing more than anything, there is nowhere in the world I’d love to be but at FEED THE KHALTSHA.
