Joel Raphiri lives by the Northern Sotho adage ‘letsema le ema ka mong’, meaning a group effort only succeeds if the person who initiated it takes the lead and puts in the work first. 

For more than a decade, the 64-year-old Raphiri, with the help of his wife, Plantina, has put the principle into practice through a community garden that provides fresh vegetables to families in Refentse, Stinkwater, near Hammanskraal, who struggle to afford healthy food. 

As staunch members of the Hope For Christ Ministry, Joel could not ignore the persistent dreams that visited him every night, so they decided to take Joel’s tithe, or a tenth of his salary to build a fence, dig a well and sink a borehole to create a vegetable garden that could provide the community with fresh produce.

At the time, the pair had more than 70 mouths to feed in their single garage, which had turned into a community centre and church, and served as a kitchen too. 

“We had to take every cent from the family coffers and buy ingredients and some foodstuffs to prepare meals for the community young ones, and we are glad that some are grown-ups today from the little we provided,” says the energetic Plantina.

An organic garden feeding the community

The resulting garden, which the community has dubbed the Raps garden, derived from the couple’s surname, is entirely organic, using natural borehole water for irrigation and only cow dung manure as fertiliser.

“We don’t use any GMOs or chemicals which would weaken our systems, that is why we are so strong today – from eating organic vegetables. We are not using any pills or medication and do not have diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure,” says Joel.

The garden now provides healthy fresh produce to more than a hundred people in the Stinkwater community and the surrounding areas, Dilopye, Eersterus and Mogogelo. The couple is clear that the aim is not to make money out of this garden but to feed families that can’t afford to buy healthy food to eat. Even though Joel works as a bus driver, he notes that he has not received a salary for more than a year, adding to their own reliance on the garden.

In Sepedi culture, a letsema is a traditional practice where community members gather to help a neighbour clear land, farm, or build a house.

The Rahiris currently have seven volunteers assisting them with gardening.

Though the proverb highlights community solidarity, Joel knows the project’s success depends on his personal responsibility and leadership. 

“People are willing to offer support but you must drive your own project.”