Rain water harvesting proves fruitful

At Thaba Nchu, near Bloemfontein, an 'after harvest' festival was held today by 1 000 households who have successfully applied the in-field rain water harvesting technique in their back yards. Over the past four years they have shown profits from between 34-50%.

Thaba Nchu was the first area in the country where this method was applied in 2001. It has now been extended to five villages in the Eastern Cape, benefiting 5 000 people.

Selina Mokgola (60), one of the farmers in Thaba Nchu who applies the in-field rain water harvesting technique, has yielded great success. Her backyard of almost 800 square metres, and has been turned into a productive garden filled with vegetables and crops. In this way, she helps to relieve poverty, improve food security and create jobs. All this by simply allowing rain water to run down the slopes of the garden, over a piece of bare land, to dam up in areas where crops are planted.

The Water Research Council, who is funding this project, says if rainwater harvesting works in this dry area, it could be applied just as successfully in other areas of the country, especially when one bears in mind that an estimated 35% of SA's population is vulnerable to food insecurity.