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    Support local food gardens w/ Checkers Market Day

    Checkers is hosting it's fourth Market Day on Thursday, 4 April presenting an opportunity for customers to support local food gardens as all proceeds go to the garden, which in most cases have commercial ambitions.
    Checkers shoppers will again have the opportunity to support small-scale food gardens at selected stores across South Africa. Image supplied.
    Checkers shoppers will again have the opportunity to support small-scale food gardens at selected stores across South Africa. Image supplied.

    As part of its strategy to fight hunger, the Shoprite Group partners with more than 70 gardens. In partnership with Food & Trees for Africa, the retailer offers training and provides gardening equipment as well as seedlings over a period of at least 18 months.

    Greater sustainability

    Market Day is an outflow of this, as it enables community food gardens to promote themselves to a broader customer base and sell their excess crops. It provides them with some much-needed extra income but also helps boost their independence, which in turn leads to greater sustainability.

    “Checkers is empowering us by giving us a chance to sell our tomatoes, chillies, spinach and other vegetables,” says Oupa Bila, director of the Caroll Shaw Memorial Centre in Braamvlei, Randfontein. “We hope the customers love our vegetables!”

    Bila and his team will be participating in Market Day at Checkers Tambotie.

    Those in the Mashishing area will be able to buy freshly-harvested vegetables from the Khomanani Vhanu garden at Checkers Lydenburg.

    Located near Acornhoek in Mpumalanga, Khomanani is a Market Day regular and will be setting up shop for the fourth time next Thursday.

    “We’ve participated in all the other Market Days and they have all been great. The income generated from sales there are a lot more than when we’re selling vegetables straight from our garden,” says Auriel Ngobeni, one of the founders of Khomanani Vhanu.

    Marketing- and business skills

    According to Robyn Hills, Food and Trees for Africa programme manager, Market Day is also a great opportunity for the gardens to put the marketing and business skills they’ve received as part of the Shoprite Group’s support into practice.

    “Some of these gardens have commercial ambitions and this kind of exposure opens their minds to the great opportunities out there and gives them the experience to grab them.”

    Find your nearest participating store:

    GARDENSTORE
    Eastern Cape 
    Star Uplifting CentreCheckers Nahoon
    Free State 
    Kgaugelo Ya SechabaCheckers FX Mimosa Mall
    Phahamang Basadi Community GardenCheckers Parys 2
    Gauteng 
    Community Crisis CentreCheckers Hyper Boksburg
    Supa-Dimama Senior CitizensCheckers Norkem Park
    Carroll Shaw Memorial CentreCheckers Tambotie
    Moabelo FoundationCheckers Hyper Arcon Park
    Boikanyo Foundation GardenCheckers Glenvista
    KwaZulu Natal 
    Iqabungelihle Community GardenCheckers Hyper Gateway
    SiyamnakaCheckers Hyper Shallcross
    Kuhle-OkwemveloCheckers Amanzimtoti
    QalakabushaCheckers Hyper Galleria
    Nurses At A GoCheckers St Johns Centre
    SizanokukhanyaCheckers Midlands Mall
    Limpopo 
    Phafogang Community GardenCheckers Tzaneen Lifestyle
    We Can (Mamotho)Checkers Polokwane
    Mpumalanga 
    Tiyimiseleni Home Based CareCheckers New Hazyview Junction
    Khomanani Vhanu Community ProjectCheckers Lydenburg
    Lillydale Home Based CareCheckers Hyper Edenvale
    Northern Cape 
    Retshwenyegile Home Based CareCheckers Hartswater
    North West 
    Mokaila Community ProjectCheckers Mafikeng
    Nthabiseng Skills Training Centre for DisabledCheckers Hyper Rustenburg
    Western Cape 
    Vlottenburg Community CentreCheckers Century City
    Iris House Children's HospiceCheckers Hyper Brackenfell
    Siyazama Community GardenCheckers Sea Point
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