By Anelisa Centani

In the heart of a bustling university campus, where academic pursuits often take precedence, one postgraduate student decided to bring life back to a neglected space. Chuma Songela, a 28-year-old graduate student who recently completed his Masters in Politics and International studies, embarked on a journey that transformed a forgotten garden at the Gavin Relly Postgraduate Village (PGV) and brought a sense of community and purpose to his life.

In a conversation, Songela shared: "To be honest, the idea of the garden came from Professor Laurence. Juma (Dean of Law and PGV Warden), who pointed out that there's a garden space here at PGV. He said that if anyone was interested in reviving it, they could take up the project and rehabilitate it together with the house.”

Songela recognised the potential of this space and its ability to not only provide fresh and healthy vegetables but also serve as a therapeutic escape from the demands of academic life. "I needed something that was beyond just academics and books and where I needed to do something with my hands," he explained.

Songela’s journey with the garden began as a personal endeavour. He rolled his sleeves, borrowed tools, and planted the first crops. However, he soon realised that this project had the potential to become a communal effort. "Many people saw its potential and became interested in it, and a lot of people started to then contribute,” he said proudly. It was this collective spirit that transformed the garden into a community project.

The garden project had its share of challenges, but Songela's determination prevailed. Initially, limited tools were available, and he had to return borrowed tools occasionally. There was also an initial lack of support due to his peers' unfamiliarity with gardening. “There wasn't entirely much support at the beginning because people were not familiar with gardening. So, some assistance and support from experts would have helped to get us going properly," said Songela. The garden project gradually gained its deserved support, though, and more people joined.

Today, the PGV garden is a thriving community space, providing students access to fresh and healthy vegetables. Songela shared, "Students go there over the weekend and get stuff, or sometimes every day when they come from campus. We've never sold anything. In fact, we've just donated stuff when there was excess."

The Head student from PGV, Ms Mantsane, believes that the garden project holds significance in teaching people the importance of growing their own food, especially in today's challenging economic landscape where the cost of living is high. “The garden is significant in the sense that it helps out the community in general. If you can’t afford certain things, the garden allows people to come and get stuff in the garden also, a person can contribute by buying seeds for the garden,” Mantsane said. For Mantsane and other residents, the garden project has been a game-changer regarding meals.

Mantsane mentions she can cook Asian cuisine with celery to South African staples like pap and veggie bubbles and nutritious salads featuring fresh lettuce and spinach.

The PGV housekeeper, Nozipho Sofisa, has played a pivotal role in the success of Songela's garden project by assisting with the procurement of seeds. "I helped with providing seeds in the past because the garden does not only help the students, but it helps us as staff members of Rhodes University," Nozipho said.

Songela is really thankful to Prof Juma, Mantsane and Chris (Environment Rep) for pushing the garden project. “My hope would be that the project continues to benefit students and that it becomes a legacy of the residents. I'm just happy that I've been part of the story as well," Songela concluded.