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The Raubex group is a proud partner of the Spoudazo Enterprises Trust and its vegetable tunnel initiative.
The Spoudazo Township Vegetable Tunnel Project is a registered public benefit organisation.
The purpose of the organisation is to further the interests and well-being of the poor and vulnerable by means of providing them with welfare, humanitarian assistance, health care, land and housing, education and development services.
The core focus of the project is to ensure the sustainable development of vegetable gardens in poverty-stricken communities in the Mangaung Metro Municipality.
A number of thriving projects have been set up in Bloemfontein, Caleb Motshabi, Namibia, Mafora, Phase 7, 3 and 6, Bloemspruit and Wepener, as well Fauresmith.
The Raubex Group’s involvement as a partner aims to support the effectiveness of vegetable gardens in addressing food insecurity and to encourage community involvement.
The company has been supporting this project since October 2012.
The project involves the setting up of vegetable tunnels for individual households, in addition to offering the members of these households training and mentoring.
During 2018 and 2019 a total of 15 vegetable tunnels were set up new or repurposed for identified beneficiaries. Raubex funded the setting up of these tunnels and mentorship process involved.
To date there are 57 vegetable tunnels in the Free State that were set up through the project.
The focus of this project is not only to ensure food security for the households involved, but also to establish an economic system within these communities.
In April 2019, Spoudazo received R139 661,65 for the re-setup of five tunnels in Wepener, as well as continuous mentorship on projects.
Spoudazo equips beneficiaries with vegetable growing skills that will assist them to earn an income, not only by selling their crops, but also by sharing in the responsibilities of the setting up and mentoring process related to additional tunnels in their communities.
In addition to this, the project has provided opportunities for enterprise development to some of the beneficiaries who showed the skill and willingness to be further equipped as entrepreneurs.
Two such entrepreneurs now have websites for their businesses: www.tlali.co.za and www.vegetablemarket.co.za.
“It is with thankful hearts towards Raubex that we reflect on the Township Tunnel Project, which started to influence communities in 2012. We started out with 12 tunnels as part of Project 1,” said Elbie Louw, director of Spoudazo Enterprises.
“Furthermore, Spoudazo Enterprises, as a service provider, places a high premium on their commitment to practice what has been taught during the first six to 12 months of mentorship.
“During the past year, we had 51 tunnels in our sustainability budget for continuous mentorship.”
