Today, Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Leader, John Steenhuisen, commemorated Women’s Day by visiting the Tara Road Community Garden in The Bluff, eThekwini where a group of unemployed local women embarked on a wonderful initiative by gathering their community together to clear a patch of vacant, unused land and start a thriving community food garden.
This initiative has not only grown into a viable small business, where produce is sold in local markets, but supplies various community feeding schemes which feed hundreds of Bluff residents. Active citizenry, coupled with the will of these women to make a real and tangible difference in their communities, have created work and opportunity for local residents and are keeping hungry and vulnerable community members fed. There is no greater contribution that a community member can make in a country where millions go to bed hungry every day.
The DA is celebrating this selfless women-led project by donating a second JoJo water tank, tools and equipment, and trays of seedlings to the community garden, and we are assisting with the construction of a secure foundation for existing water tanks and securing the garden perimeter with new fencing.
The DA will ensure that these vital community projects are advanced and expanded to address the dual crises of hunger and unemployment in our society. Furthermore, we will continue to support the trailblazing women in our country who champion these projects for the benefit of their communities and South Africa as a whole.
It is projects like the Tara Road Community Garden that prove what South African women are capable of when empowered and given the resources necessary to be leaders in our society. South African women have always played a vital role in the development of our nation, and this Women’s Day, the DA pays tribute to each and every woman who strives to make our country a better, more prosperous place.
It is also on this Women’s Day that the DA is proud to be represented by women from all walks of life in our Ministers and Deputy Ministers in the Government of National Unity. In a country defined by builders and breakers, DA women will continue to build our nation in their image, ensuring that the rights and interests of women are represented in every sphere of government. From the Tara Road Community Garden to our women-led ministries, the DA is proud to be a party and a government of and for the women of our country.
On this Women’s Day, we recognise and applaud the millions of women making a meaningful difference in their communities, and we champion their cause in a country of builders where women remain the quintessential weavers of our diverse and multicultural society. The DA will continue to champion the rights and advancement of all women as we build a better collective future for all South Africans.