The organic farming programme known as Feed The People, which is based at the Cato Manor Technical College, has received a major injection of funds. Woolworths has bought into the scheme with a R67 000 donation to the programme.

Woolworths’ Marcus Bang said: "It is important for us at Woolworths to be associated with the upliftment of communities in their quest to promote economic empowerment through skills training and job creation. We realise that we cannot trade successfully unless we understand and play a role in the communities in which we operate." Unemployed residents of Cato Manor are at this moment preparing a large piece of land to produce organic vegetables that will be sold to Woolworths and Pick n’ Pay. The programme teaches emergent farmers a planting system that provides water-borne nutrients to plants without using pesticides. Residents are fortunate that Cato Manor has been selected as a leader in the quest to supply the international market with organic food. It is expected that the programme will start to yield results in early 2001. According to the programme manager, Les Hutton, there is a huge international demand for organically grown foods as there is growing consumer resistance to genetically-enhanced foods. "It is not all about preparing organic foods. The scheme involves share equity, job creation and joint venture projects on under-utilised land," he said.

Loan helps Beauty transform her house Fast Track resident Beauty Ngewu has obtained a loan from the Homeloan Guarantee Company to buy windows and add a verandah to her home.

"It has been a year since I received the loan," she said. "The additions have made a big difference to my house, and the repayments are quite affordable. I am hoping to apply for another loan to put up a fence around my house soon," she said.

More than 200 people have obtained loans for improving their homes since the company started operating in the Cato Manor area almost a year ago. The loans are available to Cato Manor residents who earn below R3 500 per month, or to people who can prove that they save money on a monthly basis.

Members of the community interested in applying for a home improvement loan should contact Khetha Mabrush at the Housing Support Centre in Wiggins.