Training

Abalimi runs several training courses that use participatory methodologies and have a very practical ‘hands on’ approach.

As most trainees cannot afford to pay the full cost, bursaries are provided according to need. Following the course, trainees receive a certificate, which increasingly pave the way to job opportunities, for example as caretakers at schools.

Some of the courses we offer include:

Basic Training in Organic Urban Food Gardening: This three-day basic course includes all theoretical and practical aspects from soil preparation and fertility, seedling production, planting, maintenance, pest management and composting. These are subsidized for unemployed people from the communities and full cost for sponsored or outside trainees. It consists of theory and practical and includes a starter pack to for their home gardens. This is the first step for all gardeners from home to production. Participants all receive certificates of participation.
Agriplanner: This four-day course focusses on the basics of food production and maintenance, as well as record keeping and selling produce in the agricultural sector.
Starting community market gardens: This is a practical course over one or two days about site assessment, design, layout out, setting up and starting to create initial plots for community market gardens including wind breaks, production and access.
Focussed farmer workshops. Up to twenty, one-day workshops are held per annum where different aspects of market gardening is workshopped .
Young Farmers Training Centre: The YFTC offers a three month apprenticeship for youth in organic market gardening. It is an in depth program with classes one day per week and the rest is practical work in a production garden, including both open plots and tunnels. It provides an entry level program preparing the trainees to start there own production gardens, community garden projects, join existing projects and the possibility for further studying in agriculture, as well as employment opportunities.