Backyard Gardening Transforms Life of

A small backyard garden in Gapanyane Ward in Kang has grown into a dependable source of income for 52-year-old Ms Keloetetse Bothang, whose determination and passion for plants have helped her rebuild her life after years of ill health and financial hardship. What began in 2022 as a modest project to produce vegetables for home consumption has since evolved into a thriving horticultural enterprise supplying the local community and contributing to the school feeding programme. The rapid growth of the project has outstripped the capacity of her residential yard, prompting plans to relocate to a larger space to meet the rising demand for fresh produce.

For Ms Bothang, backyard farming was born out of necessity but sustained by her deep love for nature. “I started with only a few beds of spinach, green pepper, onions and beetroot to feed my family. I had no capital, so I used the little money from my first sales to buy more seeds and gradually expanded,” she narrates to BOPA in an interview.

Her turning point came at a time when she was struggling to make ends meet due to a prolonged illness that forced her to close her sewing business, which had been supported through the former Kgalagadi District Council’s poverty eradication initiative. An eye condition later made it impossible for her to continue with the business, leaving her without a stable source of income. After years of hardship, she turned to gardening, something she had always loved, as a way of rebuilding her life and providing for her children.

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“As production increased, neighbours began buying from me and the demand kept growing,” she said. Ms Bothang noted that, people are now more conscious about their health and wellness and many have reduced their consumption of meat, which has created a ready market for fresh vegetables,” she explained. She added that restrictions on the slaughter of cloven-hoofed animals following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease further boosted demand for her produce.

Currently, Ms Bothang supplies about 90 bundles of vegetables to Mahutsane Primary School once a month under the school feeding programme. She hopes to increase production and eventually supply Kang Primary School with at least 155 bundles per month.

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