Boikano Nutrition Club Cultivates Food Security and Community Growth in Ha Matlali

The Boikano Nutrition Club in Ha Matlali is reaping early rewards from its commitment to improving food security and community well-being. With support from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition (MAFSN) and the Smallholder Agriculture Development Project Phase II (SADP II), the club is making notable strides in local nutrition and sustainable farming.

On Thursday, a monitoring team from the ministry visited the club to assess progress and offer guidance. The delegation included District Nutrition Officer Mrs. Lebohang Nthake-Monyamane, Letlapeng Area Technical Officer for Nutrition Mats’epang Tjamela, and Agricultural Apprentice Ntsoaki Shata. The visit highlighted the tangible outcomes of the SADP II initiative, which distributed essential agricultural resources to boost small-scale farming.

Each of the club’s 11 members received a shade net and ten fruit trees—five apple and five pear—as part of the intervention. The support has enabled the group to establish productive gardens that contribute not only to their household food supply but also to broader community nutrition.

Formed in 2021/22, the Boikano Nutrition Club embodies a grassroots approach to agriculture, where shared knowledge and teamwork drive lasting impact. The members expressed optimism about the initiative’s long-term benefits, pointing to improved crop resilience, increased access to fresh produce, and greater community cohesion.

In parallel, another monitoring team visited the Hilltop Development Forum, underscoring the broader reach of the program. The week-long evaluation tour, scheduled to conclude in Ha Sekake and Sehlabathebe, includes check-ins with all 10 active nutrition clubs across five resource centres in the district.

These clubs are spread strategically across the region: two in Sehlabathebe, two in Letlapeng, one in Matebeng, two in Thaba-Chitja, and three in Qhoalinyane. Their shared goal is to advance food security through practical, community-led agriculture.

By empowering smallholder farmers with tools and training, the MAFSN and SADP II partnership is nurturing a healthier, more self-sufficient future for rural communities—one fruit tree and shade net at a time.