Everyone knows how much I love Mpophomeni – or Pops as my friend Nkanyiso calls it. I like that it is smallish, walkable, surrounded by hills and there are so many cool things going on there. Spring has sprung and the peach blossoms have burst from the branches in Lindiwe’s garden.
Tutu has an abundance of peas in her magnificent garden. A month or so ago we had a meeting on her front lawn in the sunshine, drinking Iron Brew and munching peas from the pods.
I absolutely love Friday afternoons at Funda Nenja – the township dog training intiative – but I don’t go as much as I would like to. Still my favourite cause in the world – look them up. www.fundanenja.co.za My job has never been actual training, just topping up water bowls or handing out the snack bags in between taking photos.
It was one afternoon after dog training that Nkanyiso taught me to play pool in a local tavern – we had gone in search of cold beer and I discovered that the best bargain on the planet is R2 for a game of pool in Pops!
I have met the nicest dogs in the township – this is Zulu who is super friendly and bouncy. I often have biscuits in my pockets so that may account for their interest in me.
I’ve met lots of goats too, who eat all sorts of garbage, poor things. Bulelani introduced me to his two new baby goats a few weeks ago, who were a couple of days old.
I’ve also hung out with the Mpophomeni Enviro Club a lot – such enthusiastic kids. Last year I judged their solar cooking competition and tasted all sorts of half cooked food. Sandile’s curried beans were my favourite.
To celebrate 10:10:10 – a Global Day of Action to reduce our energy comsumption by 10% in 2010, we created a fabulous food garden at Lindiwe’s house. It was such a wonderful day of community action. Unfortunately, Lindiwe’s veggie garden has fizzled a bit, but all the indigenous plants are happy and flowering. See link at the end for the revamp plan for Mpop gardens.
I have little doubt that we inspired the neighbours anyway as there are now a couple of food gardens in Impala Road.
This past while, I have spent heaps of time in Mpophomeni, which is part of the reason my blog has been so quiet – so if you like – you can read all about my activities (gorgeous gardens, happy kids, snakes, forests and wetlands) on the MCF blog at:
http://midlandsconservanciesforum.wordpress.com/2013/09/09/all-the-mpop-action/
Plant Abundance 
You are busy busy Nikki… Learning new skills like playing pool in Pops, making new friends with Lucky and Xulu and keeping them in water! Lovely report!
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