GreenGround
is a large greenhouse in the green zone near Vrygrond, a dynamic learning center—a day sanctuary for single mothers and an afterschool educare for their teenage children.
"Feeling marginal, adolescents join gangs for social relationships that give them a sense of identity" (Vigil and Long, 1990).
Implementation of this project will provide positive social connections and alternative avenues for teens identity formation. The programs will offer mentorship, recreational activities, skill-building and food-growing workshops.
"Feeling marginal, adolescents join gangs for social relationships that give them a sense of identity" (Vigil and Long, 1990).
Implementation of this project will provide positive social connections and alternative avenues for teens identity formation. The programs will offer mentorship, recreational activities, skill-building and food-growing workshops.
Take part in changing lives of indigenous communities
Address the trauma of colonialism
More than half of child population in South Africa is brought up by single mothers, and only 4% - by single fathers.
GreenGround Objectives
Empower single mothers by providing them with:
- 1Empower single mothers and teenagersSafe spaceEmpower single mothers and teenagers with essential life skills, including african instrument making, natural building techniques, embodiment practices, and permaculture gardening.
- 2Provide access to mentorshipIndigenous educatorsProvide access to mentorship, recreational activities, and skill-building workshops to promote positive social connections and alternative avenues for identity formation, particularly for at-risk adolescents. Filmmaking and environmental activism just some of the skills on offer.
- 3Offer mental health resourcesLife coaches, psychologistsOffer mental health resources and support services to assist participants in navigating challenges and promoting overall well-being.
- 4Create a sustainable model for community developmentHub for women and teensCreate a sustainable model for community development that can be replicated and scaled to benefit other marginalized communities.
MAKE TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE
Green Ground represents more than just a physical space—it embodies opportunity for our community. By investing in growing consciousness, women's empowerment, and indigenous values, this project has the potential to shift well being of many people, including the donors.
GreenGround project is managed by GREENHOUSE NPO, a South African Non Profit Organisation that promotes eco consiousness and indigenous recognition.
GreenGround works on supporting single mothers and teenage children from indigenous communities towards re-remembering eco-conciousness and provide skills that are in alignment with indigenous ethics and respect for the Earth:
~ Offer monthly membership to the stakeholders from the community with purpose to improve wellness and health of the participants by connecting with indigenous practices, music and dance, and urban permaculture
~ Assist mothers in establishing small organic herb businesses
~ Provide 2-weekly movie screening and discussion in the greenhouse. The films are curated towards eco consciousness, community building, animal rights and nature rights.
~ Make sure it is small and mobile project that offers space to 40-60 members of community for growing and sharing healthy food, practices and relationships
~ Offer skills to teenagers, such as video blogging, DJing, drumming, indigenous ethics and dancing
~ Involve community educators in indigenous skills such as natural building, permaculture, African instruments making
~ Additional skills like conflict resolution in indigenous style, women’s and men’s circles facilitation, mindfulness practices, singing circles, conscious dance facilitation will be offered by volunteering educators/professionals and members of Vrygrond community
GreenGround works on supporting single mothers and teenage children from indigenous communities towards re-remembering eco-conciousness and provide skills that are in alignment with indigenous ethics and respect for the Earth:
~ Offer monthly membership to the stakeholders from the community with purpose to improve wellness and health of the participants by connecting with indigenous practices, music and dance, and urban permaculture
~ Assist mothers in establishing small organic herb businesses
~ Provide 2-weekly movie screening and discussion in the greenhouse. The films are curated towards eco consciousness, community building, animal rights and nature rights.
~ Make sure it is small and mobile project that offers space to 40-60 members of community for growing and sharing healthy food, practices and relationships
~ Offer skills to teenagers, such as video blogging, DJing, drumming, indigenous ethics and dancing
~ Involve community educators in indigenous skills such as natural building, permaculture, African instruments making
~ Additional skills like conflict resolution in indigenous style, women’s and men’s circles facilitation, mindfulness practices, singing circles, conscious dance facilitation will be offered by volunteering educators/professionals and members of Vrygrond community
"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."
~ Frederick Douglass
Greenhouse NPO is prepared to undertake the Green Ground projects with the following adjustments:
a) Making sure that we create a temporary structure, a greenhouse with garden beds and rammed soil floor with two sides:
~ north facing glass, using recycled french wooden windows
~ south facing - is a vertical garden made from two 1 m pallets with soil in between
~ ripstop canvas roofing
~ as a temporary structure, it can be dismantled and resurrected elsewhere
~ grow lights instead of normal lights
b) Making sure that water supply is covered:
~ design a gutter from the main concrete building towards two vertical 1000L water tanks behind the building
~ Install a borehole pump in the garden
~ monitor water level in the tanks and use combination of rain water and borehole water
c) Focus on supporting single mothers and teenage children from indigenous communities towards re-remembering eco-conciousness and provide skills that are in alignment with indigenous ethics and respect for the Earth by
~ Offer monthly membership to the stakeholders from the community with purpose to improve wellness and health of the participants by connecting with indigenous practices, music and dance, and urban permaculture
~ Assist mothers in establishing small organic herb businesses
~ Provide 2-weekly movie screening and discussion in the greenhouse. The films are curated towards eco consciousness, community building, animal rights and nature rights.
~ Make sure it is small and mobile project that offers space to 40-60 members of community for growing and sharing healthy food, practices and relationships
~ Offer skills to teenagers, such as video blogging, DJing, drumming, indigenous ethics and dancing
~ Involve community educators in indigenous skills such as natural building, permaculture, African instruments making
~ Additional skills like conflict resolution in indigenous style, women’s and men’s circles facilitation, mindfulness practices, singing circles, conscious dance facilitation will be offered by volunteering educators/professionals and members of Vrygrond community
a) Making sure that we create a temporary structure, a greenhouse with garden beds and rammed soil floor with two sides:
~ north facing glass, using recycled french wooden windows
~ south facing - is a vertical garden made from two 1 m pallets with soil in between
~ ripstop canvas roofing
~ as a temporary structure, it can be dismantled and resurrected elsewhere
~ grow lights instead of normal lights
b) Making sure that water supply is covered:
~ design a gutter from the main concrete building towards two vertical 1000L water tanks behind the building
~ Install a borehole pump in the garden
~ monitor water level in the tanks and use combination of rain water and borehole water
c) Focus on supporting single mothers and teenage children from indigenous communities towards re-remembering eco-conciousness and provide skills that are in alignment with indigenous ethics and respect for the Earth by
~ Offer monthly membership to the stakeholders from the community with purpose to improve wellness and health of the participants by connecting with indigenous practices, music and dance, and urban permaculture
~ Assist mothers in establishing small organic herb businesses
~ Provide 2-weekly movie screening and discussion in the greenhouse. The films are curated towards eco consciousness, community building, animal rights and nature rights.
~ Make sure it is small and mobile project that offers space to 40-60 members of community for growing and sharing healthy food, practices and relationships
~ Offer skills to teenagers, such as video blogging, DJing, drumming, indigenous ethics and dancing
~ Involve community educators in indigenous skills such as natural building, permaculture, African instruments making
~ Additional skills like conflict resolution in indigenous style, women’s and men’s circles facilitation, mindfulness practices, singing circles, conscious dance facilitation will be offered by volunteering educators/professionals and members of Vrygrond community
