For the past 45 years Gordon has been involved in indigenous communities where conflict, historical oppression and environmental destruction have created extreme poverty. His travels have taken him into war zones, urbans squalor and refugee camps in 40+ countries. For the past eight years he and his wife Michelle directed Love In A Bowl, a community-wide effort in Cape Town that grows organic vegetables on seven different properties to provide nutrition to 28 ECDs, medical clinics and food kitchens. Each week more than one tonne of veggies are donated to these programmes. A little over two years ago Gordon and Michelle moved to Barrydale where he continues his focus on community-based nutrition efforts, together with initiatives to renew ancient Khoi communities and their traditions locally.

 

Gordon will talk about Eating Your Garden. About how to create a shift in our lives where every day our diet includes veggies, herbs, fruits and nuts that are harvested among our flowers, shrubs and hedges. He will describe a year-old community initiative to assist any family in the Barrydale-Smitsville town who would like to eat their own garden. Thus far 86 families have signed up to this "growing" concern.

 

After his talk, Gordon, together with Peter Takelo, the local Khoi hoofman, will take people to visit family vegetable gardens in The Gwarrie, Smitsville, where six families are growing their food on rough leiklip terrain. They are part of an initiative to establish older Khoi traditions in self-sustainable practice. Fresh vetkoek and herbal tea will be served to visitors.