03 Sep 2022 Summer 2022 Updates
Trygive Nxumalo, A Spring of Hope Permaculture Manager
As a child Trygive Nxumalo’s father always taught him about gardening so gardening was always “in his blood”. In 2008 he was hired as a General Worker at Senianya Primary School. In 2011 he started taking Permaculture Classes and established a permaculture garden at the school. In 2013 he was chosen for the first class of the Acornhoek Leadership Forum. While part of the Leadership Forum he decided to start a community garden. There was a lot of interest in the community in permaculture, so he started working with people in his village to start home gardens. At that time very few people had home gardens because of the scarcity of water. He continued his education in permaculture and taught others in his community as he was learning. One by one the home gardens started to spring up and today there are 267 home gardens in his village, due to his efforts.
Trygive is a one-of-a-kind person–always happy, enthusiastic, passionate, and generous. Trygive began working for A Spring of Hope in 2017 as A Spring of Hope’s School Liaison. He helped create new programs at our partner schools. We are thrilled to have him in his new position as A Spring of Hope’s Permaculture Manager.
Nombuso Mazibuko, School Liaison
After completing school, Nombuso Mazibuko became a Chairperson of the School Governing Board for Buhlebamangwe Primary School in KZN Nquthu. In 2010 she got her first job from The David Rattary Foundation to build rammearth classrooms. The first school she built was in her community. In 2014 she joined Rammteck as a Site Manager. She constructed and led rammearth builds throughout South Africa. During her 11 years in construction, she built rammearth sanitation facilities in different provinces for Rand Water and A Spring of Hope. Nombuso holds certificates in carpentry, masonry, glazing, project planning, quality assessment, basic surveying, entrepreneurship, managing construction resources and a few more.
Nombuso is a great asset to A Spring of Hope’s Team as School Liaison. She has strong relationships with the schools throughout the Mpumalanga and Limpopo region and she supports A Spring of Hope’s partner schools by completing project assessments, introducing new ASOH programs to the schools, and assisting schools in management of their borehole and sanitation facilities to promote ownership and sustainability.
Emily Cupo, Executive Director
Emily Cupo graduated Temple University with a BA in Cultural Anthropology December 2017. Emily has been working with A Spring of Hope since 2013 and has been a team member since 2018. During her time with A Spring of Hope, Emily has created A Spring of Hope’s Drop In the Bucket program that educates US students on the World Water Crisis, A Spring of Hope’s Food Security Lecture series that educates US students on permaculture and food security in Acornhoek SA, and their Girl Empowerment program that supports girls at A Spring of Hope’s Partner Schools through a Girls’ Club and a Menstrual Hygiene Cup program.
As A Spring of Hope’s Executive Director, Emily is leading A Spring of Hope to further their impact with their partner schools that will help to build community and provide valuable resources and services to communities throughout Mpumalanga, South Africa. In addition to her work with A Spring of Hope, Emily is also a proud board member and President Elect of Portland New Generations Rotary Club in Portland Oregon.
Celebrating Morei Primary School’s Permaculture Students
This month we celebrated Morei Primary School’s Garden Team!
These students have been working hard in their school garden learning new permaculture techniques and maintaining their garden. They designed their new school garden and since planting they have maintained their garden beautifully. To celebrate their achievement we brought them to Thulani Private Villa for a fun day. They enjoyed lunch and a special game drive led by Thulani’s Tracker, Kelvin.
We are very proud of these students and we are excited to see their garden continue to thrive!
Every donation helps us bring WASH+ solutions to our partner schools. This includes, clean water, improved sanitation, sustainable gardens, safer kitchens, after school programs, enterprise development courses, and female empowerment programs!