In 2018, Bathurst artist Tori Stowe decided to fight depression about the state of the country with daily acts of kindness — even when winter killed her 50 fruit trees.

“In 2018 — what with [former president Jacob] Zuma and the awful drought — I got so depressed about living in South Africa that I decided to emigrate,” said Stowe.

“But we couldn’t leave because our only son was happy in school, with nine years to go. I decided to dedicate as much of those nine years as possible to positive change.

“I decided to be kind in every way I could.”

Her first attempts to set up her staff members with their own business failed.

“I purchased all their equipment and starting stock and arranged training. We have an art and craft gallery, so the outlet for their products was in place. I didn’t see how it could go wrong, but it did. Very! Screen printing, soap making, pottery and a nursery fell flat, with work stopping the moment I stopped assisting. I realised entrepreneurs are a rare breed, but also that I had tried to impose my ideas on others.

“I decided to look for people already doing things and help them rather. I did business cards for several micro businesses — social media marketing for them, networking, and bought basic equipment. I gave people lifts when they were walking in the sun, and helped out in little ways by buying school shoes for kids in need. This worked really well. I started going into Nolukhanyo more often,” she said. Nolukhanyo is the informal settlement near Bathurst.

“I noticed quite a few beautiful vegetable gardens. I rushed home and planted 50 fruit trees. It was winter and they all died, but the idea grew. As spring came I continued to plant granadillas, figs, gooseberries and avocados. Whatever we ate I planted.

“I started distributing 20 plants a month, including whatever else I had grown: flowers, herbs and hedges. I gave these to people already growing vegetables. Friends gave me seeds to distribute … and I realised that I’d hit on something really useful.”

Then lockdown came and  Bathurst residents started donating to the less fortunate in their town.

“We still live in a very divided community. There is Bathurst, predominantly white and wealthy, and Nolukhanyo, predominantly black and poor. The year before there had been a lot of political unrest in Nolukhanyo — the EFF protesting about services and burning down all services buildings, and violently blocking traffic on main roads, pulling people out of their cars and robbing and assaulting them. Tensions were high; we were nervous.

The Gogo Project helps the elderly to grow food. (Photo: Tori Stowe)

“There was also the coronavirus that we were all hiding from … Anyway, as most of the kindly people who were collecting goods were elderly, I was the one chosen to distribute the goods.

“I cannot tell you how nervous I was that first time. There was an almost audible fear and tension in the air, exacerbated by the fact that the roads were entirely empty and the village was a ghost town.

“I was scared I’d be attacked. I was scared I would catch Covid-19 and die. But I was wrong. Everyone was friendly and grateful!”

The community gathered 2,000 parcels for those less fortunate and Stowe distributed them.

“During the distribution, we mapped the village. We identified families in need and noticed who was growing food. As soon as the lockdown ended we changed our mandate to food gardens and continued to collect funds for seeds, seedlings, citrus trees, tools, wheelbarrows and fencing.

“I do this mostly off my own bat, with much help from random people and organisations. Nolukhanyo Grow is funded almost entirely by friends and family. Growing food is really, really cheap. For two years we have supported over 70 home food gardens. I stopped counting when all neighbours started planting, too. We also support eight crèches or school gardens and a clinic garden. Most of these gardens did not exist before,” she said.

Growing movement

More donations came in, including R10,000 for one big project.

Stowe used this money to fence off Phumelela Special School’s vegetable garden, install water tanks and a wheelchair ramp, build a box to grow potatoes and start a worm farm. “We also started an as yet unresolved argument with Eskom about electricity to the school.”

In 2021, dams ran dry because of the drought, just as Bathurst was hit by a municipal infrastructure crisis and dry taps.

Stowe soldiered on.

“With donations from Jojo, Bathurst Community Trust and Rhodes University, we provided and installed water tanks for all the schools and crèches in Nolukhanyo. We did the same for about 10 of our best food gardeners.

“Every month, except January and February when it is too hot, we do our rounds twice a month, providing seeds, seedlings, fertiliser and netting. We provide fencing and gates made from pallets donated by our local Buco,” Stowe said.

“The seedlings are provided by two local growers, providing them with a source of income. Where possible, we use and encourage local small businesses.

“We built a pallet fence for Seven Days Crèche, making the most wonderful garden of 2021. It cost basically nothing. Over the December holidays, goats, chickens and pigs transformed it back to the ground! But it is up and thriving again.”

Growing the community

Next, she linked up with Vetpaw (American Veterans for Wildlife), which raised funds for the special school’s electricity, paint for an aftercare centre and uniforms for the local 35-member soccer team known as the Destroyers. Stowe fundraised for the local volleyball team.

Stowe auctioned off her drawings to raise R9,000 for animals to be spayed and designed a calendar that raised R100,000 for an animal welfare organisation.

One R5,000 donation bought gardening equipment, including wheelbarrows.

“In a place where cars are not commonly owned, many people make a living transporting goods by wheelbarrow, so they’re a great thing to donate,” said Stowe.

“Life is extremely hard in the township; one can’t even begin to imagine. There are also cultural lines, which I blunder over sometimes, but I have decided not to overthink things and to blunder away, learning as I go what works and what doesn’t work, and that sometimes nothing works, and then to move on,” she said.

“I love handing out balls. I buy them everywhere I go and give them to random kids. Sport is such a positive outlet for kids with loads of time and space.”

And as she drove around Stowe began to collect clothes and blankets for winter.

“That was 2021. It was pretty exhausting. This is not my job; I am a full-time freelance artist, which means I don’t just have to do my job but make it up first. I got Covid twice … so I took a break.

Food for thought

“We started again at the end of February in 2022 with 1,200 seedlings and seed potatoes going into the ground. Local vegetable farmer Geoff Bladen donated four huge sacks of seed potatoes.”

The Gogo Project helps elderly people to develop food gardens.

“It is simple to help others. You just have to want to and it happens. If someone like me, with no money or resources, can do so much, what would happen if we all did? Depending on a failing government is a recipe for frustration and anger … right or wrong, it is up to the community to heal this country.

“Kindness has a momentum I never experienced before,” Stowe added.

This year her work has been severely disrupted by power cuts.

“I am giving the gardens a bit of a break at the moment to see which ones can run by themselves. We have been giving out full sets of summer seeds so we can be up and running when summer comes,” she said.

“These small acts of kindness have completely changed my outlook. It is really lovely being part of the solution. It is really, really empowering.”

The food gardens have been critical in helping community members to weather the current cost-of-living crisis.

“Everything in these gardens is used; nothing gets wasted. Except maybe when the chickens get there first.” DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R29. DM168 is available for sale at all retail stores from Saturday, 19 August.