The ‘power of the collaborative collective’ is an important principle at Mhani Gingi. Not only do we believe that together, more can be achieved. Mhani Gingi also recognizes that partnerships provide for more powerful collaboration as each entity brings to the project their distinctive expertise and their particular emphasis. Mhani Gingi’s continued successes are a result of the many productive partnerships we have formed.
HOPE AFRICA COLLECTIVE
Hope Africa Collective is an organisation situated in Cape Town which exists to bring sustainable solutions to developing potential, transforming communities, and overcoming poverty. The organisation believes in holistically investing in the youth of Philippi and surrounding communities to build dignity, worth, and employment and entrepreneurial skills. Their social enterprises – AfriCube Box Solutions and The Printery – help provide the support needed to sustain these critical community development programmes. Hope Africa Collective’s AfriCube Box Solutions re-purposed, designed and refurbished a previously-owned shipping container into the energy efficient, state-of-the art Mhani Gingi Agri-Processing Hub which was officially launched in August 2021.
ORIBI VILLAGE
Oribi Village describes itself as an impact incubator supporting entrepreneurs by providing programmes for skills development, training and support—with a focus on developing resilient solutions to achieve SDG goals and engender social, economic and environmental justice. Oribi’s mission is to connect business opportunities between all actors of the ecosystem around values of inclusion, social and environmental impact. Oribi Village sees the crossover of formal and informal business economies as the next great frontier of Africa. Mhani Gingi was a participant in the pilot Oribi Village Food System Incubation Programme delivered in 2019 to support social entrepreneurs, organisations and innovators working towards a sustainable, collaborative and equitable food system.
WE CAN CHANGE OUR WORLD
We Can Change Our World is an online media and news platform showcasing, connecting and communicating social and environmental developments with the view to facilitate and optimize collaboration between the stakeholders – Government, businesses, non-profit organisations and service providers – for the GREATER GOOD, for everyone in South Africa and the world. Cheryl Harper, founder of We Can Change Our World, has introduced Mhani Gingi to prospective funders and brings visitors to events at the Mhani Gingi Centre of Social Entrepreneurial Excellence in Athlone, Cape Town.
FRESH LIFE PRODUCE
Fresh Life Produce promote meaningful economic participation by empowering vulnerable groups, and especially women, with skills, technology and support to improve their lives and their communities through urban agriculture. Fresh Life Produce designed the compact African Grower food system to assist low income and food insecure households to produce their own food. Fresh Life Produce and Mhani Gingi Social Entrepreneurial Network, serving as the implementing agent, placed 94 of the vertical growing systems in vulnerable households on the Cape Flats in March 2021 in an initiative which was supported by the Department of Agriculture in the Western Cape Province.
LADLES OF LOVE
Ladles of Love feeds hungry people throughout Cape Town and has expanded dramatically to meet the growing need since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. The organisation’s mission is to get millions of nutritious meals to communities safely and efficiently, providing a sense of relief and hope to the hungry, for as long as they possibly can. Since May 2020, Mhani Gingi has received weekly donations of vegetables and other supplies from the Ladles of Love initiative, to boost Mhani Gingi’s Soup Stations operating in Mannenberg/Athlone, Uitsig/Ravensmead and Retreat in Cape Town. Ladles of Love also sponsored equipment for the Mhani Gingi Community Food Kitchen.
LEAP SCIENCE AND MATHS SCHOOLS
LEAP Science and Maths Schools is a national organisation that strives for the positive transformation of communities by providing Maths and science-focused education to economically disadvantaged students. LEAP Schools also undertake other community-upliftment initiatives. Mhani Gingi and LEAP Schools in Cape Town partnered to create a sustainable food gardening project in Zone 17 in Langa, Cape Town, that was funded by Pegasys as a Corporate Social Investment project. Two women residents from Zone 17 are employed in the community food garden which produces food for consumption and sharing with the surrounding community, as well as surplus for sale.
1.6 MILLION CLUB
The 1.6 Million Club Sweden is a non-profit organisation that creates awareness and spreads information concerning women’s health and lifestyle issues as well as lobbying for equal, gender-based, medical research. The 1.6 Million Club Sweden works with all areas related to women’s well-being and health. The 1.6 Million Club Sweden and Mhani Gingi have partnered to deliver women’s health events and conferences in South Africa as well as the Women’s Innovation Trade Fair held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in 2016. The 1.6 Million Club together with Yennenga Progress accelerator for development partnered with Mhani Gingi in the Family Unit Participative Conference presented in South Africa in August 2017.
