Based in the village of Cholsey, a benevolent community has set up Choko: a community project that links Cholsey with a World Vision Area Development Programme (ADP) called Kodumela.

Choko helps support the project in the Limpopo area of South Africa which has been named Kodumela, (dig deep) (hence the project name combines the village and project names).

Support is given through school and church links, child sponsorships, raising funds to provide items such as sewing machines and seed money to support local projects, such as a beadwork project. Choko’s largest completed project to date was the fundraising of around £25,000 used to build and equip a special needs centre started by a local mother of a disabled child. The group previously met in a derelict church but were able to obtain a plot (from the local chief) on which to build.

Choko is fundraising to support a rainwater harvesting project. This project is being integrated with other World Vision (ADP) projects such as the child sponsorship programme, an economic development project and HIV and Aids project. Since starting, the project has already trained 300 out of the target group of 840 households in using the roof-to-garden watering system. A further 150 families have implemented trench gardening and will be the next to receive the training and harvesting material.

These gardens are also producing sufficient vegetables for the families to sell produce on the local market, bringing in some income to support the family. More importantly, having the vegetables to include in their diets this is contributing to the reduction of malnutrition, which in turn means people are a bit more resilient to HIV.

In addition to the family gardens, nine communal gardens have been established, which supply vegetables to the orphan and vulnerable children feeding schemes and also have sufficient to be sold. This is a vital scheme for the community and much more fundraising and support is needed.

If you would like to be involved Choko is hosting a Q&A session with Choko members and World Vision Project Manager, Mrs Ledile Mphahlele, who will be visiting as a result of Choko’s special fundraising, at St Mary’s Church, Cholsey, on Wednesday, May 25, 7.30pm. For more information contact info@choko.org.uk or visit www.choko.org.uk