Olivier, who launched his food security initiative on 21 July in Mozambique to teach refugees on food security, is determined to develop more people in Central South Africa, South Africa, and Mozambique and teach them ways to ensure food security and sustainability. Olivier says with the assistance and approval of the Central University of Technology (CUT), they are developing training DVD’s with a soundtrack. These will be distributed to refugee camps in Mozambique as well as in South Africa. 

On these DVDs and soundtracks, tutors will teach methods and ways to obtain food sustainability and security. Olivier further adds that there is a need for food in poverty-ridden areas, but even a greater need for capacitating and enabling people to grow their own food. Currently, Olivier says, they are looking to develop locals and tutor them on food security in order to have more people preach the gospel of food sustainability, not only on a local scale, but continental. Olivier advises everyone on food security and educating them on how to become independent with regard to food sustainability.

“Food security is not food abundance, food security is food availability and food affordability and food accessibility. People should learn, they should learn to become self-resilient, that’s the only way you’re going to free yourself from slavery."

During his two weeks in Mozambique, Olivier says he learned that the biggest problem in countries such as South Africa and Mozambique itself are the lack of finances in poverty ridden areas. By teaching people ways to plant vegetables, one can save them thousands by not having to buy food, instead planting their own. “When I asked refugees in Mozambique about what skill they would like to learn, more than 75% of them said the ability to produce food and be self-sufficient,” Olivier says.

He trained refugees for two weeks in two provinces in Mozambique on how they can start their own vegetable gardens to ensure food security. Olivier says his first visit was to Nampula, where he visited the Carrupeia compound. Food was given to over 3000 refugees who are fortunate enough to be accommodated by people living in Nampula. Olivier then travelled 50km to the Carrune camp, now home to over 50 000 refugees.

OFM News/Blaine Jones