Thatu's formal funding for the Lotus Gardens School project has ended, but we continue to keep in touch by telephone, as they still do not have email.

The community volunteers continue to harvest vegetables and our fruit trees should bear their first fruit in 2008. Many of the original volunteers have dropped out for various reasons.

But throughout a small but dedicated group has continued. They have produced vegetables for themselves and some to sell.

Leah Maseneke continues to monitor the volunteer gardeners, and feels very positive about the future of the garden. The garden is also of interest to a new deputy head in the school, Mr Lebelo. Their commitment is evident in a plan to enter a Department of Agriculture contest this year.

Thatu's practical help for Lotus Gardens is taking various forms. We have arranged with SEED to send their two training manuals to the school and SEED have also offered the possibility of a free place or places on a course they plan to run in Gauteng in June 2008.

What has not yet happened is any in depth involvement of the pupils [learners] in the school.

The garden could help teachers with many aspects of the national curriculum, but it takes time and commitment to get this underway and the staff are under many pressures.

The wish of St Luke's school in Kingston to continue their relationship with Lotus Gardens may help through hopes that the children in each school build up a relationship around their gardening experiences.

Thatu will continue to support these initiatives.

Leah Maseneke's enthusiasm has not lessened. She even promised that in a few years the project would be able to hand Thatu a cheque back in thanks for the help they had been given!