“We started with five households. Now, we’re working on five hectares, employing 18 people and feeding over 40 families.”

Ayanda Nayo is a South African community leader, mother, and founder of Potsdam Girls (PTY) LTD, an agricultural cooperative based in Potsdam Village, near the coastal city of East London in the Eastern Cape province. Formerly a Supply Chain Manager in the Department of Agriculture, Ayanda made the bold decision to leave government employment to respond to the urgent needs of her rural community—where poverty, unemployment, and youth crime had become widespread. In 2020, amid growing social and economic hardship, Ayanda launched a grassroots initiative that began with simple backyard gardens. Her vision was to combat hunger and restore dignity by helping families grow their own food. What started small, quickly expanded into a five-hectare farming project that now provides food security and income opportunities to more than 40 families.

https://gracamacheltrust.org

"Imagine what it would mean for girls to learn that farming isn’t just for old men, but it’s powerful, dignified, and feeds nations."

Bukeka Buqwana is a South African social entrepreneur and agricultural innovator leading rural transformation in the Eastern Cape. She co-founded Zakhe Youth Development, a farming cooperative that creates sustainable livelihoods for women and youth in under-resourced communities. Originally trained as an electrician, Bukeka turned to agriculture after years of unemployment. In 2017, she began cultivating a small, abandoned plot—laying the groundwork for what would grow into a five-hectare operation supplying supermarkets, schools, and early childhood development centres. Today, her cooperative employs over 20 people, the majority of whom are women.

https://gracamacheltrust.org

“It’s about restoring our pride, claiming space, and ensuring that the next generation inherits not just land but a future.”

Verdra Brown is a farmer, agro-processor, and community leader based in Nyarai, a rural village in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. After a career in higher education, Verdra returned home during the COVID-19 pandemic and revived her family’s smallholding. She founded All Things Last Lap, an agro-processing and beekeeping business inspired by two surviving beehives left by her late mother. Through this venture, she trains and mentors local women in sustainable agriculture and beekeeping, supporting over 20 women through cooperatives. Verdra’s work is deeply rooted in legacy-building, sustainability, and community development, blending traditional knowledge with modern agro-processing techniques.

Verdra also serves as the operations manager of her daughter’s NGO, which is based on the family farm. The NGO tutors nearly 200 children in mathematics and English. Together, they run an after-school programme, creating a safe and nurturing space for children in their community.

https://gracamacheltrust.org