Esizayo Organics training empowers the community
Already 45 students have been trained, with the number expected to reach 75 students in total through their partnership with Esizayo Organics.
Esizayo Organics showcased its urban aquaponics project at the Park Rynie Technical College, recently.
Present were representatives of the projects funders from Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA), MP Narend Singh, MPL Eddie Baptie, Department of Economic Development, National Youth Development Agency, Department of Agriculture, Social Development, Mother of Peace (NPO) and students trained by Esizayo Organics.
The directors of Esizayo Organics are brothers, Jarryd-Michael and Reece Ramdial.
Esizayo specialises in urban aquaponics farming, indigenous and exotic fruit trees, training in aquaponics and permaculture, and are suppliers of commercial and home aquaponic systems.
Aquaponic farming is a method that uses components of fish, plants, and bacteria.
Using this method, one can grow any vegetable without using chemicals- it is a more sustainable farming method as it saves space, water, and time.
This farming method uses a pump filtration system to maintain water circulation within tanks. An air pump is utilised to oxygenate the water body, while a filter pump is used to pump water along pipes into the filtration system.
Water is pumped into a bio-mechanical filtration, which maintains water quality and allows nutrients from waste to be deposited into grow beds. These beds house the plants in net cups with lycca rocks to maintain posture.
The roots of these plants are submerged in the water body, where they access a steady supply of organically produced nutrients from fish.
Speaking at the event, Mr Rajen Naidoo from CHIETA, said, “As funders CHIETA is proud of the success of the project as it will benefit many communities.”
Already 45 students have been trained, with the number expected to reach 75 students in total through their partnership with Esizayo Organics.
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Students, who also received business training, can start their businesses.
“I encourage students to take ownership of the training they have received, start their own business, and not be reliant on government. As CHIETA, we are proud to say that from this partnership with Esizayo Organics, there will now be 75 new start-up businesses achieved,” said Mr Naidoo.
Member of Parliament, Mr Narend Singh congratulated the Ramdial brothers on the project.
He challenged the Department of Agriculture to get the Ugu and Umdoni Municipalities to introduce the project to the rural areas as it is worth investing in. He also encouraged the students to use the skills they obtained from the training.
“This project model is the kind of venture which can positively contribute to climate change, assist with food security, and I intend to share it with as many people as it is about building communities,” said Mr Singh.
The event was emceed by Mr Ray Ramdial of Park Rynie Technical College, who stated that many new projects are often started but lack continuity- he hoped the community will be empowered through this project.
Congratulatory messages were relayed by the various departments present, who also indicated they would take the project to their department.
