Minister Tasneem Essop opened the event as it formed part of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning's (EA&DP) Women's Month Programme which aimed to empower women with skills they can not only use in their day-to-day lives, but also to create small businesses from.
The South African National Botanical Institute taught the participants how to get the best from the soil. The department discussed the projects they will embark upon to empower women and the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board Cape Metro Unit presented different types of plants, which can make a difference in daily living. In addition to this, chainsaw-bearing women from Vusithemba (to awaken hope) demonstrated their work in cutting down alien vegetation and using bluegum trees to make recreational park facilities for their local communities.
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board Cape Metro Unit (WCNCB) and the National Botanical Institute (NBI), co-hosted the event.
