Cape Town – A British pensioner couple in Noordhoek have relaunched a jam-making project that aims to empower the local disadvantaged community by teaching them jam-making skills.
Lilian Bron-Davis said she and her husband, Ben Davis, had initiated the project 15 years ago at the Loboni Centre in Hout Bay.
She said they were starting their “Money for Jam” project with apricots donated by a Paarl fruit farm owning German couple, who will also hand them plums in February.
Sugar, jam jars, lemons and large stainless steel saucepans had been assembled at her home to teach volunteers.
Among them are the couple’s gardener, Mexin Madonci from Masiphumelele. and domestic worker Vivian Mjongile from Khayelitsha, who were cooking the jam in two large pots.
“We will be continuing with our next (jam) production today for about three to four hours at the Noordhoek Farm Village, and hopefully the week after at the Masiphumelele High School kitchen, as we have applied to the headmaster for permission to involve the school’s children as our future jam-making learners,” said Bron-Davis.
Her husband and French chef Franck Dangereux supervise the jam-making sessions.
The jam would be sold at the Noordhoek Farm Village Wednesday Market, with 90% of the income of the project going to the jam-makers, said Bron-Davis.
“The jam-makers will get all the profit, after sugar and gas costs have been deducted. The jam-makers will use the money to fund food, next year’s school uniforms and books,” said Bron-Davis.