"Get on the bus to meet Abundance!" sounds the luxurious invitation to the Expo in Sustainable Livelihood soon to be held at Schoemansdal Environmental Centre in the Western Soutpansberg.

"Abundance is really what a sustainable living is all about, for everyone and all their descendents," says Paul Barker, presenter of a workshop in Permaculture at the Expo.

"Permaculture," he says, "is the thoughtful design of a system of farming and gardening that uses and combines all available resources, such as soil, water, climate, human resources, waste materials and local knowledge.

"Permaculture advocates a diversity of plants and species which really breed resilience of crops; it is a matter of not putting all your eggs in one basket - there isn’t an economist in the world that wouldn’t agree with that!" he laughs.

"The aim of the Expo is to show the use of indigenous knowledge and appropriate technologies associated with sustainable development," says Nicholas Heinamann, project manager and director of Afristar, a foundation campaigning for sustainable development in Africa.

"It will also highlight the meaning and potential contribution that the proposed Vhembe Biosphere Reserve can have on the district".

The Expo is the first of its kind in the Limpopo province and provides an excellent opportunity to familiarise oneself with the principles of a sustainable future for the Soutpansberg region in particular.

"Statistics from Limpopo show that most adults have no income, that the major source of income is pensions and grants and that unemployment is one of the key problems that leads to severe poverty. Serious consideration needs to be given to job creation and entrepreneurial activities in the area, an aspect that will be highlighted by the various workshops during the Expo," says Nicholas.

The Expo is running for four days, from August 29 until September 1, and is presented by the Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism in conjunction with the Lesheba Community Trust.

Exhibitions and workshops will cover permaculture and organic gardens for food security, indigenous medicinal gardens for primary and preventative health care, alternative energy for rural development, water harvesting, low-tech sanitation models, Venda indigenous knowledge and textiles, woodcarving and pottery, School Environmental Educational Development, Eco-Schools and other income-generating projects.

Residents of Kutama/Sinthumule already felt the stirrings of a ‘new wind’ blowing through their community in the form of the bright murals on the bus stops all along the road between Madombidzha and Tshikwarani. These colourful sequences of murals tell the story of a boy called Freedom who gets on the bus to meet the voluptuous Abundance…a tree bearing many, wonderful and nutritious fruits!

"Although we focus on the Western Soutpansberg and provide free transport for residents from Kutama and Sinthumule, the Expo (Tano, in Tshivenda) is open for everyone with a desire to learn how simple it can be to create food security for your family and how possible it is to live a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle," says Nicholas.

The free, daily workshops will have two or more sessions of one to three hours and start at 08:30 and 14:00 in the afternoons.