Our Story
We are Mancoba, Akirah & Olaifa Hlatshwako, founders of Ubuntu Permaculture Mission Inc.
Ubuntu Permaculture Mission Inc is a non-profit organization based in New Jersey that focuses on improving the holistic well-being of urban and rural communities through permaculture education, green jobs creation, ecotourism, market access, and networking collaboration for organic farmers. As an organization we aim to promote the practice of sustainable lifestyles that centers caring for people, caring for the earth and mutual sharing with mother nature.
The story of Ubuntu Permaculture Mission Inc started in the kingdom of Eswatini located in Southern Africa where our co-founders Mancoba & Akirah met during her Peace Corps service in 2017. Mancoba worked diligently with his partner Mike Wong to start Sani Farms in his home village of Bhunya as a direct result of lack of access to education around growing food indigenously. Starting Sani Farms opened up many opportunities for Mancoba to teach permaculture practices to his community and also work towards restoring the soil in his country through his successful compost operations.
In 2021, Mancoba moved to Newark, New Jersey to join his wife Akirah. During his first year in Newark he noticed the lack of access to fresh and organic produce, the lack of education around sustainable food growing practices and overall the remnants of a food desert stricken community post covid-19 and wanted to do something to address the issue. Mancoba and Akirah joined the GrowNYC beginner farmers program and learned tangible skills and received invaluable technical assistance to support the mission God had placed on their hearts.
In October 2022, Mancoba & Akirah Hlatshwako were feeling more inspired than ever and were finally ready to share their vision with the world to address food insecurity in both urban and rural communities in NJ and across the African Diaspora. Thus Ubuntu Permaculture Mission Inc. was founded.
Ubuntu Permaculture Mission Inc is a non-profit organization based in New Jersey that focuses on improving the holistic well-being of urban and rural communities through permaculture education, green jobs creation, ecotourism, market access, and networking collaboration for organic farmers. As an organization we aim to promote the practice of sustainable lifestyles that centers caring for people, caring for the earth and mutual sharing with mother nature.
The story of Ubuntu Permaculture Mission Inc started in the kingdom of Eswatini located in Southern Africa where our co-founders Mancoba & Akirah met during her Peace Corps service in 2017. Mancoba worked diligently with his partner Mike Wong to start Sani Farms in his home village of Bhunya as a direct result of lack of access to education around growing food indigenously. Starting Sani Farms opened up many opportunities for Mancoba to teach permaculture practices to his community and also work towards restoring the soil in his country through his successful compost operations.
In 2021, Mancoba moved to Newark, New Jersey to join his wife Akirah. During his first year in Newark he noticed the lack of access to fresh and organic produce, the lack of education around sustainable food growing practices and overall the remnants of a food desert stricken community post covid-19 and wanted to do something to address the issue. Mancoba and Akirah joined the GrowNYC beginner farmers program and learned tangible skills and received invaluable technical assistance to support the mission God had placed on their hearts.
In October 2022, Mancoba & Akirah Hlatshwako were feeling more inspired than ever and were finally ready to share their vision with the world to address food insecurity in both urban and rural communities in NJ and across the African Diaspora. Thus Ubuntu Permaculture Mission Inc. was founded.