Goodbye our Hero Flora Maswanganyi,
ESAFF has lost one of her stronger and experience leader Mrs. Flora Maswanganyi. Ms. Maswanganyi chairperson of ESAFF South Africa and Board member of ESAFF regional networks suddenly passed on 21st January 2019.
She served in the ESAFF Board since 2013 after she became the ESAFF South Africa Board Chairperson. In May 2015 she was overwhelmingly elected ESAFF Regional Vice Chairperson, as she served until December 2018.
Flora a mother, a community mobilizer, a poultry and vegetable farmer was born on 31st April 1961 at Waterberg, Warmbath District in the Republic of South Africa.
In her short time with ESAFF, Flora was very instrumental in linking ESAFF into global policies as well as civil society organizations. She connected well smallholder farmer’s issues with other organizations like the Ecumenical Justice Network (EJN) and Oxfam in to the BRICs initiatives. BRICS is an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The BRICS members are known for their significant influence on regional affairs; all are members of G20. South Africa hosted the most recent 10th BRICS summit in July 2018.
Flora also linked ESAFF to the global movement on Peoples Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS). The Philippines based PCFS is a growing network of various grassroots groups of small food producers particularly of peasant-farmer organisations and their support NGOs, working towards a People’s Convention on Food Sovereignty. PCFS engages in global and regional campaigns and advocacies to promote small-scale food producers’ right to food security and food sovereignty, or control over their food systems.
Recently she was engaged with the newly established initiatives under La via Campesina on healthy Food systems in Africa.
Flora is survived by husband, a daughter and three grandchildren
ESAFF was blessed to learn many valuable lessons from Flora, who will sincerely be remembered for her wisdom, charm, positive mind and hard working..
Rest Easy Legend!