About Us
Who we are
It was in December 2021, during a cannabis training experience at The Canna Club in Plettenberg Bay when we first met. Our conversations revealed a number of affinities: a career path in rural development and gender projects, a feminist point of view and a passion for cannabis and social justice. During the Cape Town Cannabis Expo in March 2022 we met again, we connected with many inspirational women in the industry and were introduced to organizations who have been advocating for cannabis in the Transkei for years. In December 2022 we took a trip to Mpondoland to explore the cultural hub of cannabis in South Africa. For 10 adventurous days we explored the dagga belt, meeting small scale farmers, exploring beautiful landscapes and hearing the most amazing stories from many different families who have been living from cannabis for generations. This experience highlighted to us the need to hold space for the cannabis culture in the dagga belt and inspired us to do something, that is how The Green Hut was founded.
A female led organization that aims to provide support to cannabis farmers in the Eastern Cape using 3 lines of action: content production, community-based tourism and event planning. Our vision is to cultivate a sustainable cannabis economy in the Eastern Cape, which prioritizes those who have preserved the history, tradition and culture of the cannabis plant for generations.
Yanga is an Eastern Cape born daughter of the soil. Driven by passion, she has been working in the development space since 2014, supporting projects in South Africa and across 22 African countries on gender justice, human rights, HIV/Aids and gender equity. She has a masters degree in development studies from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, her passion for cannabis has led her to obtain certificates from Cheeba Cannabis Academy.
Larissa is a Brazilian journalist living in Portugal, but the luggage is always ready to fly to South Africa. She has a master degree in gender and development from Geneva University and worked in development projects in Equador, South Africa and Madagascar. As a journalist, she has covered Human Rights, Cultural and Cannabis topics in Brazil since 2019.
What we want
Cannabis Education
It was in December 2021, during a cannabis training experience at The Canna Club in Plettenberg Bay when we first met. Our conversations revealed a number of affinities: a career path in rural development and gender projects, a feminist point of view and a passion for cannabis and social justice. During the Cape Town Cannabis Expo in March 2022 we met again, we connected with many inspirational women in the industry and were introduced to organizations who have been advocating for cannabis in the Transkei for years. In December 2022 we took a trip to Mpondoland to explore the cultural hub of cannabis in South Africa. For 10 adventurous days we explored the dagga belt, meeting small scale farmers, exploring beautiful landscapes and hearing the most amazing stories from many different families who have been living from cannabis for generations. This experience highlighted to us the need to hold space for the cannabis culture in the dagga belt and inspired us to do something, that is how The Green Hut was founded.
A female led organization that aims to provide support to cannabis farmers in the Eastern Cape using 3 lines of action: content production, community-based tourism and event planning. Our vision is to cultivate a sustainable cannabis economy in the Eastern Cape, which prioritizes those who have preserved the history, tradition and culture of the cannabis plant for generations.
Yanga is an Eastern Cape born daughter of the soil. Driven by passion, she has been working in the development space since 2014, supporting projects in South Africa and across 22 African countries on gender justice, human rights, HIV/Aids and gender equity. She has a masters degree in development studies from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, her passion for cannabis has led her to obtain certificates from Cheeba Cannabis Academy.
Larissa is a Brazilian journalist living in Portugal, but the luggage is always ready to fly to South Africa. She has a master degree in gender and development from Geneva University and worked in development projects in Equador, South Africa and Madagascar. As a journalist, she has covered Human Rights, Cultural and Cannabis topics in Brazil since 2019.
Destigmatize and Raise Awareness
From the consumer perspective, Cannabis education is important because they need to be informed to make their best decision. We aim to have an impact on the urban cannabis consumer culture, educating people about the reality of rural Pondoland, where cannabis is a cash crop in a subsistence economy. We want to inform people about the specific defiant agenda of the locals, indigenous cannabis genetics and how we can preserve it. Education empowers consumers to enjoy cannabis in a safe, enlightened manner and is essential in removing the stigma of the plant.
From policy makers, community and other stakeholders, cannabis education is essential for shifting the stigma lens to a more realistic lens. The lens of fear and stigma can fuel policy that invites over-taxation, lack of access, questionable laws and a big amount of misinformation. Educated and well informed policymakers can create policy that enables safe access, social justice and viable opportunities, keeping the cost of entry into the market low and creating incentives and initiatives for rural poor growers to join the legal market rather than repeating the vicious cycle of repression.
Inclusion of Small-scale rural growers of Pondoland in the legalization process in South Africa
When it comes to cannabis policy in South Africa, the smallholder farmers of Pondoland remain the critical point for a legalization process that compromises social justice. The exorbitant licensing costs enable urban consumers and foreign investors to have much more options in the market, continuously perpetuating the marginalization of rural small-scale growers whose income and subsistence continues to be directly affected. The way that this story is portrayed in the media is still precarious, despite the average annual production of 80 kilograms of cannabis flowers per household in Pondoland rural and isolated areas. Much action planning, data and information are needed to design inclusive policy for these small farmers in the legalization process in South Africa. A communication strategy is key to contributing to a more effective dialogue between the different stakeholders and empowering the communities and their associations.
Cultural Heritage
Cultural heritage as defined by UNESCO, embraces all areas of life, traditions and living expressions inherited from our ancestors and preserved by our descendants. This includes oral traditions, mythologies, all kinds of visual and performing arts, folk music, languages, rituals, festive events, knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts and practices concerning nature and natural resources.
Herbs are a typical multifaceted area of cultural heritage and indigenous Amampondo people have been cultivating different cannabis genetics as a medicinal herb for generations. Their special indigenous knowledge concerning the location, collection and use of cannabis and other herbs must be documented. Their traditional experience-based healing systems, rituals and beliefs must be preserved. The registration of Pondoland genetics is a priority for us. We intend to educate the urban cannabis consumer in order to raise awareness about the Pondoland genetics, landraces, as well as their culture.
Destigmatization is not enough, families in Pondoland have been growing landrace cannabis for centuries, they need to be acknowledged and valued for preserving this natural resource against all odds.
What we do
Content production
We use a developmental and ethnographic approach to create relevant and impactful content about the cannabis culture and economy in the rural villages of Pondoland. We produce reports, articles, and design research grounded in the rural development approach. We understand that the process for improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people living in rural isolated areas has to be according to their terms. Alongside all the relevant stakeholders, we will create an action plan and strategy for improving certain key indicators such as poverty ratio, housing, infrastructure, education, nutritional status, and access to basic amenities through the cannabis economy, while closely monitoring international conventions as key instruments for achieving social change.
We will use an ethnographic approach to collect qualitative data for action research to introduce new insights around community needs and perceptions. We are passionate about research and equally appreciate the value of using candid language that breaks down complexities while maintaining the integrity of data. Using social media content, blog articles, videos, books, podcasts, and customized products, we will disseminate information on dagga, recreating the dagga narrative and economy in the rural villages of Pondoland.
Community-based cannabis tourism
The wild coast is an unspoiled natural treasure with beautiful seaside villages and a rich cultural heritage. The area is strongly marked by history and tradition, as the hub of cannabis culture in South Africa. Water activities like snorkeling and diving give a spectacular experience of the world beneath the waves while spotting lost treasure and other relics from shipwrecks. We will establish pathways to ensure that experiences of this natural gem prioritizes the empowerment of local communities first.
Our Green Hut is still under construction but stay tuned for our upcoming tours. You will taste different landraces and other high-grade cannabis cultivated in the region and explore the amazing Wild Coast while surrounded by the Amampondo culture and hospitable people who are ready to welcome you. Welcoming dab at your own risk!
Events
We provide workshops and training to communities, government and all relevant stakeholders.
We will ensure a more effective presence and representation of rural Pondoland in current expo events already taking place in South Africa, while we get ready to bring annual festivals and expos to the heart of the dagga belt soon!
Customized Products
Yes! Our funding comes from our customized products. We have many designs inspired by the Pondoland culture, geography and the landraces cultivated locally. Shop our T-shirts and tote bags online and don’t miss out on our upcoming products that celebrate cultural heritage and the famous landraces. Follow us on social media and stay tuned to see more!