Sometimes, a crime victim takes the law into their own hands. And retired South African police officer Johan Scott did just that – although he had a rather novel approach to returning the favor.

Johan Scott, a retired policeman from Heidelberg, South Africa, may have had quite the shock when he got out of bed one morning. Why? Well, that’s because Scott discovered that someone had broken into his property while he was asleep. And, as it turns out, the thief – or, indeed, thieves – in question had taken some unusual goods: vegetables, including a cauliflower, from Scott’s kitchen garden.

Rather than getting the authorities involved, however, Scott decided to take matters into his own hands. But he didn’t arm himself and hunt down the individual or individuals responsible in a vigilante-like manner. Instead, he grabbed a shovel and took a more novel approach.

Scott himself, meanwhile, had enjoyed a long and successful career with the police, working to make his part of South Africa a safer place. But although he is proud of his service, the 62-year-old knows that there is still a lot of crime to be tackled in the country. In addition, he’d noticed that there are a lot of people going hungry in his neck of the woods.

To put it another way, Scott was unhappy but not surprised to discover the theft of his vegetables. After all, according to one study, over a quarter of South Africa’s population have experienced difficulties in obtaining food. Additionally, at least seven million people there go hungry on a regular basis, it’s said.

What’s more, the issue of food poverty has become a national concern that has even been brought to public attention by a member of South Africa’s parliament. Unfortunately, solutions haven’t been easy to implement, such is the size of the country and the scale of the problem. That didn’t stop Scott from apparently deciding to treat the vegetable theft as a call to action, however.

And, to that end, he dug up the sidewalk outside his own property to create a new vegetable patch. Then, he planted all sorts of items, including tomatoes, eggplants and beans. The garden itself isn’t different for what’s grown there, though; rather, it’s because Scott has subsequently offered his produce to anyone who wants to come and pick it.

In view of South Africa’s hunger problems, then, Scott has performed a remarkable act of kindness. But it’s not just the locals who come to pick Scott’s vegetables who have got something out of the deal; the former policeman has found himself lifted by the whole experience, too.

Indeed, Scott would go on to say to South African website News24, “It warms my heart when people eat my vegetables.” He added, “That is why I planted this [garden], because the people are hungry, they need this.” Furthermore, news of Scott’s generosity would also spread on social media, where users were vocal in their support and admiration.

For instance, one Facebook user wrote in response to a post on the social network by newspaper Rapport, “[Johan Scott is] a man with a heart of gold and an example to us all.” Another said, meanwhile, “Here’s to decreasing the number of people who go to bed hungry.” In addition, several people even offered gardening implements or seeds to help with Scott’s effort.

And Scott’s work in front of his home has proven inspirational in a country where more and more people are creating community gardens. Certainly, it seems to have touched Sipho Simelane, who lives in Midvaal, south of Johannesburg.

Indeed, Simelane would write on Facebook, “My family would like to give land for free, one hectare of agricultural land, to people who would love to farm or start a community garden project. I was inspired by a selfless gentleman, Johan Scott, a retired policeman from Heidelberg.”

“I’m NOT a farmer,” Simelane continued, “[but I] would like to see this land used and would like any child, family, church or company that can put their ideas, time, skill [and] resources to get this going and use this [one hectare] to plant and feed the hungry. Let’s put our money where our mouths are.”

And Scott and Simelane aren’t the only ones to try to help feed their communities through vegetable gardens,. Sergeant Sibongiseni Mkhize has also started to cultivate a plot at her police station in Estcourt, about 100 miles northwest of Durban, for instance. But although this particular garden does also offer food to the community, that isn’t its sole function.

In essence, the garden project also seeks to both educate and train Estcourt’s youth; police hope, for example, that the young people involved in tending the plot will be less likely to commit crime. This includes social crime as well as the theft of food to feed themselves and their families.

And Captain Nqobile Gwala of the South African Police Service would explain to The Mercury in November 2017, “The garden was established in August 2017 and is a teaching tool.” She added, “Youth from Estcourt are invited to the police station where they are taught how to plant and tend a garden. The aim of this project is to encourage the youth to start their own gardens in their communities.”

Sergeant Mkhize, meanwhile, has chosen to also go out into the community in her spare time to teach local people about gardening. Additionally, she encourages people to use leftover household water to grow their own plants.

Image: Naoto Anazawa via Kadena Air Base

As for what’s grown in the Estcourt garden? Well, Captain Gwala continued, “The vegetables are donated to members of the community who visit clinics and need to eat a healthy meal while taking medication. Other recipients are households where there is no breadwinner.”

“[Mkhize] started out with a few packs of seeds she bought herself,” Captain Gwala went on. “Since then, a local farmer saw the initiative and supplied more seeds, which Mkhize has distributed to schools and the community so that they may start their own gardens.”

Meanwhile, South Africa’s parliament is taking steps to try to alleviate food shortages across the country by making sure that there is a regular supply in all regions. To this end, the new official objective is to increase food production by smallholders and household producers.

And Dr. Tsakani Ngomane, from the Department of Environmental Affairs, would further remark to digital newsletter Parleybeat in November 2017, “Although food security is the main objective, profitability is also essential.” By marrying the two together, then, hopefully hunger will become a thing of the past for the people of South Africa.