Our Conservancy is involved in numerous projects that are aligned to our collective vision and the requirements set out for conservancies nationwide.
Over the years, numerous projects have been undertaken in the community to assist and uplift the workers and their families, such as knitting and sewing classes for the women; licences for drivers, farm training courses, reading and writing lessons for adults; extra reading lessons for children, clothing and stationery for school children, as well as equipment, furniture and support of their school hostels in town.
Our fund raising efforts have put the members of the Camdeboo Conservancy in the fortunate position to have been able to support and nurture the people who live and work in the Conservancy, whilst additionally having been able to make sizable donations to local charitable organisations outside of the Conservancy.
The very popular annual Hunt Weekend has been an anchor in our fund raising efforts, which has now been supplemented, since 2020, by the Camdeboo Cycle Challenge.
It should be noted that these, and other smaller fund raising events, involve many of the landowners and the workers. Truly a team effort.
The members of the Conservancy identify new opportunities for skills development for the farm workers and their immediate families.
To date the Conservancy has offered tractor driving and chainsaw operating courses as well as computer literacy courses for Spandau Secondary School in Graaff-Reinet. A crochet project was offered to the female workers and was successfully completed, with some who have grown their skills into their own business.
Various members monitor the school children’s progress, or lack of, and this lead to the Conservancy currently employing a teacher to assist the grade R to grade 7 learners at the local school in Graaff-Reinet. This enables the staff’s children to go for extra lessons twice a week to correct any reading problems.
The members also supply regular support in the form of annual vouchers for school uniforms and supplying scientific calculators to the school going children. Rugby and soccer balls are also donated to the local schools to provide entertainment for the children who stay at the boarding schools during the term.
