CO-OP TO RE-ESTABLISH GENADENDAL AS A SELF-RELIANT COMMUNITY

January 2022, Klipheuwel Wind Farm

Living Grace Primary Agricultural Co-Operative is a step closer to achieving its vision of helping re-establishing Genadendal as a self-sufficient and self-reliant community, as was the case in earlier times. With development funding received from Globeleq South Africa, this small co-op has been able to attain a tractor, agri supplies, and office equipment to support its production efforts and local youth training programme.

Realising that most of this small town’s local community receives their food supplies, including vegetables, from outside sources, much of which is of low nutritional value, the co-op set a plan in place to change this. The aim is to help restore the community’s self-reliance and its increased access to nutrient-dense food, whilst also providing viable livelihoods and employment opportunities for local unemployed youth.

The Co-op furthermore provides the local community with free seeds and low-cost seedlings in addition to coaching community members and providing advice on self-subsistence.

‘The proceeds from these seedling and vegetable sales provide the five members of our co-op with an income so that we can also grow and sell our produce commercially and in the surrounding towns. We hope to supply as far as Cape Town and to continue to empower the local youth through teaching them the skills needed to produce food, which in turn cultivates a love of nature and a commitment to sustainable agriculture,” said Lazaan Swarts, Project Manager of Living Grace Primary Agricultural Co-Operative.

Globeleq South Africa has a keen focus on funding the development of community agricultural projects with the view of helping communities become more sustainable and self-sufficient. Furthermore, the nearby Klipheuwel Wind Farm, which is part of the company’s portfolio of renewable energy projects, supports a number of agricultural SMME’s and farming co-ops.

“Farming is one of the biggest economic drivers in our country and we believe that ongoing support of this sector will help to address socio-economic development challenges, including local employment, whilst we help to build community-owned entities,” said Economic Development Manager for Globeleq South Africa, Parmas Chetty.
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CO-OP TO RE-ESTABLISH GENADENDAL AS A SELF-SUFFICIENT AND SELF-RELIANT COMMUNITY

Living Grace is a registered agricultural Co-Operative based at the Moravian Mission, in Genadendal, where they have established a nursery on the grounds. The Co-Op comprises five members, two of which are women, with the stakes being equally divided amongst the members.

Twenty local youths have already received agricultural training and development with the support of the Public Works Department of their local municipality.