A second Valcare in Action event was hosted by Valcare on Tuesday 24 April 2018 in the form of a Klapmuts walkabout. The gathering saw a group of 75 role-players take to the streets of Klapmuts to catch a glimpse of what is already happening in this vibrant and growing community. It also opened conversation to discuss and discover its inherent potential and to explore future possibilities.

Collaboration unlocks opportunities

A theme that came across strongly throughout the programme was that of collaboration. The event in itself was a demonstration of collaboration in action. Whilst the walkabout is a Valcare initiative, the day’s programme unfolded as a joint effort by Inceba Trust, Stellenbosch-based social enterprise Ranyaka Community Transformation and corporate sponsor, Nedbank.

The list of attendees further demonstrated the wonderful commitment of a wide range of stakeholders – ranging from the councillor for ward 18, Stellenbosch Municipality, provincial government, the e’Bosch Heritage Project, Klapmuts Primary School, a host of local NGOs and national social innovation initiatives, funding platforms, businesses, representatives from the arenas of tourism and arts & crafts, local crèches, churches, media and community members.

“It’s a good thing to put vision out there, but it’s exponentially better to see fruit. The silo, ego-centric approach will simply never work. So, thank you for working together; thank you for taking hands; thank you for not being selfish.” – Ivan Swartz, CEO – Valcare

The bigger picture

Valcare and Ranyaka currently strategically partner with a number of communities in the Boland area to activate and enable social change. The decision to partner with Klapmuts in working towards a shared vision, is part of a broader holistic process. For one, Klapmuts has immense potential to develop into a vibrant growth point that forms part of a development zone along the N1 freeway. As such, it has been earmarked as a potential regional node for the Cape Town City region.

An economic feasibility study for Klapmuts to explore the area’s potential was commissioned by Stellenbosch Municipality last year, with the document currently under review.

Following this study, Ranyaka started working in Klapmuts in 2017 to start building relationships, map role-players, understand context and really get a grasp on the area’s challenges and opportunities. Valcare and Inceba Trust already have a footprint in Klapmuts through their significant investment in organisations and ECD respectively. Looking to the future, Valcare, Ranyaka and Inceba have joined forces to partner with the heroes in Klapmuts to play our part in creating a brighter future for this wonderful community.

Hitting the Streets of Klapmuts

The walkabout kicked off with a ‘Future of Klapmuts’ presentation by Johan Olivier from Valcare and Ranyaka, at the local primary school. Attendees were then introduced to the neighbouring Inceba Toy Library, which serves as a training facility for Early Childhood Development staff as well as a resource centre providing access to educational toys and curriculum support.

Next up was the impressive community centre currently under construction across the road, which will serve as a multi-purpose gathering space where residents will enjoy access to a host of activities. It will also serve as a convenient local service centre for Stellenbosch Municipality.

Finally, a walk down the well-known Adam Street ignited discussion about the potential of main feeder roads in communities to serve not only as places of commercial activity, but places of celebration.

“I just can’t help to feel that this is just such a significant morning.” – Nielen Bekker, CEO – Inceba Trust

Investing in Early Childhood Development

One of the highlights of the day was the hand-over of a brand-new crèche classroom in the form of a repurposed container to Fagmah Swart of Klapmuts Junior Academy. Nedbank donated the container as part of the bank’s Proud about Paarl initiative. Launched in June 2017, the Proud about Paarl Community Fund is funded by allocating a percentage of Paarl based existing and new clients’ monthly service fees (at no additional cost to the client) to a trust that directly benefits ECD centres in Paarl and surrounds.

The fund currently focuses on the training and capacity building of ECD staff; providing support to develop ECDs as small businesses; sponsoring meals; and helping them to comply with fire and safety regulations. As part of the hand-over, local ECD principals each received a fire extinguisher, the mandatory safety signage and first aid kits that will take them one step closer to certification with the Department of Social Development. Nedbank also donated a selection of educational toys to the Inceba Trust for use in their toy libraries.

Hanneli Rupert-Koegelenberg, the Founder and Chairperson of Inceba Trust, along with Nielen Bekker, the CEO of Inceba Trust, accepted the donations on behalf of the ECD centres.

“Nedbank aspires to be an organisation that builds on sustainability. We don’t only see sustainability as investing in projects that protect our natural resources, we want to invest in the local communities in which we operate – and this is just the start,” said André Fourie, Nedbank Regional Manager for the Boland, Swartland and West Coast region.

“I want to be part of this development. Let’s go for it. Let’s put our hands together!” – Fagmah Swart, principal – Klapmuts Junior Academy