News

March 2011

Nedbank gives generous donation to Siyavuya Crèche

By Lydia Willems

On 24 March 2011 the Siyavuya Crèche in Nkanini, Kayamandi, was the happy recipients of a
generous donation of R10,000. Mr Jan Immelman handed the cheque over to Local Hero account
holder, Ms Thandokasi Daweti, a volunteer worker at the crèche, who is also student at the Cape
Peninsula University of Technology and member of the Assembly of God Church in Nkanini on whose
grounds the Crèche is located.

The Siyavuya Crèche was founded by Vuya Endaweni, a community conservation organization in
partnership with A Rocha South Africa, more than a year ago. The acting principal, Mrs Christine
D’Yvoy and teachers and children were delighted with this donation, which will provide the
necessary infrastructural improvements to the buildings and school grounds in this informal
settlement, which has brought a much needed refuge to almost 40 pre-school children.

The happy children entertained the visitors with joyful songs on the afternoon when Mr Immelman
visited the crèche for this occasion. Vuya Endaweni was also very proud to have to visiting dignitaries
from A Rocha in attendance on the day. Mr Chris Naylor, A Rocha International’s Executive Director,
and Mr Steven Weaver, the CEO of A Rocha South Africa was on a visit to Stellenbosch. The A
Rocha delegation was shown around the school, as well as the new Tourism office in the Kayamandi
Economic and Tourism Corridor.

Dr Leanne Seeliger, the project leader of Vuya Endaweni, and local tour guides Vuyu Gijima and
Mlulami Kulati as well as the Vuya Endaweni committee members entertained the visitor at
the tourism office and on the tourism route across Papegaaiberg to project partners Middelvlei
Estate. Here we were entertained by Ben Momberg, owner of Middelvlei and Delilah Cupido , the
Community coordinator.

Vuya Endaweni (“Be happy at this place”) is a non-profit voluntary organization comprising
residents from Onderpapegaaiberg, Nkanini and Kayamandi, which works in partnership with
A Rocha South Africa, a Christian Conservation organization. Vuya Endaweni focuses on the
conservation of Papegaaiberg and its unique biodiversity around which several communities
are clustered, as well as the safety, security and ongoing development of our communities and
residential areas.

Nedbank hands over a cheque of R10,000 to the Siyavuya Créche in Nkanini . In the centre is Jan
Immelman from Nedbank with Thandokasi Daweti and Christine D’Yvoy and Leanne Seeliger, flanked
by schoolteachers Nozuko Gulwa, Gloria Nmthandazo Mpateni, Thambisa Petros and Akona Mgope
at the Créche with some of the children

^{Photo: Lydia Willems}

Gloria Cupido with Chris Naylor, A Rocha International’s Executive director, at Middelvlei farm, who
are also members of the Vuya Endaweni Community Conservation Partnership

^{Photo: Lydia Willems}

August and September 2010

Growing the Church Through Creation Care

In August and September A Rocha workshops were held in Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown in two local Anglican parishes, St Hugh's, Newton Park and the Cathedral of St Michael and St George in Grahamstown. Both workshops explored the way that creation care projects in churches provide a natural means to reach out to communities, and grow. 18 Participants from three churches came to St Hugh's and formulated simple action plans for congregational recycling and for diversifying their church gardens to include permaculture demonstration gardens. For a copy of a creation care sermon on Psalm 104 please click here