Maluju cooperative, Port Shepstone

Maluju cooperative is located at Gamalakhe, which is about 10 km from Marburg on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Gamalakhe is a built up area where most of the people who are not formally employed, depend on other means of earning an income, like small scale agriculture. The cooperative was established in 2004 with financial aid received from the Department of Agriculture; which assisted towards the purchase of seven vegetable tunnels and seedlings to start the project. Two members of the cooperative received intensive hydroponics, and they, in turn trained the other members.

Maluju cooperative was founded by seven women who formed a co operative, which produces tomatoes, utilising the hydroponics method which requires specialised skills and care to ensure quality produce.

 The tomatoes are then processed and packaged to supply the local markets in accordance to rigorous market standards. This includes prescribed temperature for storage, transportation and delivery in order to retain and maintain quality. During the harvest period, part time workers are employed to assist with the work load, as well as ensuring that timeous delivery is carried out to respective customers.

The Eskom Foundation grant provided the project with three internal steel tunnel structures and its plastic coverings, automated irrigation system and pump station, safety clothing and 551metres of fencing material which will benefit 12 project participants, with the possibility of employing three more people at a later stage.

Three of the hydroponics tunnels in which tomatoes are grown for the local market

Bester primary school, Braamhoek near Ladysmith

Bester’s junior secondary school is located on Bester’s farm which is about 5 km from Braamhoek. It is situated along the main access road which leads to Braamhoek, close to the Ingula, an Eskom pumped storage scheme which is currently under construction.

The school was established in 1994 and four prefabricated classrooms were constructed with funds received from the South African Army, 5 SAI in Ladysmith. One additional classroom was built by the school principal, using her personal funds.
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The school offers classes from grade eight to 10. It has four educators and 138 learners; some the children of farm workers and most the children of unemployed parents. For the past five years the pass rate has been moderate.

This can be attributed to the extreme efforts of the dedicated educators with limited educational resources. The Foundation grant provided the school with 3 Kwikspace classrooms and kitchen, Grade 7 – 9 learning equipment and material for: Natural and Laboratory Science, Technology kit, 140 classroom combo desks, chalkboards, office chairs and staffroom tables which will benefit 138 learners and 4 learners.

Some of the old classrooms of Bester primary school

New Kwikspace mobile classrooms for Bester primary school