Media
Retired folk roll up sleeves to train those needing skills
(Article from Durban newspaper July 2013, text by Keith Ross)
Well-wishers from three continents have come together to launch a novel training project in an attempt to raise living standards in an impoverished area in KwaZulu-Natal's Valley of a Thousand Hills.
The project is the brainchild of Hillcrest resident George Victor, a volunteer community worker who has been actibe in the Upper Highway area.
It is an adaptation of a scheme launched by Victor in Hillcrest last year; a plan to set up a series of "Men's Sheds" through which retired people could do voluntary work and also pass on their wealth of skills to others.
The sheds put the many skills of volunteer pensioners - often going to waste in their retirement - back to work for the benefit of the needy.
Victor had seen Men's Sheds in operation when on a visit to relatives in Australia and felt the concept could be of great benefit in this country (South Africa).
Australia has about 550 Men's Sheds, small workshops that act as gathering points for retired people who are willing to use their skills to the benefit of the poor, the aged and the infirm in their communities.
"Many retired people have fantastic skills that are no longer being used," Victor said. "Those skills can be invaluable to others. And being part of a shed also benefits retired people. It gives them a fresh interest in life."
Victor launched his first Men's Shed in a storeroom of the Hillcrest Scout Hall, and its members have since been using their various skills to help others and to improve public facilities in the surrounding area.
The Hillcrest shed has been a success, but he felt he wanted to broaden the concept to benefit some of the thousands of unemployed and unskilled people in the surrounding areas.
He then read in The Daily News of an Australian woman, Libby Weir, who had been fund-raising in her own country for the past eight years to raise money to help impoverished people in KwaXimba, in the Valley of a Thousand Hills.
Weir had been coming to South Africa each year to spend three months in the Highway area while working in the valley, helping to finance buildings, erect fences, start vegetable gardens, train women in dressmaking, buy sewing machines and acquire library books.
She about to undertake another trip to KZN when Victor contacted her at her home near Melbourne (Pambula Beach) to gain her support for his new Men's Shed concept.
His concept was to train a small group of unemployed people of all ages, male and female, in the use of basic tools so that they could become team leaders of a shed in KwaXimba and thereby pass on their skills.
The KwaXimba shed would also get valuable support from skilled pensioners in Hillcrest and other neighbouring areas.
He felt that the skills learnt would help shed members find employment or enable them to set up small businesses making a range of simple products for sale.
Support
"I liked the idea and so did my people in Australia," said Weir after her arrival in the Highway area on her ninth trip to South Africa. "I also have the support of a few sponsors in the US."
She and Victor approached the induna in KwaXimba, Sipho Hamilton Mlaba, who gave them use of a "shed" at his home in the valley.
"Mlaba called a meeting at his home and 130 people of all ages - all unemployed - attended and were told of our plans," she said.
Five of the volunteers - three women and two men - were chosen to attend a training course at a facility offered by the Hillcrest Aid Centre.
The course is being run by Talent Nxcele, a skilled leader trained by Embocraft Training Centre in Botha's Hill.
"He is a real find," said Weir. "And all course members are loving every minute of their training. I have never seen such enthusiasm. They don't want to go home at night."
The training course and a "considerable number of tools" are being financed by Weir and her sponsors. "We are also paying Talent's salary for the next six months."
She said the training of shed members would be ongoing, with the help of Victor and his volunteers, when necessary.
Victor said the aim of the training was to achieve a high level of skill. "We want them to be able to do house repairs, fencing or start a chicken run. Our initial expenses have been high, but we have managed, thanks to Libby," Victor said.
(Article from Durban newspaper July 2013, text by Keith Ross)
Well-wishers from three continents have come together to launch a novel training project in an attempt to raise living standards in an impoverished area in KwaZulu-Natal's Valley of a Thousand Hills.
The project is the brainchild of Hillcrest resident George Victor, a volunteer community worker who has been actibe in the Upper Highway area.
It is an adaptation of a scheme launched by Victor in Hillcrest last year; a plan to set up a series of "Men's Sheds" through which retired people could do voluntary work and also pass on their wealth of skills to others.
The sheds put the many skills of volunteer pensioners - often going to waste in their retirement - back to work for the benefit of the needy.
Victor had seen Men's Sheds in operation when on a visit to relatives in Australia and felt the concept could be of great benefit in this country (South Africa).
Australia has about 550 Men's Sheds, small workshops that act as gathering points for retired people who are willing to use their skills to the benefit of the poor, the aged and the infirm in their communities.
"Many retired people have fantastic skills that are no longer being used," Victor said. "Those skills can be invaluable to others. And being part of a shed also benefits retired people. It gives them a fresh interest in life."
Victor launched his first Men's Shed in a storeroom of the Hillcrest Scout Hall, and its members have since been using their various skills to help others and to improve public facilities in the surrounding area.
The Hillcrest shed has been a success, but he felt he wanted to broaden the concept to benefit some of the thousands of unemployed and unskilled people in the surrounding areas.
He then read in The Daily News of an Australian woman, Libby Weir, who had been fund-raising in her own country for the past eight years to raise money to help impoverished people in KwaXimba, in the Valley of a Thousand Hills.
Weir had been coming to South Africa each year to spend three months in the Highway area while working in the valley, helping to finance buildings, erect fences, start vegetable gardens, train women in dressmaking, buy sewing machines and acquire library books.
She about to undertake another trip to KZN when Victor contacted her at her home near Melbourne (Pambula Beach) to gain her support for his new Men's Shed concept.
His concept was to train a small group of unemployed people of all ages, male and female, in the use of basic tools so that they could become team leaders of a shed in KwaXimba and thereby pass on their skills.
The KwaXimba shed would also get valuable support from skilled pensioners in Hillcrest and other neighbouring areas.
He felt that the skills learnt would help shed members find employment or enable them to set up small businesses making a range of simple products for sale.
Support
"I liked the idea and so did my people in Australia," said Weir after her arrival in the Highway area on her ninth trip to South Africa. "I also have the support of a few sponsors in the US."
She and Victor approached the induna in KwaXimba, Sipho Hamilton Mlaba, who gave them use of a "shed" at his home in the valley.
"Mlaba called a meeting at his home and 130 people of all ages - all unemployed - attended and were told of our plans," she said.
Five of the volunteers - three women and two men - were chosen to attend a training course at a facility offered by the Hillcrest Aid Centre.
The course is being run by Talent Nxcele, a skilled leader trained by Embocraft Training Centre in Botha's Hill.
"He is a real find," said Weir. "And all course members are loving every minute of their training. I have never seen such enthusiasm. They don't want to go home at night."
The training course and a "considerable number of tools" are being financed by Weir and her sponsors. "We are also paying Talent's salary for the next six months."
She said the training of shed members would be ongoing, with the help of Victor and his volunteers, when necessary.
Victor said the aim of the training was to achieve a high level of skill. "We want them to be able to do house repairs, fencing or start a chicken run. Our initial expenses have been high, but we have managed, thanks to Libby," Victor said.
Pambula Preschool fundraising for school
Children and staff from Pambula Preschool have done a wonderful job raising over $500 for Libby's work with the school in South Africa. See the 29 August Merimbula News Weekly (photo on the front page), or click here to see the story and pics online.
Children and staff from Pambula Preschool have done a wonderful job raising over $500 for Libby's work with the school in South Africa. See the 29 August Merimbula News Weekly (photo on the front page), or click here to see the story and pics online.
Caring for KZN poor keeps bringing her back
(text from Durban newspaper June 2012, words by Keith Ross)
Durban has become a second home to an Australian modern day "fairy godmother", now on her eighth extended visit to the area in as many years.
Libby Weir's visits to the city come as a blessing to many poor people in the Camperdown and part of the Valley of 1000 Hills, where she has worked tirelessly to improve their lives.
Weir raises the money she needs during the nine months of the year she spends at her home in Pambula Beach on the coast of New South Wales.
Then each year she takes extended unpaid leave - usually three months - from her teaching job in Australia and comes to Durban to help at least some of the needy causes she has identified.
She has over the year built a house for a family in need, bought educational equipment, books and school uniforms, paid children's transport costs, bought sewing machines and financed dress making lessons. She has also helped establish vegetable gardens for people living in the Valley of 1000 Hills.
Weir's love affair with Kwazulu-Natal started in 2005 when she spent nine months as a temporary teacher at a small pre-school in the village of KwaXimba in the valley.
She got to know the children well and most of their families, and was shocked at the poverty in which many of the valley people lived.
In 2006 she returned to the valley for six months and during her stay decided she wanted to do something to help a family who was in desperate need. "There were 12 of them living in one room," she said.
Weir went back to Australia and raised the R150000 she needed to build a home for the family. She returned to Durban and the valley the next year.
"It took three months to build the house , using local labour. I would love to have built more. I have a huge amount of sympathy for the people of the valley.
"The women in particular are so resolute, so strong. I also love their willingness to share and take in each others' children, even when they are suffering themselves. The smile and never complain."
By 2008 Weir had spent a lot of time in the valley and was acutely aware of the lack of vegetable gardens, even though many people were going hungry.
She bought fencing and seed, and helped families to start growing vegetables.
"I also arranged for lessons for some of the ladies to learn to sew and donated some sewing machines."
Weir said the vegetable gardens played an important part in the health of the community. "Many of the women are HIV positive and the vegetables help improve their diet."
She has expanded on the garden scheme each year when she returns.
"We now have 14 gardens - some far better than others, but they are all there."
Weir said she was grateful to the Hillcrest Aids Centre and the Inchanga Rotary Club, whe had now thrown in their lot to help expand and improve the gardening project.
When she returns to Australia she will once again embark on her fund-raising.
"I talk on radio and to newspapers, and visit schools and clubs."
She said she would definitely be back in Durban next year. "I will keep coming back for as long as I can."
(text from Durban newspaper June 2012, words by Keith Ross)
Durban has become a second home to an Australian modern day "fairy godmother", now on her eighth extended visit to the area in as many years.
Libby Weir's visits to the city come as a blessing to many poor people in the Camperdown and part of the Valley of 1000 Hills, where she has worked tirelessly to improve their lives.
Weir raises the money she needs during the nine months of the year she spends at her home in Pambula Beach on the coast of New South Wales.
Then each year she takes extended unpaid leave - usually three months - from her teaching job in Australia and comes to Durban to help at least some of the needy causes she has identified.
She has over the year built a house for a family in need, bought educational equipment, books and school uniforms, paid children's transport costs, bought sewing machines and financed dress making lessons. She has also helped establish vegetable gardens for people living in the Valley of 1000 Hills.
Weir's love affair with Kwazulu-Natal started in 2005 when she spent nine months as a temporary teacher at a small pre-school in the village of KwaXimba in the valley.
She got to know the children well and most of their families, and was shocked at the poverty in which many of the valley people lived.
In 2006 she returned to the valley for six months and during her stay decided she wanted to do something to help a family who was in desperate need. "There were 12 of them living in one room," she said.
Weir went back to Australia and raised the R150000 she needed to build a home for the family. She returned to Durban and the valley the next year.
"It took three months to build the house , using local labour. I would love to have built more. I have a huge amount of sympathy for the people of the valley.
"The women in particular are so resolute, so strong. I also love their willingness to share and take in each others' children, even when they are suffering themselves. The smile and never complain."
By 2008 Weir had spent a lot of time in the valley and was acutely aware of the lack of vegetable gardens, even though many people were going hungry.
She bought fencing and seed, and helped families to start growing vegetables.
"I also arranged for lessons for some of the ladies to learn to sew and donated some sewing machines."
Weir said the vegetable gardens played an important part in the health of the community. "Many of the women are HIV positive and the vegetables help improve their diet."
She has expanded on the garden scheme each year when she returns.
"We now have 14 gardens - some far better than others, but they are all there."
Weir said she was grateful to the Hillcrest Aids Centre and the Inchanga Rotary Club, whe had now thrown in their lot to help expand and improve the gardening project.
When she returns to Australia she will once again embark on her fund-raising.
"I talk on radio and to newspapers, and visit schools and clubs."
She said she would definitely be back in Durban next year. "I will keep coming back for as long as I can."