I travelled to Hofmeyr on 11th September on a systems review visit. Armed with the assessment tool I had developed for this purpose, I arrived in Hofmeyr 'town' just before 5 o'clock in the evening. The main street, like many streets in South Africa, was called Vortrekker Street, was already deserted by the time I rolled into town, save for a few people sitting on the only pavement in town. Hofmeyr is a one street rural out post deep in the Karoos. While the Vortrekker street is tarred, the other streets, well about four in total, are all dusty streets. I soon learned the reason the Vortrekker street is tarred. It is because it a thorough fare that connects Bugersdorp with Cradock and is used by those 18 wheeler trucks carrying livestock, mostly sheep. This fact was rudely brought to my attention by the incessant noise these trucks made at night as they ferried their traumatised cargo and I made vain attempts at sleeping!
I checked in at Kariboos Lodge where I found the affable manager, Lousie, waiting for me. Kariboos Lodge is an old establishment constructed in the 1800s. Apparently, I was the only guest that night meaning I had the whole lodge to my self. Louise took me on a conducted tour of the lodge. The bar was decorated with some memorabia dating back to the mid 1800s when Hofmeyr was founded by the first Boer settlers who where livestock farmers. Among the memorabia stuck to walls of the lodge bar where a second world war Boer Soldier uniform, complete with a rifle, boots and bullet belt. Louise then took me to the restaurant where there was an old piano, some early famed pictures of Hofmeyr and the first telephone switchboard used in in Hofmeyr in the 1800s. Finally, she took me to the passage leading to guest rooms and showed me more framed pictures of early settlers. In two such framed pictures, there were two black people among the whites. Louise told me that it is believed that those two blacks in the pictures were ghosts as no blacks were allowed to be photographed with whites in the mid 1800s.
Louise took me back to the lounge and showed me a door connecting the lounge to the restaurant. She, nonchalantly, informs me that one old lady told her that she believed there was a ghost in the restaurant because every time she came with her dog, the dog would bark non stop and refuse to go through the door to the restaurant. Louise finally announced that she does not live at the lodge and it was time for her to go home. I went back to my room, did not switch off my side lamp and slept with one eye open!
Monday, October 20, 2014
Eastern Cape NGO's Directors Forum Launch
Eastern Cape NGO Coalition (ECNGOC) launched the Directors Forum on 22nd August, 2014. The Directors Forum main objective is to provide a platform for NGO Directors within the Eastern Cape to exchange ideas, experiences and as a learning platform with a view to improving management practices within the NGO sector. My Vodacom Change the World financial management project fits in nicely with the objectives of the Directors Forum given that one of my project deliverables is capacitating NGOs with financial management skills. It is for this reason that Vodacom Change the World was the main sponsor of the first Directors' Forum Meeting.
The meeting was held at picturesque Latimers Landing on the banks of Buffalo River. The Directors Forum meeting coincided with the celebration of the womens month and the women folk dominated the proceedings. Twenty NGO Directors from around East London attended the launch. The key note speaker was Ms Chalmers,a life trainer and coach. Dr Mary Hlalele, who had been nominated as the businesswoman of the year was the second speaker. Ms Galit Cohen from the Blue Crane Foundation, who had been to 44 countries on humanitarian work shared her experiences with the workshop participants. I then presented the Vodacom CTW Financial Management project. The Financial Health Check Questionnaire was circulated and the Directors were encouraged to complete it. The questionnaires will be analysed before the next Directors' meeting in January, 2015 and communicated to the Directors. The results of this analysis will form the basis of the next Directors Forum Meeting.
The meeting was held at picturesque Latimers Landing on the banks of Buffalo River. The Directors Forum meeting coincided with the celebration of the womens month and the women folk dominated the proceedings. Twenty NGO Directors from around East London attended the launch. The key note speaker was Ms Chalmers,a life trainer and coach. Dr Mary Hlalele, who had been nominated as the businesswoman of the year was the second speaker. Ms Galit Cohen from the Blue Crane Foundation, who had been to 44 countries on humanitarian work shared her experiences with the workshop participants. I then presented the Vodacom CTW Financial Management project. The Financial Health Check Questionnaire was circulated and the Directors were encouraged to complete it. The questionnaires will be analysed before the next Directors' meeting in January, 2015 and communicated to the Directors. The results of this analysis will form the basis of the next Directors Forum Meeting.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Our sojourn into Paterson
Our final project briefing trip was to a place called Paterson. We left East London around 8:30hrs and headed southwards towards Port Elizabeth. The winds were very strong and it was a cloudy rainy day. Pinkie was at the wheel again. I was the co-driver and Vuyo slouched in the back seat. Pinkie had to struggle to keep the vehicle on the road as the strong winds, which were akin to a gale force winds, threatened to toss the Toyota Avanza into the bushes. Given the atrocious whether conditions, visibility was poor and, consequently, we had to travel at snails pace. We meandered through the hills and by 11.00hrs, we had reached the seaside resort of Port Alfred after passing through the little hamlet of Kleimonde.
We bought our takeways at KFC in Port Alfred and we continued our trip, passing through Kenton-on Sea and Alexandra. We arrived in Paterson just after mid day and found the Project Manager and Financial Manager waiting for us. Paterson is a one street town and all activities, be it social or commercial are located along the main street.
We introduced the Vodacom Change the World Financial Management Project. Soon after, we left for East London with the atrocious weather con
ditions as our constant companions for the day.
We bought our takeways at KFC in Port Alfred and we continued our trip, passing through Kenton-on Sea and Alexandra. We arrived in Paterson just after mid day and found the Project Manager and Financial Manager waiting for us. Paterson is a one street town and all activities, be it social or commercial are located along the main street.
We introduced the Vodacom Change the World Financial Management Project. Soon after, we left for East London with the atrocious weather con
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Saturday, August 23, 2014
In the Transkei
Last Thursday, the 14th of August, saw me, Pinkie and Vuyo hitting the road again. This time we were travelling to the heart of the Transkei, Mt Frere. We left East London just after mid day with Pinkie at the wheel. Thirty minutes later, we had crossed the Kei river and we were passing through the Kei cuttings, where the Kei mountains were cut in order to create space for a road to be fashioned out. When going into the Transkei from East London, you ascend the Kei cuttings. When coming back, you obviously descend the mountains. I do not know which of the two is the lesser of the two evils. Many motor vehicle accidents have occurred in the Kei cuttings and a lot of lives have been lost. Just to illustrate, if you have been to Chipata in Zambia from Lusaka using the 'Great' East Road, there is a place called 'manenekela' where you ascend some mountain range and the ascent is quite steep such that you may feel dizzy if you look down in the valley below. Well, the Kei cuttings are ten times worse.
By 14:30 hrs, we had reached a small town called Butterworth. Commercial activities in Butterworth are centred along the road, and we had to crawl at a snails pace out of Butterworth given the congestion, both human and motorised traffic, along the main road. 15:00rs saw as in a small town called Idyutwa with the same lay out as Butterworth. Idyutwa's claim to fame is that Thabo Mbeki's village, South Africa's second post 1994 President, was located somewhere within its boundaries. After Idyutwa, we were now in the heart of the Transkei headed for Mthatha. Just before Mthatha is Qunu where Tata Mandela's beautiful house is located along the main road. Soon, we were in Mthatha and stopped over just outside Mthatha at Shell City to freshen up and have some snacks. For those not in in the know, Shell City is not a city in the conventional sense but a place where there is a restaurant, a filling station and well maintained ablution blocks. All this comes at a price. For instance, the price of a pie can be as high as R18 when you can get the same pie at R13 in other places. I made a mental note to stay clear of any Shell City in future. We crawled out of Mthatha in the same way we had crawled out of Butterworth and Idyutwa. The sun was setting and darkness was enveloping us by the time we were completely out of Mthatha. Mthatha was the capital of the Transkei when Bantustans were created by the National Party government. It reminded me of a town called Kitwe in Zambia.
We reached Mt Frere, our destination, around 19:30 hrs. We did not know where our lodge was located and we had to ask round to find it. It had some name which clearly informed us that we should have no illusions about its standards and that it just had the most basic necessities. It was called '2nd World Bed and Breakfast'. I hit the sack after eating my hearty home prepared meal and guava juice.
The following morning, we headed to Mt Frere Advice Centre, one of the six NGOs in my Vodacom Change the World project.
By 14:30 hrs, we had reached a small town called Butterworth. Commercial activities in Butterworth are centred along the road, and we had to crawl at a snails pace out of Butterworth given the congestion, both human and motorised traffic, along the main road. 15:00rs saw as in a small town called Idyutwa with the same lay out as Butterworth. Idyutwa's claim to fame is that Thabo Mbeki's village, South Africa's second post 1994 President, was located somewhere within its boundaries. After Idyutwa, we were now in the heart of the Transkei headed for Mthatha. Just before Mthatha is Qunu where Tata Mandela's beautiful house is located along the main road. Soon, we were in Mthatha and stopped over just outside Mthatha at Shell City to freshen up and have some snacks. For those not in in the know, Shell City is not a city in the conventional sense but a place where there is a restaurant, a filling station and well maintained ablution blocks. All this comes at a price. For instance, the price of a pie can be as high as R18 when you can get the same pie at R13 in other places. I made a mental note to stay clear of any Shell City in future. We crawled out of Mthatha in the same way we had crawled out of Butterworth and Idyutwa. The sun was setting and darkness was enveloping us by the time we were completely out of Mthatha. Mthatha was the capital of the Transkei when Bantustans were created by the National Party government. It reminded me of a town called Kitwe in Zambia.
We reached Mt Frere, our destination, around 19:30 hrs. We did not know where our lodge was located and we had to ask round to find it. It had some name which clearly informed us that we should have no illusions about its standards and that it just had the most basic necessities. It was called '2nd World Bed and Breakfast'. I hit the sack after eating my hearty home prepared meal and guava juice.
The following morning, we headed to Mt Frere Advice Centre, one of the six NGOs in my Vodacom Change the World project.
Monday, August 11, 2014
The journey begins! Hofmeyr and Aliwal North
With the project work plan, budget and cash flow having been finalised, the last activity in the preparatory phase of the project was the briefing of the six (6) participating NGOs on the project objectives, activities and deliverables. This activity kicked off on 5th August, 2014 with a trip to Hofmeyr where the Hofmeyr Advice Centre, one of the participating NGOs, is located. Hofmeyr is about 350 km from East London.
The three of us, me, Pinkie and Vuyo, left East London, with Pinkie driving an ECNGOC Toyota Avanza, at about 10:30hrs on a bright Tuesday morning and headed for Queenstown, about 188 km from East London. In Queenstown, we took a left turn, the R67, just after the second traffic circle on the Aliwal North bound road. We encountered some road works soon after forcing as to take a detour to Whittlesea instead of driving straight to Taarkastad. I think we missed the road that should have taken us back to the Taakastad road after the road works. We ended up in Whittlesea and had to ask for directions to Taarkastard. We were directed to a dirt road that would take us to Taarkastad road. We passed through the Bulhoek Massacre Memorial Site before reaching the Taarkastad junction. I have always had this interest in places of historical significance and I made a mental note to learn more about the Bulhoek Massacre Memorial Site.
We eventually got to the Taarkastad road junction, passed through the sleepy town of Taarkastad and arrived in Hofmeyr, an even more sleepy town than Taarkastad. About 17 km of the road from Taarkastad to Hofmeyr was untarred. We found the Hofmeyr Advice Center officials waiting for us at their office. I introduced the project and the officials, Mr Nkosinathi and Mrs Mosintu who informed us that a project such as this was long overdue as financial management was the weakest link in their operations. The Hofemyr Advice Center only had the Internet Café as the only project running at the moment. The had previously run Human Rights and HIV/Aids awareness projects in the immediate past.
We proceeded on to Aliwal North were we would spend the night, passing through Steynsburg and Bugersdop. We arrived in Aliwal North around 19:30 hrs and I immediately hit the sack. Old age was creeping in slowly, I guess. The following morning, we found our way to Ikwezi Mphatlalasane Old Age Care Centre. We met the Coordinator, Ms Sabi Zingani . The project was introduced and we hit the road for East London.
The three of us, me, Pinkie and Vuyo, left East London, with Pinkie driving an ECNGOC Toyota Avanza, at about 10:30hrs on a bright Tuesday morning and headed for Queenstown, about 188 km from East London. In Queenstown, we took a left turn, the R67, just after the second traffic circle on the Aliwal North bound road. We encountered some road works soon after forcing as to take a detour to Whittlesea instead of driving straight to Taarkastad. I think we missed the road that should have taken us back to the Taakastad road after the road works. We ended up in Whittlesea and had to ask for directions to Taarkastard. We were directed to a dirt road that would take us to Taarkastad road. We passed through the Bulhoek Massacre Memorial Site before reaching the Taarkastad junction. I have always had this interest in places of historical significance and I made a mental note to learn more about the Bulhoek Massacre Memorial Site.
We eventually got to the Taarkastad road junction, passed through the sleepy town of Taarkastad and arrived in Hofmeyr, an even more sleepy town than Taarkastad. About 17 km of the road from Taarkastad to Hofmeyr was untarred. We found the Hofmeyr Advice Center officials waiting for us at their office. I introduced the project and the officials, Mr Nkosinathi and Mrs Mosintu who informed us that a project such as this was long overdue as financial management was the weakest link in their operations. The Hofemyr Advice Center only had the Internet Café as the only project running at the moment. The had previously run Human Rights and HIV/Aids awareness projects in the immediate past.
We proceeded on to Aliwal North were we would spend the night, passing through Steynsburg and Bugersdop. We arrived in Aliwal North around 19:30 hrs and I immediately hit the sack. Old age was creeping in slowly, I guess. The following morning, we found our way to Ikwezi Mphatlalasane Old Age Care Centre. We met the Coordinator, Ms Sabi Zingani . The project was introduced and we hit the road for East London.
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