Hospice Plett Newsletter 13 August 2020
Hospice Plett Newsletter covers information and updates regarding Plett Volunteers, Feeding, Schemes, Eden Grow, and Covid-19.
Plett Volunteers
The Bitou Covid-19 Response Team is now working closely with the newly constituted Plett Volunteers, an organisation started by Rob Bokelmann and the tireless individuals who have been coordinating food aid as a platform for the recruitment and coordination of volunteers, the sharing of information and the sourcing of funding to keep this important initiative, alive. The platform was obviously created with the current pandemic as context, but with the vision that it can be used for future humanitarian needs, as well.
Currently, the Plett Volunteers are managing to provide approximately 30 000 meals a week in Bitou. They have helped to establish over 65 soup kitchens in the different wards. View the latest statistics on the Plett Volunteers Website which is expertly maintained by Chris Meister.
According to their latest calculations, Plett Volunteers need to raise R 693 000 to supply sufficient food until the end of September to those currently benefitting from the feeding schemes. For more information on how to donate please go to the Plett Volunteers Website.
Our local economy depends upon tourism which has been severely and negatively impacted by Covid-19. Unemployment is a growing problem. The volunteers confirm the desperate need for food aid in local communities.
Feeding Schemes
The Bitou Covid-19 Response Team was initially established to ensure that there was sufficient medical and personal protective equipment in place to manage the anticipated impact of the pandemic on the Greater Bitou region. The team quickly appreciated the need for humanitarian relief and set up and directed funding towards a feeding scheme; Rob Bokelmann was contacted to assist with the management of that scheme.
The Bitou Covid-19 Response Team has spent a total of R2 282 039 on food relief of which R1 050 000 was supplied by the Bitou Municipality. Due to limited human resources, the management of the feeding scheme was recently handed over to Plett Volunteers – a more sustainable vehicle given the likelihood that this humanitarian crisis is going to impact severely for a lot longer than initially anticipated.
Eden GROW
Julia Prema is coordinating a vegetable gardening project called Eden GROW which will be working alongside Plett Volunteers. Eden GROW aims to instigate a more sustainable way for the communities to feed themselves, creating better food security in our area as a buffer against future emergencies.
The aim of the project is to get productive vegetable gardens established on 50% of the plots in Bitou over the next 3 months. It is hoped that sufficient staples will be produced to feed the greater community and for the excess produce to generate an income for some families. Ideally, the gardens will be producing enough food by the end of October thereby significantly reducing the need for food aid.
The gardening project’s main aim is to provide individuals with an interest in gardening, with the skills needed to maximize their productivity, through workshops run by volunteers. Currently, there are weekly workshops being run in Kurland and Kranshoek with plans to roll out other workshops in the remaining wards, soon.
Seeds will be provided to individuals who have shown commitment and interest by attending the workshops run by the gardening volunteers and local mentors. Julia has set up a reward program as an incentive and to encourage the requirement to earn seeds and the use of tools. She has divided each ward up into sections and each section will be managed by a mentor who will loan a set of tools to gardeners in the area. Based on the reward program she has estimated that the funding required to purchase sufficient seeds to sow 50% of the plots and to secure one set of tools for each area, will amount to approximately R300 000.
Eden GROW is requesting direct donations from the surrounding community for the supply of resources such as manure, compost, fencing, containers, shade cloth, etc. – these have not been accounted for financially.
Please contact Julia at 084 588 9282 if you would like to donate gardening equipment.
In order to motivate the community and to coordinate this worthwhile project, more gardening volunteers are needed.
Please contact Julia if you would like to learn more about this project or to volunteer.
You can also follow Eden GROW on Facebook.
Covid-19 News
In more Covid-19 infrastructure-specific news – the Isolation Unit at Piesang Valley Hall is ready to receive patients. Currently, patients are being isolated at the Mossel Bay unit which has not yet reached full capacity. When Mossel Bay is nearing full capacity, public works will be activating the Piesang Valley Isolation Unit and providing staff and services.