The Hantam Community Education Trust Second Covid–19 report – 13 May 2020

We are in our 49th day of lockdown and are finding it hard to keep our spirits up. There is a strong need to interact physically, at a distance of course, to hear each other’s voices, to see each other’s faces, to connect with our learners, our mamas, our babies. What this lockdown has high-lighted is how close a ‘family’ we are. We have so many plans and creative ideas waiting to be implemented. The lockdown is beyond frustrating, but we do understand the rationale behind it.

On the positive side we are confident that the 30 farms we work with are Covid–19 free and are happy to report that both employers and employees are behaving with great caution and responsibility. The Community of Karoo Nomads, whom we assist with food parcels, are happy and healthy and have most certainly benefited from the ban on alcohol and tobacco. There is a noted improvement in our community’s health and family interactions, a direct result of no alcohol abuse, far less consumption of junk food and a real awareness of a healthy life style. Our challenge going forward will be to make sure that the good habits enforced during lockdown will continue.

Effective Parenting Programme

The resumption of the Effective Parenting Programme will take place on the 18 May on the farms. We have all the necessary Health and Safety measures in place for the community workers. Parents will once again have access to the mobile toy library and the no-word books which our community workers have made during lockdown. We are mindful of how important it is to keep up the momentum for the first 1000 days and beyond, we cannot wait to get back to engaging with our mothers and toddlers. Our pregnant ladies have access to the HECT clinic for regular check-ups and all vaccines are available for babies, toddlers and children.

Clinic

The clinic staff has screened the groups of shearers from town prior to commencing shearing on the farms at the beginning of May. They were given a thorough examination, Vitamin C and multivitamin supplements. We work through our Covid–19 farmers WhatsApp Group when planning the clinic day appointments with farmers. Chronic medication is picked up in town by our clinic sisters to prevent adults at risk having to stand in line at the town clinics.

Food Parcels

In addition to the 54 Karoo nomads, we are also assisting a further 8 families from town whose children attend our school. Some have had their salaries frozen as businesses wait to re-open, unfortunately others have been retrenched as businesses close down. The Hantam Community Education Trust assisted the HCI Foundation and eNCA Food Relief to distribute food parcels to 130 families at the Gariep Dam and Norvalspont. Our Financial Manager, Mary Ann Smith, was assisted by the Clinic sisters at Gariep Dam and Norvalspont with the distribution. It went very smoothly and a joy to help 130 destitute families.

School

Lockdown is not easy for any of us, especially when trying to teach remotely in a rural area. We communicate with the parents via WhatsApp, each parent or learner has WhatsApp. We grouped the work according to the phases to make the work more accessible.

Some parents are struggling to afford data and others are essential workers and their children only receive the work after the parents get home. Teachers are using videos to explain much of the work to the learners. They receive the work or activity and post the completed work directly to the teachers. The teacher provides a memo within two days and learners give feedback. Learners and parents can communicate directly with the teacher if they have a problem with the work. This has been working as well as can be expected given all the challenges. Teachers, parents and learners are very positive and cooperative toward the school and their work. [Report by Ms Landi Du Plessis HOD]

The Hantam Trust is ready and waiting to start teaching at the school. We have the following Health and Safety measures in place:

• A digital thermometer, hand sanitizer and mask for the driver of each school vehicle [15 in total]
  

• Cloth masks for each child [245 in total]

• Hand sanitizers for each classroom [16 in total]

• A high pressure sanitizer to clean the classrooms and vehicles [2 members of staff in charge of sanitation]

• Full face shield masks for each teacher [15 in total]

• Soap and paper towels in all the Toilets

• The clinic sisters on standby.

Youth Development Programme

Due to the Covid–19 pandemic, the tourism industry has shut down completely and we cannot place our students to complete their practical training. We have found a solution and have decided to create a Pop up Shop with frozen dishes that can be ordered and delivered. This will allow present students the opportunity to do their practical training in the Hantam Hospitality kitchen. Maryke, our training chef and her assistant Theo will supervise the following:

• Proposed menu
• Budget
• Delivery
• Advertising

Proposed Menus:

Soups:
Hearty Beef & Vegetable soup
Butternut soup

Chicken:
Chicken roll filled with (bacon, spinach or Feta and Peppadew]
Butter chicken Chicken pie

Beef:
Lasagne Stew with vegetables Bobotie Curry beef

Dessert:
Malva pudding Baked chocolate pudding

Finances
Capitec bank account – no bank costs. Make use of a cell phone for adverts, orders and payments. Make use of a Yoco machine, no cash will be handled.

The students will be assisted with the costing of each dish and will build in a small profit so each student can earn a training stipend. Financial training will be part of their practical training.

Deliveries:
Two drivers will be responsible for all deliveries. Armed with masks and Sanitizers.

Advertising will be done via the different WhatsApp groups in Colesberg, Noupoort.

The HCET hospitality facilitator Estelle Jacobs had a meeting with Maritha Steyn from Steyn’s Culinary School on 1st May and to approve the above plan for a practical option for the students training. Ms Steyn agreed that this was a good way to prepare them for the industry and congratulated us on being so proactive.

Thank you for your support on so many levels, this a time to stand together for a brighter future.

We are very grateful.

Keep safe.

HANTAM COMMUNITY EDUCATION TRUST TEAM