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.