The Valley of Six Changemakers Network, supported by the Rotary Greyton, the EDP and the SA Climate Change Champions, will host the Changemakers Festival and the launch of the Voorstekraal Skills Development Centre in Voorstekraal on Saturday, 26 November 2022 from 10:00 – 16:00.
The occasion will celebrate active citizenship and communities coming together for positive change. There will be a host of activities including learning exchanges, performances and local stalls serving food and drinks. There will also be a tree planting ceremony of six trees representing the six villages of the valley. Each tree will be planted by a chosen elder from each village and pro-active action for festival goers will be encouraged to pledge their commitment on a pledge.
At the festival two of the founding organisations, the Norma Canjanie Agriculture Primary Co-op and the Voorstekraal Vroue Netwerk, will launch the Voorstekraal Skills Development Centre. The centre is being established to host skills workshops, conferences and community meetings to uplift the community. The Network sees this as a model and example for establishing similar centres in other communities in the Valley.
GreenCape, leading the delivery of the SA Climate Change Champs, will be visiting several communities around the Northern, Eastern and Western Cape, to support similar active climate citizenship initiatives.
Ultimately, the festival aims to celebrate partnerships and connect communities in the Valley around local issues, thus building community resilience, promoting development and enhancing local tourism opportunities. The event builds on current community activities include regular “help mekaars” and renovations to the Voorstekraal Centre, which will be used to host community meetings and host a children’s library.
Doug Reeler, one of the Network organisers says: “Every one of us really wants to make a difference in our communities. We don’t know how this first Festival will go, but just working together on this goal has already been hugely beneficial for community cohesion and building forward together. It confirmsed that when you pull people together around a common purpose, you generate synergy and amazing things canhappen.”
For more information about the event, please visit: https://changemakersnetwork-valleyof6.weebly.com/, or contact the Centre’s Chairperson for more information – Claire Barthus076 700 5257 or email SA Climate Change Champions’ Project Manager Mary Faulks-Fairweather at .
