Botrivier

Botrivier Advice and Development Centre (BADC): Helping Young People to Imagine A Future

Building hope and encouraging young people to imagine a future is the main focus of the Community Development Centre in the Western Cape village of Botrivier.

The village started as a trading station where the Dutch East India Company could barter with the Khoi in the early 1700s and is situated on the N2, en route to Caledon, from Cape Town.  Today Botrivier is an agricultural centre in the Overberg with abundant vineyards, orchards, and cash crops that provide seasonal work for the local community. Despite the idyllic setting, poverty is a way of life for many in the community and the Community Development Centre, which celebrates its 22^nd year in 2012, offers desperately needed services and support.

The organisation is housed in a hostel that used to belong to the apple company, KROMCO.  The office is situated next to the newly renovated clinic and close to the High School and post office.  BADC rent out the hall for an extra income to, for example, political parties or private occasions.  Community training events also take place in this hall.    The building comprise of smaller offices which lend itself to various programs that can be offered.  Various Government Departments make use of the building to offer services to the broader community.  There is also a fully equipped kitchen which the elderly use to cook and also serve the crèche.

Achievements during 2011:

The community makes good use of the paralegal services of the Advice Office.  Up to September 2011, 436 cases were handled in the year, varying from unfair dismissals, Unemployment Insurance Claims, grant applications and accessing general information. 

The Office hosted a holiday program during the long June 2011 holiday and named it “know your town”.  They had programs for youth to visit various other offices and also made provision for fun by hosting a sports day.  About 200 young people attended.  The LDA also engaged with an anti-drug campaign.  This event was borne from the awareness that a community member lost her son due to drug abuse.  Various youngsters who used to abuse drugs participated in the campaign making it very “real”.  They also expanded the campaign into a social club (koffiekroeg) where young people get together to talk about these issues.  The LDA is trying to secure funding to continue this initiative into 2012.  

BADC hosted a HIV awareness workshop in partnership with Scat partners the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) which was well received by the community.  About 34 people participated.  The Office started a support group which grew very rapidly.  The office supports families who are affected by HIV in providing them with food parcels and assist people to apply for grants.  The annual World Aids Day took the form of an awareness campaign in partnership with the school and the clinic.  BADC, the local OK store and the Municipality provided food for the participants.  They successfully hosted a Women’s Day event by inviting a local Nursing Sister to talk about women’s health.  Sarie magazines were donated.  About 45 women attended.  The Seniors (a group made up of older members of the organization) participated in the Age in Action competition again called “pretty things for little things” whereby they knitted bears which were donated to orphans and vulnerable children. 

The Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre is self-sustaining and is doing very well.  Five youth from the community have been enrolled in ECD training, supporting the Office in community work and a further 12 young people were enrolled in the home based care program as identified and supported by BADC.  Life skills were presented twice a week to young boys of the community, also including men in the fight against gender based violence.  The Youth Program is still focusing on visits at the local school where the Youth Coordinator is busy with life skills such as personal health & social skills – encouraging youth to make healthy, responsible choices.

BADC were involved with negotiations between Theewaterskloof (TWK) Municipality and Department of Public Works.  After several meetings, the Department gave permission to renovate the old Kromco building next to their offices so that the clinic could move into a bigger space.  The BADC Coordinator reported proudly that, because of dedicated staff members, the community can now access the services of 2 registered nursing Sisters, can enjoy a bigger waiting room, a reception space as well as an outlet for the chronically ill patients where they can collect their monthly tablets.  The doctor and dentist also now visit the clinic once weekly. 

BADC also promoted and presented Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) classes for levels 5 to 7 on a Friday which are also advertised now in the local newspaper. The Legal Aid Board’s attorney is in the building every Wednesday, adding to their variety of services.  UIF applications can also now be done at BADC.  BADC applied to be a UIF pay point in 2011 as they host and participate in pay outs.  Some committee members were involved in a community campaign to prevent Theewaterskloof Municipality from selling prime property on an auction in Grabouw, positioning themselves to lobby for access to land. 

The Office has strong fundraising skills and were able to secure a Minibus from the National Lottery Development Fund.  The office is active in Scat’s award winning Fundraising Incentive Scheme (FRIS).

Botrivier Advice and Development Centre (BADC)
Kromco Bulding,
Fontuin Street,
P.O. Box 96, BOTRIVIER, 7185
Tel: 028 284 9749 Fax: 028 284 9749/9842
E-mail: Botriver.developmentcentre@telkomsa.net
Contact: Peter Sinclair