Homestead Full Of Grace

Shopping for chicken in Ncenceni

Skirting the mountainous mine tailings on the south side of Bulembu, down the valley where the stream flows through the new Royal Rangers camp, and up into the hills again, a boy and his donkey were the only traffic on the five kilometer red dirt road to the community of Ncenceni .

Andrew and Jamie walked the last quarter mile towards banana trees and our farming homestead destination, part of the several small farms of the rural community.

Grace wears the blue dress of mourning for the loss of her husband last September. She runs the farm by herself now and warmly greeted Andrew and Jamie.

Like farmers everywhere, Grace was delighted to describe her crops, including the grape arbor here that produced a good harvest. Some of the grapes were sold to the Bulembu Country Lodge.

A few hundred chickens keep Grace busy, with two of them she had just dressed and prepared for Jamie for the evening braai (barbeque) back home in Bulembu. Can’t get much fresher!

Farms are often a mix of the old and new – no exception here as microwave and satellite antennas keep touch with the rest of the world and the all-important markets for farm produce.

The approximately one million population of Swaziland is mostly rural; Grace showed us a glimpse of the hard work it takes to run a successful farm in Ncenceni, along with the kind of hospitality that adds flavor to any meal from her harvest.

Photographs and text by Gary Todoroff

Brian Stuckert and the Mine Rehab

Brian Stuckert is the President of the Remediation Division of Quantum Murray, a Canadian Industrial Decommissioning  company who is  providing  services for the  Bulembu mine rehabilitation project. . While he was visiting Bulembu with his family in January, I was able to ask him a few questions:

 

What is your task in Bulembu?

In 2008, I became involved with a plan to rehabilitate the tailings area on the mine site.  I came to Bulembu for the first time in October 2008 and since then we have developed the plan.  One of our General Superintendents, Ron Bosel, has been here a couple times to do some surveying and layout work with Colin Cotterrell and the operator to begin the mine reclamation process, which started in October 2010.

How did you hear about Bulembu?

I heard about Bulembu through Marc Dumerton, a board member of Bulembu International. We are in the same business group and he did a presentation on Bulembu about two years after he got involved with the start-up of Bulembu.   I run a contracting business that reclaims old mine and industrial sites, so it was a really good fit for us to get involved. It felt natural to get involved.

What are you planning to plant on the mine dump?

The plan originally was to reshape the tailings area to be physically stable in the long term , cover the tailings with native soils  and to vegetate the area with a species for grazing so that it doesn’t erode and provides for beneficial land use. Now a portion of the tailings area will be flattened and used for greenhouses, which will provide further long term benefits to the Bulembu community.

How is it going so far?

So far it’s going really well, but a little slower than we might do a project in North America. There are limitations, but we are progressing while working within those limitations.

How long will it take to complete?

It’s probably going to be between 12 -18 months, depending on the weather.  If more equipment is put on site it will go faster. At the moment, we have one bulldozer and a couple of other pieces of equipment that are being mobilized.

When are you coming out to Bulembu again?

Our  senior superintendant, Ron Bozel, will probably be out in April.  I will probably come  a few months after that to review progress and modify plans as required.

Has your trip been fun so far?

This trip has been a lot of fun. My wife and daughter have joined me for the first time. I have four children, 3 boys who are 29, 29 and 24, and my daughter, the youngest at 18. This trip is a little more like a vacation, not like the previous trips. Three years ago we went to Tanzania to work in orphanages and it is great to travel to Africa again as a family.

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The Pre-Primary School – An interview with Candice

Candice le Roux - Pricipal of Buelmbu Christian Pre-Primary

Candice le Roux is the new principal of the Bulembu Christian Pre-Primary School. She has been actively involved in getting the new building ready for the pre-schoolers and will be playing a large role in implementing a curriculum that lays a firm and stable foundation in the children’s lives.

·         How many students  and teachers at BCPPS?

We have nine teachers employed.  There are a few applicants that still need to be processed but at the moment the amount of children attending the school is 78.

·         What ages are the students at the new school? 

The youngest children would have just turned two and then the oldest in the pre-school class is five to six years old. One of the girls is 10 but she is physically really small and mentally younger so she is fitting in fine.

·         Why is there a need to expand? 

At the previous campus we only had three classrooms dedicated to the pre-primary and then when we brought the two and three year old classes under the school umbrella, there was not enough room for the children, so it’s just a case of numbers expanding and needing space.

·         How will you work in partnership with the teachers and principal at BCPPS

M  My focus is not only on the children’s education but also developing the teachers as professionals. It’s very important to me that they offer a standard of teaching that can fully benefit the children in all aspects. I don’t believe in giving half measures. I need to be very aware of where the teacher’s shortfalls/weaknesses are so that I can strengthen them in those areas and encourage them to improve themselves and try and keep a level of enthusiasm so that they never look at their role in the school as a job but as a calling.

·         You have a fantastic building. Do have great equipment at your disposal? There are so many areas where we have room for growth. We have very limited resources and we need more to be able to teach better and for the kids to learn more. We have a lovely building, it wasn’t so lovely in the beginning but the guys have worked hard. I would really like to thank everyone in Bulembu who has worked so hard to get the building ready for us. There is still a lot more that can be done but we have made the most of what we have and there is a lot we would like to do.

·         Do the kids have a uniform?

Yes they do. They will be equipped with a uniform that includes a beautiful bright canary yellow T-shirt and long jeans that is made from a light-weight denim so it’s suitable for Winter and Summer.

·         What extracurricular activities can the kids get involved in?

      Our pre-school class will do what we call ECA class (extra curricula actives) and that is a 40 min period at the end of every day Monday to Thursday where they do an activity like sports, art and music.

·         I heard you have a sensory garden for the kids?  What is a sensory garden and how will it be used?

A sensory garden is a garden in which children can walk through and have all their senses stimulated at the same time. We have planned it in a way that they will be able to enjoy a variety of visual, touch and taste aspects. Whether it’s from leaf size, shape, colour, watching all the insects coming in and feeding, to feeling the woodchips and stepping stones, to tasting  strawberries, apples and wild plums. When it’s ready it’s going to be great

·         Are you going to have computer classes? (heard that they will probably introduce them to IT at that age)  What skills do you hope they will learn?

We will have computer classes that will be 35min periods. We have a few laptops that we will be using for the kids. We will be teaching basic functions such as mouse usage, coordination of the mouse and what’s on the screen and naming the computer.

·         What is your goal for these students?  What are your expectations for each of them? 

We want the best for them ‘Jeremiah 29:11’ and we want to be as much a part of that as possible. It’s not just about education, it’s not just about intellect but our focus is also on helping them overcome things in their lives and also to grow emotionally, socially and spiritually and to be the children God intended them to be.

·         What are your goals for your teachers?  What are your expectations for them?

I want them to be the best teachers they can be. I want them to develop an internal motivation to not see this as a job, but to see it as a calling and a passion. A passion for the children, to love them  and to care for them, to truly care for them. To provide the best way to educate them and to always be open minded to new ideas, to always be open minded to growing and also for them personally.

·         Where will the children go on class outings?

Fortunately in Bulembu we have a lot of different interesting aspects and spots we can take the children to. If we want to teach them something about medicine/doctors/clinics, we have the clinic here. Anything to do with where milk come from, we have the dairy, we have honey,  the water bottling plant. There is just so many things we can teach them right here in Bulembu.

·         Who drew the murals on the walls?

The Noah’s ark mural was done by a group from Court Moore form the U.K. and the Swazi 1000  not only helped in the gardens, but did a lot of prep work on the walls, doors and windows so that our teams could come in and do what they needed to do.  

Inside one of the new classrooms

The children's first day at school

Solar Power In Progress

Bulembu's Top Ten Highlights from 2010

Looking back at 2010 there are so many advancements and successes.  We've worked to narrow them down to give you some perspective on what has been accomplished in Bulembu over the last 12 months.  Here are the Top 10 Highlights from 2010.  

10. Completed the infrastructure (sewerage, electrical, water) upgrading. 

9. Started repaving 5km of roads. 

8. Clinic increased the number of free HIV tests offered to the community. 

7. New Child Care Homes built.

6. Sales at the Bulembu Store in Piggs Peak were at an all time high in November.

5. Voices for Bulembu campaign raises over $1.4 million and goes international with a concert in Pretoria, RSA.  

4. The rehabilitation of the mine dump begins.

3. Royal Rangers program launched as an after school program.  

 2. Broke ground on the Bulembu Hospitality and Training Centre.

1. Bulembu Dairy became profit centre and is identified as a leading growth enterprise for Bulembu.  

Solomon Mamba - a 2010 Christmas Interview

Meet Solomon Mamba, the last in our 2010 Christmas Interview series.  Solomon is the Bulembu Stores Manager. Stores is the central distribution hub for goods purchased for Bulembu. He has been the stores manager for six months and has been tasked with making stores more efficient. 

How are you going to be celebrating an African Christmas?

I usually celebrate Christmas with my family, but they are going away on holiday so this year I’ll be here in Bulembu. They are coming back after Christmas and then we will be going to Nelspruit, South Africa. 

  

What do you enjoy most about Christmas?

It’s family time. Everyone in the family meets and then we go to church. It’s different when everybody is here, it feels different.

What is your favorite Christmas Carol?

Joy to the World.

Have you experienced a white Christmas before?

Not at all.

What do you think it is like?

It would be boring, compared to what we normally have here.

What was a highlight for you in 2010?

For me personally it was being transferred from the forestry department to stores.

What are you looking forward to next year?

Improving the stores department. 

What has been the biggest change in Bulembu in the last year?

The biggest change was the construction of the Hospitality Training Centre and the opening of the Bakery.

What is the biggest challenge you face in the year ahead?

To improve the communication in the departments, that is the biggest challenge. If the communication isn’t happening within the different departments then it makes our job here at stores a difficult one. You need open channels of communications.

What is best about living in Bulembu?

You don’t have to climb into a local taxi or a bus to get to work, you walk to work which is not a long distance.

What do you wish for Christmas for yourself?

A peaceful one.

What do you wish for Christmas for Bulembu?

For peace. I don’t want anyone getting sick or being in an accident.

Vernon Puttkammer - a 2010 Christmas Interview

Vernon Puttkammer is Bulembu’s Director of Child Care. He deals with the various government departments relating to orphan care and oversees all departments within Bulembu that contribute to the child care program. He and his family have been on Bulembu since 2007.

How are you going to celebrate an African Christmas?

Under a foreign introduced pine tree form Europe, with European decorations, candles, lots of German cakes and biscuits and this is all celebrated with family. We celebrate Christmas on the 24^th of December and then on the 25^th we go to church and afterwards have a big Christmas meal with roast beef, roast chicken , potatoes, vegetables. Very German / African food.

What do you enjoy most about Christmas?

I enjoy all the family that is together, the celebration of the birth of Christ and the hope that we get through Him. It’s just a very nice time of the year where people are more tolerant of each other, more considerate and a lot less self focused. 

What is your favorite Christmas carol?

Silent Night.

Have you experienced a white Christmas before?

No, I have never experienced a white Christmas.  

What do you think it’s like? 

I think it’s cold and cozy.

What was a highlight for you in 2010?

Definitely the kids!!! The overall progress in the children who have been in the care program for a couple of years and how they have grown and changed has been a huge highlight. Some of the children who came into the program were very sick, literally on their death beds and now to see how they have grown in school and how they have adapted to a new life – it is amazing.

What are you looking forward to next year?

Saving more lives through the transformation offered in Bulembu. 

What has been the biggest change in Bulembu in the last year?

The growth of the number of kids that have come in and also the people that live and work in Bulembu. Just to have seen the program grow and the awareness around the world about Bulembu. 

What is the biggest challenge you face in the next year?

The biggest challenge is finding a way to identify the kids with the biggest need to come into the program.

What is the best about living in Bulembu?

It’s peaceful.

What do you wish for Christmas for yourself?

Snow!

What do you wish for Christmas for Bulembu?

I wish that the hope that comes with the birth of Christ is received by the people.