Inzalo Community Project T/A The Thornybush Collection Community Project 2014/2015 Financial Year Our community projects continue to grow and produce more vegetables each year. In addition to the first two projects we support, the Simbambili/Uthla Manyangana High School project and the Hlokomela Project just outside Hoedspruit, we have added a new community project: the Dixie Community Project at Hananani Primary School. Located on the western side of the Sabi Sand, about 10 km s from the Gowrie Gate, Hananani has approximately 180 primary school children. All our projects produce fresh vegetables and herbs which are distributed as follows: Manyangana School receives fresh produce at least twice a week free of charge. Hananani Primary School receives fresh produce on a daily basis free of charge. The Hlokomela Clinic receives fresh produce on a daily basis free of charge. Produce is sold to nearby game lodges and supermarkets. All the proceeds of these sales are reinvested into the projects to help support them financially and pay wages. Finally, fresh produce is sold at low prices to the local community in the area in which the gardens operate. Currently these projects employ up to 15 ladies who work in the gardens. In addition to earning an income they also receive fresh vegetables to take home to their families. The ladies at our Simbambili/Uthla Project have recently formed a new co-op, 1000 Herbs and Vegetable Garden, of which they are all members. We have recently appointed Ms Alice Brewer as the Community Project Manager. She is domiciled at our Simbambili Game Lodge for ease of access to all projects. Ms Brewer is a graduate from the University of Cape Town and has already made a huge difference by being able to strategically direct the logistics and marketing of the produce, mentor and train the ladies working in the gardens, co-ordinate between the gardens production and to help purchase seeds, seedlings, fertilisers etc. In addition she is responsible for explaining the philosophy behind our community gardens to Fresh produce from the Utah Herb Garden
be used by the school kitchen for the children in addition to other vegetables the garden already provides. New drip irrigation pipes have been fitted as well as fittings to the new 50 x 30 meter shade area. Donations have been collected for two specific projects that we hope to complete in the 2015 period: A new borehole for the Simbambili/Uthla Garden to be drilled and additional water tanks to be erected to ensure sustainable water supply. Currently we share a borehole with the clinic and school this has proved to be an erratic supply! A new washing, drying, cooling and storage building with toilets and tables for our ladies working there as well as visiting guests. We are also planning an area where visitors can sit and discuss the project with the ladies and have refreshments. In addition, an area where produce can be sold to the local community is planned. guests at Simbambili Game Lodge and frequently conducts tours of the projects to those guests interested in learning more. Her salary is paid for by the Thornybush Collection. Once these two projects have been completed, this garden will be well positioned to become far more efficient and productive with higher yields. We have recently co-operated with the Buffelshoek Trust Jobs Fund Programme to start training our ladies in various skills over a 12 month period, free of charge! This initiative is aimed at assisting the ladies working in the gardens to develop real skills and be able to ultimately employ more people. Simbambili/Uthla/Manyangana High School Garden Project In the past year this project has expanded a great deal with the following taking place: We have expanded the shade cloth area by an additional 50 x 30 meters We have purchased an additional two 5 000 litre water tanks Gutters have been fitted to the western side of Manyangana School with an additional 5 000 litre water tank to collect rain water. More cabbages and spinach have been planted. These will New drip irrigation system
Utah Herb Garden Dixie/Hananani Primary School Project This is a small primary school that had an abandoned garden. This school has approximately 180 primary school children and they need fresh vegetables for their school kitchen. We were able to obtain donations from Empowers Africa, DSA Pays it Forward and Buffelshoek Trust to build a brand new shaded garden with physical help from the students of the University of Arizona and Sierra Nevada College who helped clean and paint the school and who also contributed to some of the costs. The project has its own borehole with a submersible pump and water tank. We have also fenced in the area and fitted it with drip irrigation. The first planting of fresh spinach, lettuce, onions, tomatoes and cabbage, amongst others, took place in February 2015. The garden currently employs two ladies who operate as sole traders carrying out the planting, watering and packing of the vegetables. Our goal in time is to primarily supply the school kitchen on a daily basis and thereafter sell produce to the local community at very reasonable prices. All proceeds will be re-invested back into the garden. The project still requires a number of items before it is completed, including: A small washing, drying, storing and cooling building for the harvested vegetables / herbs needs to be built estimated cost R95 000 A small canopy next to the school fence which would allow the ladies to sell produce to the local community estimated cost R30 000 New lemon trees to be planted around the external area of the garden estimated costs of R15 000 Keystone veggie planting structures to be built around the
garden. The aim of these structures is to allow the school children to participate in and create a children s Gardening Competition with prizes. It is envisaged that this will also encourage learners to start vegetable projects at their homes estimated cost of R42 000 We have not yet called for donations for these items - our cost estimate is a total of R182 000 for all these items at current prices. Hlokomela Vegetable, Crèche and Clinic Projects This is an established project close to Hoedspruit. We contribute funds to help them sustain and grow their project. We also help them market their fresh produce which then helps them to sustain both the garden project and adjacent crèche. This is a well-run project under the able management of Christine du Preez and Angie. All our lodges in the area buy produce from them as well as other lodges and a number of supermarkets. We influence as many of our friends and suppliers to support Hlokomela as possible. In addition, we frequently take our guests out to visit this project and to give material as well as financial support. The prime focus of Hlokomela is to take care of and treat farm workers with HIV/Aids and TB and provide shelter to the children of these workers while their parents are being treated. The vegetable garden supplies veggies to the clinic and children s crèche in addition to retail selling which they do very successfully. The Thornybush Collection lodges buy most of their fresh vegetables and herbs from here as well. All the proceeds are put back into the garden, children s crèche and clinic. At the time of writing Hlokomela was struck with an unprecedented disaster when a freak hailstorm hit and completely wiped out the garden, shade cover and irrigation. This has meant complete destruction. The cost of rebuilding is estimated at around R140 000. The Thornybush Collection and the various owners in the greater Thornybush Reserve have implemented an urgent fund raising programme. To date we have managed to collect close to R65 000 which will help them to at least start rebuilding. Sierra Nevada College and their students kindly donated much needed funds but also assisted with physically clearing up the damage and replanting new plants even though there was no shade cloth! Hlokomela Herb Garden
We are truly indebted to our donors for their contributions without which we could not exist. We thank them most graciously for the confidence they have once again shown in us over the past year and trust that the progress made in the projects instils some confidence in our efforts to help our communities enjoy a better life. We are also most thankful for the financial, but mostly manual/physical help we receive from the graduates of Sierra Nevada College on an annual basis who help so much to improve, refresh and renew our community projects at Hananani Primary School through renovating the premises, training the school s educators on how to implement computer programmes as well as teaching Entrepreneurship to senior grades. These visits have been very successful and continue to help our forgotten communities and their children to enjoy a better life than would otherwise be the case. The following programmes will be expanded in the year ahead: Installing Wi-Fi at Hananani Primary School Click Foundation will be securing computer based learning to the primary school children Help nurture and develop the garden to employ tomorrows entrepreneurs to deliver and sell veggies Consider starting and operating a plastic/glass bottle/metal waste collection unit after collecting from lodges. Financial Review The financials for the Inzalo/Thornybush Community Project have been audited for the 2015 Financial Year. Inflow The Community Projects received R757 000 in donations and accrued interest of R1 600.00 on funds on deposit. The total donations/ income for the year was R859 000 compared to R742 000 received in the previous year. Outflow The Community Project disbursed a total of R332 000 during the 2015 financial year as compared to R318 000 in the previous year. Projects accrued and agreed to for the early part of the new year amounted to a further R280 000.
Donations received this Financial Year were from the following (in no order of priority): Nedbank Foundation R50 000 DSA Pays it forward R167 000 Sierra Nevada College R100 000 Buffelshoek Trust R118 000 Davis Foundation R30 000 R B Hagart Trust R75 000 Donations from guests R13 000 Simbambili Game Lodge R144 000 Thornybush Collection R60 000 Avis Leasing Supplies 4X4 vehicle for garden & personnel R75 000 Thank you all so much on behalf of the communities who receive benefit from these donations. And especially the school children who receive extra food and nourishment! We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all our supporters both financially and materially. DSA
ABRIDGED AUDITED INCOME STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 28 FEBRUARY 2015 2015 2014 Revenue Sale of vegetables 104 418 77 748 Donations received 757 703 665 654 Total income 862 121 743 402 Total expenses 333 572 334 252 Surplus for period 528 549 409 150 Accumulated funds at beginning of year 168 733 1 624 697 282 410 774 Community projects undertaken (236 074) (242 041) Accumulated funds at year end 461 208 168 733 We have committed to a new washing/cleaning/cooling building and extra water tanks that will cost R308 000 for 2015 not shown above, but now being spent. BANKING DETAILS Account name: Inzalo Community Project Bank: Standard Bank of South Africa Ltd Account number: 422136190 Swift code: SBZAZAJJ Registration number: 2005/036841/08 NPO 129-907 PBO 930022817 DIRECTORS: G VAN HEERDEN, AF PAYNE, AN GRIFFIN P O Box 1672, Rivonia, 2128 Tel: 011 253 6500 Fax: 011 803 7350