By Jan-Hendrik de Villiers
The West Coast One wind farm at Vredenburg in the Western Cape is helping train unemployed individuals and youth to enter the agricultural sector through an agri-entrepreneurship project.
The initiative was launched at the end of October 2024 to help people in the area stand on their own feet. The participants received training from October to February this year.
This is one of the projects to create independence in the community by empowering the unemployed and the youth with skills, said Rahshanah Damonse, Aurora Wind Power’s manager of social engagement, at the media event celebrating the wind farm’s tenth anniversary. The event was organised by power producer Engie SA and the South African Wind Energy Association (Sawea).
“The wind farm has entered into a partnership with the South African Institute for Entrepreneurship (SAIE), which provides agricultural training,” said Luyanda Jonas, CEO of Aurora Wind Power. “We have enrolled young people and other people from the community for this programme and they have been taught about various aspects of agriculture and farming.”
The project is being continued at an agricultural project on a neighbouring farm. Participants plant crops, which are later sold.
“Many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) struggle because of high operating costs,” Damonse said. “Often those operating costs are related to rent. If it’s a soup kitchen or an orphanage, they have to feed the individuals who are part of that institution. We try to reduce those costs so that the available resources can be utilised elsewhere in the organisation.”
Cycle of Finance and Skills
The people participating in the project learn how to till the soil, handle seeds, what and where to plant, what can be planted together, and what the inter-seasons are when they can plant something else to ensure there is a continuous supply of fresh produce coming into their gardens.
“They can then reduce the cost of the project by feeding the beneficiaries, but there should be a surplus. Now, what should they do with the surplus? We teach them how to process, package or freeze for future use,” Damonse said. “If there is still a surplus, you sell it on the market, sell it to other NGOs, sell it to the ECDs in your area. And use the money to finance the input costs of whatever is planted next in that garden.”
In this way, the garden can finance itself and at the same time help another NGO.
“The project was implemented with the rehabilitation centre right next to the West Coast One wind farm, well as the Siyabonga Care Village,” Damonse said.
“The participants completed their training in February. We are now monitoring, evaluating and looking at sales. We have asked the training provider to only provide guidance and mentoring if we see problems arising.”
