Saturday 5 December 2015

BULLETIN 15 - December 2015

Dear Breede Centre Friends,
The last Bulletin of a very busy and blessed year! We wish that this Christmas is one of sharing warmth with your family and loved ones. You can spread the cheer via https://www.givengain.com/cause/6541/campaigns/16975/ where you can gift a computer course to one of the McGregor villagers who were never given a change to master basic computer skills. Forward our message of hope to all you know.
To see the Bulletin you can click over the Bulletin First page below, or you can use this link
Happy reading and warm greetings,

Katleen Verschoore
Fundraiser/Youth Coordinator
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0QzDIVrV95kdnlPWnpGdm5wTUE/view?usp=sharing

Friday 18 September 2015

THE RIDE2NOWHERE

McGregor was once again filled with movement from early in the morning till late at night on the weekend from 11 to 13 September. The Ride2Nowhere event http://ride2nowhere.co.za/, where cyclists come to have a good time on their bikes in and around McGregor, was taking place for the third time.
The Breede Centre team was tasked with making some of the prizes - a key holder in the theme of cycling. As inspiration is usually free flowing at the centre they came up with a great idea. Dawid and Jerome lovingly worked at it for a week.
 With this as a result:

If you have any need for prizes of anything else in the realm of wood projects or printed T-shirts please connect with the Breede Centre - 023 6251930.

Katleen
18 September 2015

Friday 11 September 2015

MEN AT WORK PROJECT



Our first Men at Work project started in McGregor in April 2015. The concept behind this project is to empower men both in their home lives and their work attitudes, helping them to find the best in themselves. The programme runs for a period of 18 months. The first 8 months is intensive work on self inner development while the second 10 months works more with economic and skills concepts like entrepreneurship, computer skills and financial concepts. After this period, a one year mentorship programme is also envisaged to support the men to set up their own businesses if they so decide.

They meet weekly with the facilitator, Solly Marlow from the Graham Beck Skills Centre, where they explore their relationships with their fathers ,their sons, their peers, the rest of the family in their lives, their employers and themselves. They also explore all and any subject that comes up for discussion in the group. No issue is taboo.

They also meet with Judy Eccles on a weekly basis to learn vegetable gardening. The gardening has two main goals; to ground the interpersonal work done with Solly, drawing parallels in relationships with others to caring for the earth, and to work with food security by helping each participant to have their own vegetable garden


These pictures were taken at Godfrey's new home, where the owner has given permission for him to have a vegetable garden. Godfrey was keen to do a formal garden, so we marked out the four quadrants, laid sawdust paths and completed the first compost heap to use on the beds once ready. Godfrey will build a small pond in the centre to attract the "good" inhabitants such as frogs into the garden. We plan to plant the garden out in early spring.
The Men at Work programme is now being replicated at the Graham Beck Skills Centre where Judy takes care of the garden and at Ashton where a garden and trainer have been identified.

Judy Eccles and Pieter Holloway
11 September 2015 

Friday 4 September 2015

ARBOR WEEK 30 August - 3 September

With the youth leaders we agreed to have themed weeks in order to focus our stories and art and craft activities. Arbor week was the first theme we focused on and what a good week it was! We had to adjust our programme because of rain but that did not faze any of us.

The story Life of a Tree was told over two days and acted out on the third day. This helps the children to concentrate and remember more of the story. You can find the story on the following website: http://www.kindbook.com/nature_en.htm
Some children made bowls from papermache while other decorated a big tree with mixed media.


Finally on Thursday 3 September, our TREE PLANTING DAY,  we went out to join Judy Eccles on the playground at the Willie Meyer Single after having enjoyed a fruit salad with custard (courtesy PicknPay). The pictures speak for themselves... 20 children focused on helping to plant and learning about planting trees. The Langeberg Municipality dug the holes and gave compost and water. Two people gave donations towards buying some trees and mulch. And Judy, our excellent and very patient teacher, involved the children in every step of the process. The trees got named Alwyn and Piet Konyn e.g. and each one has a one child to make sure the trees thrive. At least 20 more humans know about the importance of and caring about trees!










Katleen
4 September 2015

In the Beginning... Poetry Festival 29 August 2015

After preparing for months, rehearsing the words to speak and how to speak them, the youth leaders took the floor at the Poetry Festival on Saturday 29 August. As it was the very first time ever that they had presented themselves in this kind public speaking they were nervous but composed. As Briar pointed out in the introduction a leader needs to learn to speak in public and this was their first step taken with courage. 
The youthleaders brought the CREATION STORY FROM THE BIBLE in Afrikaans. Christians, Muslims and Jewish people share the same creation story.

In die begin het God die hemel en die aarde geskape.
En die aarde was woes en leeg, en duisternis was op die wêreldvloed, en die Gees van God het gesweef op die waters.
En God het gesê: Laat daar lig wees! En daar was lig.
Toe sien God dat die lig goed was. En God het skeiding gemaak tussen die lig en die duisternis;
en God het die lig dag genoem, en die duisternis het Hy nag genoem. En dit was aand en dit was môre, die eerste dag.
En God het gesê: Laat daar ‘n uitspansel wees tussen die waters, en laat dit skeiding maak tussen waters en waters. En dit was so.
En God het die uitspansel hemel genoem. En dit was aand en dit was môre, die tweede dag.
En God het gesê: Laat die waters onder die hemel hulle op een plek versamel, sodat die droë grond sigbaar word. En dit was so.
En God het die droë grond aarde genoem, en die versameling van die waters het Hy see genoem. Toe sien God dat dit goed was.
En God het gesê: Laat die aarde voortbring grasspruitjies, plante wat saad gee en bome wat, volgens hulle soorte, vrugte dra, waarin hulle saad is, op die aarde. En dit was so.
Toe sien God dat dit goed was. En dit was aand en dit was môre, die derde dag.
En God het gesê: Laat daar ligte wees aan die uitspansel van die hemel, om skeiding te maak tussen die dag en die nag; En dit was so.
God het toe die twee groot ligte gemaak: die groot lig om te heers oor die dag en die klein lig om te heers oor die nag; ook die sterre. Toe sien God dat dit goed was.
En dit was aand en dit was môre, die vierde dag.
En God het gesê: Laat die waters wemel met ‘n gewemel van lewende wesens, en laat die voëls oor die aarde vlieg langs die uitspansel van die hemel. Toe sien God dat dit goed was.
En dit was aand en dit was môre, die vyfde dag.
En God het gesê: Laat die aarde lewende wesens voortbring volgens hulle soorte: vee, kruipende diere en wilde diere. En dit was so. Toe sien God dat dit goed was.
En God het gesê: Laat Ons mense maak na ons beeld, na ons gelykenis, en laat hulle heers oor die visse van die see en die voëls van die hemel en die vee en oor die hele aarde en oor al die diere wat op die aarde kruip.
En God het hulle geseën, en God het vir hulle gesê: Wees vrugbaar en vermeerder. En dit was so.
Toe sien God alles wat Hy gemaak het, en—dit was baie goed. En dit was aand en dit was môre, die sesde dag.
En God het op die sewende dag sy werk voltooi wat Hy gemaak het, en op die sewende dag gerus van
al sy werk wat Hy gemaak het.
Then Briar took the floor and told the SAN BUSHMAN CREATION STORY. This is a short version of the story.


The African Bushmen say, “People did not always live on the surface of the Earth. At one time People and animals lived underneath the Earth with Kaang, the Great Master and Lord of Life. The People lived peacefully with animals. No one wanted for anything. It was always light without the Sun. During this time of bliss Kaang began to dream the wonders of the world above.First, Kaang created a wondrous tree with branches stretching over the entire country. At the base of the tree he dug a hole that reached way down to where the People and the animals lived. He led First Man to the surface. He sat down on the edge of the hole and First Woman came out. All the People came out in awe of the new world. Next Kaang helped the animals out. Some animals excitedly raced out through the roots and branches of the tree. Kaang gathered all the People and animals together, and taught them how to live together in peace. He told the People not to start any fires, or an evil would unleash upon the Earth, then Kaang left them to secretly watch his world.
The People saw the sun set for the first time. It scared them. At night it was black and the People could not see like the animals could, nor did they have fur for the cold. They forgot Kaang’s words and built a fire. The fire scared the animals, and they fled into the caves and mountains. Ever since the two have not been able to communicate with each other. Fear replaced their friendship.
 And finally Dawid and Briar brought the ZULU CREATION STORY as told by Credo Mutwa in his book Indaba My Children.This gives you a taste of that great story:


 
It is within the still-warm ashes from The Great War of Creation, that Ma, an immortal African Godess, is born. Her divine task is simple: create matter and maintain its harmony. But stubborn Ma, alone and scared, forces the Great Spirit to rethink The Grand Plan.

The room looked inviting displaying an overview of all the activities on offer at the Breede Centre. The audiences were warm and supportive. 

As there were so many other poetry offerings during the time slots  the stories were told we resolved to bring it one more time for the McGregor people... keep your eyes and ears open so you do not miss the opportunity!

Katleen
4 September 2015 

Tuesday 18 August 2015

The Breede Centre at the McGregor Poetry Festival



The Breede Centre at the McGregor Poetry Festival  on Saturday 29 August.

See details on the poster

It would be great if you can join us for this special festival.


For a detailed programme of the whole Poetry Festival visit http://mcgregorpoetryfestival.blogspot.com/