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/

Training on the Job! The best way to acquire skills.

Meet the team: Jerome, Dawid, Pieter and Floris. They have worked together for the past two months at various jobs (see pictures below). They fixed the classroom block walls and lime washed them and fixed the roof sorting out any leaking problems, build a wall for the wooden deck structure, laid down the plumbing for the new training kitchen and fixed gutters to walls, laid bricks for a new pavement, fixed a cupboard to an inside wall that can hold a big screen TV and painted it... these are just some of the many jobs they have on the go. The goal is to finish the wooden deck which is providing a walkway from the entrance that gives access to the training kitchen and woodwork room on the right and the needle work room on the left. The ceiling in the woodwork room still needs finishing and the toilets in the new toilet block need installing. All this is possible through funding from Schenke Zukunft and the Freunde der Erziehungskunst.

 

Pieter is the master builder, the organizer, the teacher in woodwork, plumbing, building, painting... and Jerome and Floris, his eager trainees, have been working at the Breede Centre for the past two months. You hear and see Pieter instructing, demonstrating, overseeing, trusting, correcting and praising. Not only do they learn practical skills from Pieter but they also get to know the tools they need and how to take care of them. They learn about planning, preparing, organizing, executing and tiding up a job and to think through any problems encountered. When he is not around Dawid, his assistant, takes over and guides his young peers in more than just a practical way. While they work they talk about what concerns them as young men or they listen to the radio.

Jerome and Floris have expressed their gratitude at having his opportunity. They know that it opens up many more opportunities for further training and jobs. Both have been accepted in a municipal employment scheme which will see then working and training two days a week in their chosen field. They will earn an income that will add to what they earn at the Breede Centre as trainees. For they are not ready yet to leave us completely as they are (for now) very much part of the bigger team working to make training opportunities such as they have available to many more young people in they village.

Katleen
14 Aug 2015

Bulletin 14 - July 2015

Click on the image of the Bulletin below to read about all that happened a the Breede Centre these past few months.

ENJOY!

The many faces of knitting...

The activity of KNITTING has many faces as seen at the Breede Centre
For two hours each Thursday The Breede Breiers gather to knit together. As each one concentrates on the knitting at hand a cup of tea and a biscuit is enjoyed and they share: information, expertise, experiences, laughter and news. Community projects are finalized and new ones decided upon. Lovingly knitted knee blankets were recently handed to the elder in the village to ward of the cold during the winter months.  Scarves for grade 1 and 2 children are the next project to tackle.
The Breede Breiers did teach a number of children how to knit but recently it was decided that the teaching was now the task of the youth leaders during the afternoon activities.

And that has proven to be a resounding success!! Girls and boys alike have chosen to learn to knit. Some have fingers that learn very quickly and some need guidance for a longer time. The words IN, OM, UIT en AF are a continual chant as they learn. Once the skill is acquired the children enjoy choosing different colours to liven up their work.These otherwise quite noisy and busy children concentrate and grow calm and quiet. They are not even tempted to go play outside! To the very last minute they knit.
It is is proven that knitting improves:

• Fine motor coordination
• Reading
• Math
• Comprehension
• Critical thinking and problem-solving

In addition, knitting and crochet are valuable tools for "teaching life lessons":

• Responsibility—Students are responsible for keeping their knitting clean and organized
• Ability to focus and follow through—Learning these skills is a step-by-step process
• Persistence—Projects take time and patience to complete
• Using available materials—Challenge students to be creative with the materials they have to work with
• Personal hygiene—Students quickly learn dirty hands mean dirty yarn. 

All skills the children are in great need of to enhance their learning and success at school and in their lives.
The Breede Centre, a skills training Centre, is very happy to see that these children have taken to  knitting so wholeheartedly.
Katleen
25/06/2015

5 Euro - 50 Rand - 5 Pounds - 5 USD Campaign

The Breede Centre believes that many small contributions make a big one! The centre needs support from many of you so that a solid financial base can be build. This is needed to keep realizing the core business of the centre - teaching practical and entrepreneurial skills to young unemployed (and umemployable) people so they can learn to set up their own businesses or find work. Jobs are scarce and they need support to believe in themselves so they can take responsibility for their lives. This in turn effects their family and their community positively. And that is the aim of the Breede Centre!
Friends of the Breede Centre worldwide are spreading this news! Let South Africa also spread the news! THANK YOU.
Contact Katleen at fundraiser@breedecentre.co.za for further information.