At StoryScape Travel we always find people, places and local projects that inspires us on our travels.

Our feel-good page is dedicated to  share these special moments with our fellow StoryScape Travellers

Hlokomela Creche at Verlorenkloof Lodge

As a hospitality business Verlorenkloof employs a large number of female staff; in fact two generations from most households, grandmothers and moms, are working full time. This creates a need for baby and child minding, but also the wonderful opportunity for an early childhood development program, for a total in all of about 25 kiddies.

The staff had approached Verlorenkloof last year and proposed that, if they could provide a venue at Matsepo, the staff village on the farm, the parents would be willing to contribute R200 per month per child towards paying a teacher, support staff, and covering other monthly costs.

As a trial Verlorenkloof Lodge set up a small crèche with 7 kiddies at the farmhouse two years ago and the success was immediately apparent.

The proposal was taken to the Verlorenkloof board of directors last year who generously agreed to put the Community Social Investment spending for 2017 and 2018 towards the project. This enabled site preparation and laying the foundation slab for a well thought out functional architect designed 120 square meter building, now ready to be completed.

The building will fulfil a number of functions, namely:

• A crèche on working days, and weekends where required;
• A homework centre for primary and secondary school learners after hours;
• A community hall, film centre over weekends, and a church venue on Sundays;
• An appropriate clinic venue for monthly visits by the Department of Health