NEWS L ady Grey in the northern Eastern Cape is anything but grey. Viljean Burger, project leader and founder of Molweni Bantwana Outreach, has lived in this town for 44 years. “It is a hidden gem,” she says.
Hannes Labuschagne recently moved here for a quieter, simpler lifestyle. “We made more friends within a year than over 20 years in Witbank.” According to Soon Cloete, a community member, everyone is involved in all the activities in the town.
“Everyone participates.” And that is also what these people did after Lottoland made R497 000 available for their Dam of Dreams project. The dam lies between the mountain slopes and is much more than just a potentially beautiful setting.
“It is a gathering place, it’s a memory and a place people talk about with nostalgia,” Burger explains. READ: SPONSORED CONTENT | Elim's 200th anniversary marked by transformation and community spirit Cloete says the dam was a popular hangout in his youth, where they celebrated after the town team played rugby. According to Labuschagne, it is still a popular place for the town’s children to go swimming.
“Last year, up to 500 children (per day) passed by my house to swim in Kollasgat or at the dam.” However, the area had deteriorated over the years and the road was impassable. Lottoland’s van could not reach the dam on their first visit.
There was rubbish everywhere, the gardens and paths were overgrown, the railings along the footpaths were broken, and the bathrooms dilapid.