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 dilapidated. The community desperately wanted to restore the area. The plan was to fix the road, set up a parking area, build a bridge from the picnic area to the fountain, clean up the picnic area and refurbish the toilets.
“It is a big job,” Labuschagne said. “The whole town stood behind me and said if you have that envelope in your hand, then we start the engines.” When Leah showed up six weeks later with the Lottoland bus, they could drive up to the dam.
Chris Oosthuysen brought the necessary equipment from his farm to fix the road. It was drivable within about a week and a half, and this allowed four-wheel drive vehicles to also come out on routes in the area. Labuschagne explains: The ablution facilities were repaired with stones from the mountain.
“It was a lot of physical work – it sounds like you just move a stone, but it takes a lot of energy.” Trevor Konstabel, project team member, agrees. “The hardest part of the job was the stones.
The stones that we had to go and fetch from the mountain and carry.” The community also carried stones to repair the footpaths and build a partial amphitheatre. River pebbles were used to refurbish the parking area.
Burger also points out the steps that were refurbished, parts of the paths that were rebuilt, and the handrails that were redone and painted. “Just when we thought everything was done, the gardening group came in with truckloads full of plants.” According to Labuschagne, they also scrubbed graffiti off the rocks and the city council donated trash bins to keep the area clean.
A lot of work was done to clean up trash, cut the long grass and prune the plants back. READ: Sponsored Content | Brandvlei boasts new soup kitchen and community center, breathing life into local creche “How do you move a mountain – pebble by pebble,” says Burger. “Every person in the town was part of the project.
It will mean a tremendous amount for tourism.” For Burger, the biggest moment was when they cut a ribbon at the access gate to the dam. On either side, signs were put up – one for when the dam was built and another to thank Lottoland.
“The very best moment was when we cut the ribbon and everyone from the whole community stood under one umbrella. I am proud of the community and what we have achieved.” Burger says: Lottoland helps villages realise their dream projects.
“Thus, we not only transform villages but also give hope to South Africa again,” says Maryke Haywood, marketing director. The second season of Lottoland Help a Village is available on Catchup on DStv. All episodes carry subtitles.
This time Leah and Lottoland travel further and with bigger budgets to help communities refurbish their villages, says Haywood. Communities now have six weeks to make the most of the money. Lottoland decided to support communities after they travelled the country to help welfare organisations with the Thank You, Lottoland project.
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