“Reach for the stars” was the message from American astronaut Dr Donald Thomas when he visited the Umzamowethu Community Hall on Heritage Day to share his stories about travelling in space. Around a thousand pupils, parents and teachers flocked to hear him speak about his own humble beginnings and how hard work and education made […]

A little bit of pampering, a professional photo shoot and an evening of thought-provoking entertainment was the Rainmakers’ reward after months of hard work, making a difference in their communities. Guest of honour at the September 9 event was Freshlyground star Zolani Mahola, who treated guests to a motivational talk, musical story-telling and a chance […]

One of the first community projects to grow from the Rainmakers Legacy Programme is the Poison Ivy Netball Academy in the northern areas of Humansdorp. Started two years ago as a social netball club by a small group of women from Kruisfontein, the new academy aims to expand their efforts and keep vulnerable girls off […]

The six fortunate students who are benefiting from Kouga Wind Farm’s bursary scheme are looking forward to a brighter future – and all agree that the rewards are more than financial. Through the scheme, Fiona Swartbooi became the first member of her family to go to college after she was given the chance to study […]

The long-held dream of a state-of-the-art library is coming true for the Sea Vista community. Residents will soon have access to information through the thousands of books, CDs, DVDs and computers, which are housed in the double-storey, wheelchair-friendly facility. The library is the result of a partnership between Kouga Wind Farm, whose socio-economic development programme […]

  Putting rural areas on the equality map, while empowering women to create meaningful change in their communities, is just another way of giving back. And that’s exactly what Kouga Wind Farm did with its six-month Rainmakers Development Programme, which allowed both the farm and a group of resilient women to ensure that, together, they […]

Chief financial officer Wendy Parsons is one of the driving forces behind the Kouga Wind Farm Community Development Trust, which aims to empower previously disadvantaged people living within a 50km radius of the farm. Here she explains how the trust works and what it hopes to achieve. Q: Why was the trust set up and […]

The R3.8-million Sea Vista Library and IT Centre, which is currently under construction, has seen the community pull together, with a number of local players throwing their weight behind the project. Kouga Municipality provided free approval of plans and site allocation, and has waived water and electricity charges. All building materials have been locally sourced, […]

How can targeted transformation be achieved in the most needy rural areas of South Africa? The wind power industry is a case study in meaningful intervention. The Independent Power Producers’ Implementation Agreements (IAs), part of the power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed as a last step in the procurement process require clearly outlined and quantified actions […]