Part and parcel of Kouga Wind Farm’s mission is to upskill and empower local residents, and it is an especially proud moment when the success stories come not just from the wind farm’s surrounding communities but from within the business itself.
Two of 2019’s stand-out stories are those of the wind farm’s own Cingiwe Mbopa and Siyamthanda Thanda.
Cingiwe, a cleaner and general worker from Umzamowethu, has been with Kouga Wind Farm for four years. She is currently juggling her job and studying Grade 12 through Rehoboth Training Solutions in Humansdorp, while also taking driving lessons with a local driving school.
The decision to upskill was her own and was accepted, encouraged and funded by management, as her initiative fits in well with the wind farm’s vision of empowering local people.
On-site health, safety and environmental trainee Siyamthanda, from Sea Vista just outside St Francis Bay, has also been with the wind farm since February 2015, and started off as a field monitor responsible for bird and bat monitoring, a vital part of the farm’s environmental obligations.
As part of the exit strategy for the bird and bat monitors, all four field workers were attached to a developmental programme of their choice. Siyamthanda chose to be trained in disaster and safety management.
“Both Siyamthanda and Cingiwe have come a long way since the inception of the wind farm and we will support and follow their progress eagerly,” says economic development manager Trevor Arosi.