Duiwenhoks Conservancy

Exciting news!

With the growth of the program, we have realized that it would be useful to have a larger facility and have relocated the program to the Vredesaal. We were kindly donated a Solar system, complete with panels, batteries and an inverter, by Dave Brinkley, a member of the Vermaaklikheid Community. This has enabled us to do the move as we now have power in the saal for the wifi router and laptops. It is a much larger space which will allow for a reading corner, sufficient tables for homework, more privacy for the older learners for their online lessons, and a table for games such as chess. The Vredesaal is also much closer to Skoolkop. This is a big bonus as the bus drops the learners at the bus stop and they will no longer need to walk along the main road. Their safety in this respect has been an ongoing concern.

We have been donated a gas stove by Dave Marshall, also a member of Vermaaklikheid Community. We currently use this for the learners’ meals. In the future we would like to open a Soup Kitchen in the Vredesaal. This could hopefully be run by people in the Community.

As we draw towards the end of the year, we thought we would share with you what has been happening in our program this year.

Firstly, to recap, our Goals for 2025 are:

• To help our Grade 11s successfully complete their matric in 2026:

If our current Grade 11 learners pass their matric, they will be the first successful Vermaaklikheid matriculants in the last 7 years. In order to achieve this they require a great deal of academic support. We highlighted 2 main areas where we can assist them:

1. Supply them with The Answer Series Study guides in each subject. This series provides learners with up-to-date, comprehensive study guides for all major subjects from Grade 7 to 12.
2. Hire online an on-site tutors to provide the learners with extra lessons in their weaker subjects.

• To continue the supervised after-school sessions three times a week. These sessions have proven to be a popular and valuable resource, particularly for younger learners.
• Holiday Programs & Workshops during school breaks.
• Professional emotional support for vulnerable children in the community.

We have become increasingly aware of the large number of children in this impoverished community who experience trauma on a regular basis. This has a profound impact on their behaviour, their emotional wellbeing and their ability to learn and study.

We are happy to report that we are seeing some positive progress in all these areas.

• Our Grade 11’s have now got access to the Answer Series study modules, and with the assistance of an online tutor once a week they are working through their Math’s Literacy syllabus. They are certainly feeling the benefit thus far. We hope to be able to do the same in some of their other subjects.
• Our afternoon sessions continue with the help of our two loyal facilitators, Amelia and Anneline. The number of kids has grown and the learners are benefitting from this safe, structured environment. They receive a sandwich and a hot drink when they arrive in the afternoons and certainly do enjoy that!
• The learners have participated in holiday programs during each holiday. The Magpie Art Collective offered a course where the children once again made flowers and decorations from recycled plastic bottles. You might have seen their art on the poles, blowing in the breeze at the entrance to the Community Centre.  Anneline also offers holiday programs in the library where the children partake in fun activities.
• We are investigating all options regarding social and emotional support for the learners. This remains an ongoing challenge. Thus far we have not obtain much support from Social Welfare. Private counselling and intervention is extremely costly, hence we are continuing to pursue the state Welfare services for now.

Once again we would like to thank all the members who continue to generously support our Vermaakverbeter Afterschool Program.

We welcome all contributions to the program. If you are able to, please add a reference of ‘VV’ & your name so that we know that it’s for this project. The banking details are as follows:

Banking details: FNB Savings 63135912631

If you would like to know more, please contact us via email vermaakverbeter@gmail.com or

WhatsApp: 0797022689 or 0834194467.

Best Regards

Amelia, Anneline, Hilary and Josie

Many moons ago, Julian Cooke and Paul Andrews took some time to document ideal Vermaaklikheid architectural guidelines. Sadly the documents are not dated, but here they are:

The text is copied here for legibility:

Preamble

The Vermaaklikheid/Puntjie area has a unique architectural heritage.

Perhaps more clearly than anywhere in the country, it is possible to see the whole range of traditional Cape thatched buildings, from the elementary kapsteilhuis so characteristic of Puntjie, to the small low walled thatched barns and cottages, to medium sized houses to large estates. Many are in very good condition, and still in use. There are a number of features which are found only in the area. Thatching in particular has a very long tradition here and apparently there is only one district of Holland where the distinctive thatch ridge of Vermaaklikheid appears. The solid door or shutter with a small pane is unusual, as are the rafters constructed with sisal poles. There are many variations of the type. One is what may be described as the South African farmstead, the thick-walled, gabled house with corrugated iron roof, with a wide stoep, and extra rooms or service rooms roofed with an afdak.

There are enough examples of these buildings and sufficient harmony amongst them to merit conservation, as well as a conservation attitude when new buildings are built. The guidelines are intended to point the design of new buildings in a direction that will enhance and enrich the heritage.

General character

Generally the style of traditional buildings depends on the following:

1.   The langhuis model ie long, narrow buildings. Bigger buildings are in a T or H or L shape. Wider buildings are usually made up of the main roof and afdakke.
2.   Steep pitch to the main roof. The minimum pitch is about 40 degrees.
3.   Low walls. The long walls are low in relation to their length.
4.   Small scale. Generally the buildings are rather low and small in scale, which is achieved by keeping the width of the main roof narrow: a maximum of about 6m.
5.   There is a wide variety of simple gables at the ends of the buildings including the leg of mutton half hip half gable. They are also used over important openings in the length of the building, normally a simple triangle or semi-circle
6.   Stoep. The stop, either open, or covered with a pergola or roof, is characteristic.
7.   Windows. The windows tend to be vertical rather than horizontal.
8.   Materials. The roofs are thatch or corrugated iron. Walls are very varied: of stone, plaster and timber.

New designs should respect these characteristics. This does not mean that they should slavishly copy the traditional models. However a real effort should be made to keep in harmony with them. The chief features to ensure unity are 1-4 above, thus enabling a wide variety.

The attached drawing shows variations of the traditional type.

We had our annual general meeting in the Community Saal on 19 April. Thanks to all who attended.

Here are the minutes: Duiwenhoks Conservancy AG meeting minutes 19 April 2025

Wilhelm de Beer of the GCBR gave us a fascinating talk on the GCBR. Wilhelm is the Coastal Extension Officer from Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve in our area but also has long interest in Vermaaklikheid. Click here to see it: W de Beer GCBR Duivenhoks 2025-04-19

A reminder that we will have our AGM in the Community hall on Easter Saturday morning. 

Please attend – it’s our only opportunity to gather as a community and focus on the issues that matter to us all. 

We’ll update this post soon – but in the meantime, save the date: 19 April.

Heritage Western Cape (HWC) received our application to register as a conservation body in April 2023, in terms of Section 25(1)(b) of the National Heritage Resources Act, 1999. HWC recently informed us that our application was approved at their Inventories, Grading and Interpretation Committee (IGIC) meeting.

What does this change?

This creates an obligation for Hessequa Municipality to consult and engage with us and seek input as both an interested and affected party and Conservation Body for any development in Vermaaklikheid area.

Any applications for change in land use, consent use, building work, road or infrastructure works needs to be provided to us to comment on.  We would then provide input to owners wishing to do work in our area of high conservation value.

We have a historical building guideline document, drafted by Paul Andrew and Professor Julian Cooke. This was used previously for all building development work applications. If you have any questions, please drop a note on duiwenhoksconservancy@gmail.com.

Thanks to all who attended the AGM on 8 April 2023.

Good engagement for future activities; will send minutes to our email list.