Thursday: 14 August 2003

This site will be updated on: 21 August  2003 at 17:00

Lifestyle - Leefstyl

• Information for poverty alleviation
• Workshops for youth
• Groot makietie by Noorder-Paarl
• Red Devil rides again
• Pas se opening herdenk

TELL us about your soup kitchen, your food garden, educare or other community project as soon as possible. This was the advice of the deputy mayor of Drakenstein, Anthea Sheldon, when she urged organisations and individuals in the community to become involved in the Drakenstein poverty eradication initiative.

The Drakenstein Municipality is currently embarking on an integral poverty alleviation strategy for the area. To this effect they are updating their database of organisations.

The Drakenstein Municipality is currently embarking on an integrated poverty alleviation strategy for the area, with its main aims being the development of a mutual relationship in order to deal with poverty in a structured, integrative, developmental and sustainable manner, and to ensure that resources are optimally utilised in order to maximise the impact of any poverty alleviation program.

The initiative will be based on intersectoral collaboration - all relevant state departments will be lobbied and drawn into co-ordinatory and facilitative structures around projects for the sake of effective integration of planning and deployment of expertise, support and resources.

To this effect they are updating their database of organisations.

The information gathered so far was outlined at a recent meeting of government departments involved, as well as the information still outstanding.

The department as well as the community were asked to assist by forwarding information on current projects (with approved business plans where possible).

A presentation on GIS (Geographical Information Systems) and its current application in Drakenstein Municipality was done by Pierre de Villiers and Gawie Marais of the Drakenstein Municipality.

She is to hold focus group meetings with sectors like business, industry, tourism, informal business and agriculture before the Indaba, which will probably take place during the first week in November.

"We want to find out how they are affected by poverty, what they are currently doing about poverty, and what they could contribute to the poverty initiative."

The meeting also discussed the need to hold a pre-conference to the Indaba, where all the available information be presented and scrutinised for gaps, as well as drafting of the poverty definition and approach.

Send information to Laurel Cadle at the Drakenstein Municipality, PO Box 12, Paarl, fax 872 8054 or e-mail laurelc@drakenstein.gov.za.

Questionnaires outlining the details needed are also available from the RDP offices and libraries.

THE Koinonia Centre offers several workshops at their new offices in Lady Grey Street, Paarl.

People can enrol for Business Skills (business plan writing and motivation); Life Skills (life plan, goals and targets); Computer Skills (CV/resume, internet and e-mail); and Job Preparedness (CV writing, interviewing skills, job hunting).

The workshops are from Monday to Thursday, 10:00 to 14:00, aimed at unemployed young people between 17 and 35 years. Casual workers and short-term contract workers are also welcome.

Pre-assessment and registration are done before a student is booked for a workshop.

For more details contact them at 872-2141/2 or visit the centre between 09:00 and 17:00.

 Alle workshops and assessments are free of charge.

NOORDER-PAARL SEKONDêR vier vanjaar sy 50ste bestaansjaar en die Oudstudente-unie het 'n reeks aktiwiteite gereël, bo en behalwe die program wat die skool self aanbied.

Op Vrydag 22 Augustus vind die Oudstudentedans plaas in die Huguenot-gemeenskapsaal. Die musiek word deur Strand Combo verskaf en 'n beperkte getal kaartjies is  beskikbaar.

In September word 'n saamtrek gereël waar oudstudente vereer sal word en op 1 November word die feesprogram afgesluit met 'n gesamentlike poging tussen oudstudente en die huidige skoolgemeenskap.

Belangstellende oudstudente kan skakel met Albert Kulsen (082-454-7363), Roland Bastian (862-2761), Davy Marquard (862-1802), Robbie Fortuin (862-5268) of Glen Samaai (862-9477).

Besonderhede oor die skool se program is beskikbaar by die skool (872-7061).

WHEN last did you, your children or your grandchildren ride in a steam train?

On Heritage Day, Wednesday September 24 (a public holiday), the famous "Red Devil" steam locomotive will pull a train of vintage coaches from Cape Town station (departing 08:30) to Paarl station to join in the local celebrations.

It will return to Cape Town (arriving 17:10). This could be your chance to be a passenger or to see her again.

Among the most powerful ever built, Class 25NC steam locomotives hauled freight trains up our mountain passes from the coast to the Highveld.

For twenty five years Locomotive 3450 pulled her weight in building South Africa's economy. In 1980 she was rebuilt to Class 26 standards to compete with diesel locomotives. 

All the Class 26 diesels were painted red in contrast to the black of the steam engines. The question now was what colour should a steam engine in Class 26 be painted?  

"Paint her Red" came the answer and red she was painted!

Loco no 3450 was re-commissioned in late 1980 in the most unusual livery of red and so was nicknamed "The Red Devil" by the Salt River shed staff. 

This name stuck and she served ten years on the Kimberley line. 

Many a motorist travelling through the Karoo during this period, stopped to watch the "Red Devil" steam past. 

Today, she is the only remaining locomotive of her class in the world and is stationed at Daljosaphat in Paarl.

For more details on the "Red Devil's" Heritage Day trip and how to become a passenger on it, phone Paarl Tourism Bureau 872-3829 or 872-4842.Tickets are R160 (children under 12 R100).

'n GROOT kultuurfees gaan van 12 tot 14 September op Wellington gehou word om die 150ste herdenking van die opening van Bainskloofpas te herdenk.

Maar dit was so amper of Bainskloof het nie by Wellington oor die berg gegaan nie. 

Die bekende Imker Hoogenhout skryf in Die Bolander van 11 September 1959 toe Bain saam met 'n paar boere na 'n geskikte plek gesoek het om 'n pas oor die berg te bou, het hy veral belang gestel in Dutoitskloof. 

Soos hulle stap, het hy gedurig gesê "hierlangs" en "daarlangs moet die pad gebou word". Skielik het 'n paar fisante voor hulle in die paadjie gehardloop. 

Die boere, wat natuurlik gewere by hulle gehad het, het losgebrand en 'n paar geskiet. 'n Halfuur later was die ontstoke grondeienaar daar en skop 'n bose lawaai op. Hulle sê toe hulle is daar in verband met die pas wat vir hom baie sou beteken. 

Bain sien en verstaan wat aangaan, draai om en sê: "Nee, ons sal nie die pas hierlangs bou nie, wys my 'n ander plek."

En so was daar glo 'n paar fisante daarvoor verantwoordelik dat die pas is waar hy is.

Die Bainskloofpas is in September 1853 geopen en het, totdat die Dutoitskloofpas in 1949 oopgestel is, as hooftoegangspoort na die Noorde diens gedoen.