De Beerskraal farm owner’s gesture is a positive investment in the future of farm workers children, North West MEC for Social Development Collen said, during his visit to the farm on Wednesday.

“We are pleased to have farmers like Leynette Oosthuizen who has heartily given a house to serve as a crèche for farm workers,” Maine said adding that his department would ensure that Ntataise early childhood development crèche receive conditional registration and that each child would receive R15 per day.

Maine said would be used to buy food for the children and pay stipend for the teachers.

Farm owner Leynette Oosthuizen said the centre used to be the teachers house and she turned it into a crèche for farm workers children in 1992. Since then, Oosthuizen said the centre has rendered services to 35 children between 0-4 years, providing safe and healthy environment for farm workers children where the children are being prepared for basic education and primary learning. She said the centre has 35 children.

“We are so grateful that the authorities have considered our plight. Most of the farmers here have started a feeding scheme for the children at the crèche and also primary learners. We buy them food from our own pockets. We also provide them with teaching aids. We do all these because their parents work for us,” Oosthuizen said.

To keep the centre in operation, Oosthuizen said they deduct R20 per month from the monthly wages of parents of the children and use the money to the centre’s overheads expenses. The parents of the children from the neighbouring farms such as Klerkskraal and Rysmierbult contribute R50 which is utilized to pay the salaries of the two practitioners at the centre.

On Wednesday Maine donated mattresses, sand bags, playing equipment, reading books, tables, blankets and chairs to Ntataise crèche.

Most of the farm workers receive the gifts with ululation and gladness. Maria Kgopo who grew up in farm said she wished that her child would get a better education from early age.

“I am so happy for all these gifts. We do not earn much. This is a relief on us,” Kgopo said, adding that most her peers in the farm depend on social grants and temporaty jobs for survival.

Maine who was accompanied by National Development Agency representatives and the senior management of his department urged the farm workers to attend adult basic education classes – citing that government has put education in its priority list.-TDN
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