Community

Empowering and strengthening the local communities through capacity building, skills transfer and funding of various beneficiary programmes in the surrounding areas.

The Beneficiary Communities, situated within the 50km radius of the wind farm, have been identified through a Needs Analysis programme.

These communities include Hopefield, MiddelPos, Ongegund, Witteklip, Laingville and Piketberg.

The aim is to empower and to build capacity of these communities through the funding of various socio-economic and enterprise development programmes that positively address local skills gaps and needs, and empower the communities to be economically independent and take ownership of their future.

The approach is holistic and is characterised by continuous engagement, the sharing of knowledge and experience, and a focus on relevance and practicality supported projects. All of Umoya Energy Wind Farm’s local economic development programmes are results and impact-driven; designed to be sustainable and to make a lasting difference in the communities within which the company operates.

Education

Umoya Energy’s education development programmes include funding of Early Childhood Development (ECD), capacity building programmes, educator salaries, and a scholarship programme.

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

The education capacity building programme addresses the lack of access to Early Childhood Development (ECD) services.

The Playgroup Site Learning Programme helps to ensure that children receive quality learning and caring programmes, resulting in them being better prepared to enter Grade 1. These community playgroups are situated in Hopefield, Koperfontein, Middelpos and Witteklip.

Playgroup leaders are receiving on-going support and mentoring, in addition to further training, all focused on helping young children to grow in confidence and become school-ready.

The Bridging the Gap addresses the breach between the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and the CAPS system (National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement), two frameworks that are designed as a guide to develop curriculum programmes for children in the early years.

The programme framework is designed to help adults develop effective practices through planning, integrating and offering activities to meet the needs of each child so that they can develop knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours for life, learning, schooling and work.

FUNDING OF EDUCATOR SALARIES

Umoya Energy responds to the needs of the local schools in the surrounding area through funding of educator salaries and educational excursions and events.

Since 2014 Umoya Energy has provided funding to:

• Holvlei Primary
• Hopefield Primary School
• Langebaan Primary School
• Middel- Pos Primary School
• Louwville High School

THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

Umoya Energy identified various skill shortages in the local communities of the surrounding area. To address these skills gaps and help to create marketable skills within the young men and women of the area, Umoya Energy has a Scholarship programme.

The Umoya Scholarship Programme provides tertiary education funding for young students from designated groups living within a 50km radius of the wind farm. The fields of study include teaching, engineering, science, environment and nursing.

Infrastructure

The multifaceted Hopefield Home Improvement Project included skills training, employment creation, and enterprise development. The programme, which was implemented in two phases, was completed February 2020. Hundreds of families in the Hopefield community benefited from home improvements such as plumbing, carpentry works, the installation of solar water geysers, the insulation of ceilings and electrical reticulation.

The impact across the two phases:
– 591 homes Phase 1
– 263 homes Phase 2 were completed for HIP P2 as at February 2020

Hopefield Home Improvement Project also included community development programmes. Previously unemployed residents were trained to work as artisans making improvements to homes in this small town.

The programme also included fixed term contracts with local businesses, all of which received business support, training and mentorship. These businesses employed local people.

Enterprise Development

Umoya Energy Wind Farm’s enterprise development SMME Accelerator programme, provides seed capital, often in the form of equipment financing, to entrepreneurs as well as other support that will continue for the 12-month period that the programme runs.

The programme aims to assist local enterprises to move from being survivalist businesses to formal sustainable SMMEs.

Through the programme entrepreneurs receive coaching and mentoring, access to market opportunities through supplier days and networking events, business registration and formalization, to help grow their businesses through an SMME Accelerator programme.

Environment

Umoya Energy Wind Farm’s environment development programmes included funding of the South Africa National Parks Conservation Project.

Local contractors cleared alien vegetation as well as performing other land management activities under contract with SANParks. The objective of this initiative was to train local people with skills to allow them to access the formal economy through securing permanent employment and/or establishment of small businesses.

The programme provided employment to a minimum of 50 people per annum and is now complete.

Upgrade of the River Crossing

Click on links below to view the River Crossing documents:

Appendix 1: Environmental Authorization
Appendix 2.1: Audit Checklist: Environmental Authorisation Conditions
Appendix 4: Construction Environmental Management Programme Compliance Report No 1
Appendix H: Environmental Management Programme
End Of Construction and Rehabilitation Audit Report

Welfare

Since 2015 Hopefield Wind Farm/Umoya Energy has provided funding to:

• Silwerblare Bejaarde Klub – Hopefield
• Diakonia Bewaarskool – Hopefield
• Samuel Centre – Hopefield
• Angels Academy – Hopefield
• Mfesane NPC – Vredenburg

Food Security Projects

Umoya Energy Wind Farm supports the Peninsula School Feeding Association’s feeding scheme (PSFA) in the beneficiary communities of Middlepos and Louwville.

Middelpos Primary School Feeding Programme funding impact includes:

• 230 learners on PSFA’s feeding programme at this school situated in Saldanha, with a daily cooked nutritious breakfast and lunch while at school for an entire calendar year, 180 school days.
• Two PSFA volunteer food preparers are funded at this school each with a monthly stipend for an eight-month period.

Louwville High School Feeding Programme funding impact includes:

• 180 learners on PSFA’s feeding programme at this school situated in Vredenburg, with a daily cooked nutritious breakfast and lunch while at school for an entire calendar year, 180 school days.