C.A.R.T. - Centre for Appropriated Rural Technology

C.A.R.T encourages the development of basic life skills at the grass roots level. They do this through promoting permaculture gardening, nutritional awareness, water management, low environmental impact building methods and renewable energy alternatives. The centre was initiated in 2007 and is based in the village of Sicambeni on the hills of the Wild Coast of Port St Johns.

Transformation in this country has been rapid and as a result the basic level of skills in the rural areas is virtually non existent. Normal family community life has been eroded by desire and a system which encourages one to live above ones means. It is for this reason that this project is so vital and more importantly embraced by the surrounding community.

How you can be of service? Sustainable opportunities?

During your week with C.A.R.T there will be no specific daily schedule, simply a need to do things that have to get done in the day to day running of the community - weather dependent of course.

Along with the opportunity to meet and work with rural people who are striving to improve their position on the land and not relying on government and big business handouts, you will have the chance to contribute your skills, time and ideas to this sustainable project.

You may find yourself involved in any of the following tasks:

Gardening, brick making, carpentry, building, design of the new building interiors using materials from the surroundings, playing with the village kids after school, building and maintaining dams, creating and building the library, making preserves, studying and documenting the medicinal uses of herbs in the area, helping in the nutrition kitchen. Depending on you skills you may help in demonstrations in soap making, pottery, wood work, clay oven building, instrument making, sewing and crafts with the kids.

An empowered individual can make responsible decisions and a shift in consciousness can be realised read http://sustain-ability.blogspot.com/.

Sisonke School

Sisonke School (meaning “together” in Xhosa) was opened in January 2008 out of a desperate need for an alternative to the underdeveloped and under-resourced schools.

There are currently 70 learners and 5 teachers.

The school is run by local people. It aims at bringing life into education through poetry, music, drama, art and practical activities. Children are born with an innate thirst for knowledge and learning but this disappears when they enter a system based on tests and text books. Spoon feeding children does not stimulate them sufficiently, and the systems in place are not successfully allowing the progress and learning required. New imaginations will only shine through if the possibilities are left open. To close a child's mind is to close the door on our future. The whole community is involved in our school and the parents are awakened in their hearts to play an active role in their child's education. We are teaching traditional crafts, cultural stories are told by elders and music and rhythm imbue everyday. A deep understanding of nature and the world fills every subject from measurement, to money, to science, to art, our curriculum is alive.
 

Volunteer opportunities

Once again there are many areas for you to be involved at the school, they may include, play, music, story telling, maintenance or food preparation.

Voluntours: It is important to note that being in Africa life may appear disorganised but in fact, things are as they are and you will be part of this organic process. Volunteer time, effort and patience in getting to understand the dynamics of the projects is of more benefit to the community than cash and advice from people that have never been here but sit behind computers and just throw stats around.