About Umthombo Trust
Umthombo trust co-exists with Homtini Farm and has its headquarters in the heart of the farm beside the cow field and the Lucky Star growers allotments. The Trust is a conduit for funding that is used for small, long term socio-ecological projects with the members of the Rheenendal Community.
Initially (from its inception in 2004) the idea was to work with local youth, those who had skills but not necessarily in an academic sense. To listen to what their dreams were, come alongside and understand what their skills were and support them in developing a path forward in an otherwise under-resourced and low opportunity area.
There were sessions for everyone on confidence building, entrepreneurial skills, value chains and bookkeeping etc. Then there were individual trainings and placements with local people and businesses and after two years some seed funding and follow up as they started on their own journeys. This was followed by homework and holiday clubs, menstrual health drives and partnerships with community based organizations to support them where needed.
The trust is underpinned by the idea of supporting those on the ground and creating the space for opportunities to be found and followed.
Community allotment garden
In 2020 at the start of the Covid 19 pandemic the community allotment garden project birthed itself, responding to the urgent need for fresh, healthy food and a recognition that land access was a massive problem in the neighboring township.
A hectare of land was negotiated with the farm and divided into 400m2 plots. Committed growers came forward and slowly took on 10 year leases for plots which had water access, a tool storeroom and a meeting place. Learning exchange workshops took place, the growers visited other local farms for inspiration and had many guest farmers and facilitators join them under the large blackwood tree which housed many workshops over those two years.
By 2024 the project is mostly self managed with some exceptional growers growing for themselves, their community and selling excess in the Rheenendal and Knysna area. For more information and to purchase their seasonal, organic vegetables, contact Daniel Hetjies.
Safe youth led spaces
Since 2020 the Trust has focused on creating safe, consistent spaces for youth from the Rheenendal township and assisting community workers in the community itself who are often largely unrecognized.
In 2023 the trust with the support of the farm managed to build a beautiful, versatile gathering and learning space in the heart of the farm. This space holds gatherings to ‘care for the carers’ of Rheenendal, is a space for shared meals which are had seasonally by the growers, homes a boxing club, a yoga club and offers quarterly wild clay workshops for the youth that frequent the space.
From the start of 2025 it will be the home to an Eco Youth Club in partnership with Cultural Connections, a restorative environmental leadership after school programme as well as host the first Ubuntu Led Facilitation training for community workers.
Vision and collaboration
The Umthombo space is an open space for guest facilitators who want to share their knowledge & skills and who align with the ethics of the Trust. All of our Umthombo spaces are safe spaces (see poster below).
Please contact us if you are local, context sensitive and want to host a workshop or event. The intention is for the parts of the farm that are hand in hand with the trust to be community led learning spaces promoting integration of cultures to encourage peace, understanding and safety.
In the act of restoring the land, we hope to actively support the restoration and empowerment of our people by finding a sense of place in the local ecosystem and broader social systems.
Umthombo Trust Coordinator
Contact Layla to find out more about Umthombo
laylastaegemann@gmail.com
Layla Staegemann is a locally born socio-ecological facilitator who coordinates Umthombo trust on the ground with support from the farm owners and holds the overall vision in alignment with the projects.
Umthombo facilitators are currently Abijah Appolis who coaches kickboxing and Riana Wiechers who holds a weekly yoga club and has her pottery studio on the farm which hosts workshops and classes.
Daniel Hetjies is an avid food grower in the allotment garden and leads the Lucky Star growers, please contact him on +27 78 377 7895 to purchase fresh, seasonal, organic produce or to see their amazing garden.
Contact Layla to be a guest facilitator or find out more about the projects and how you can support or attend training and workshops.
want to be involved?
Contact Layla to be a guest facilitator or find out more about the projects and how you can support or attend training and workshops