Funding

The land for VDI infrastructure has been donated, is registered in the name of the non-profit company and is a capital asset.

A strategic partner of the VDI is the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve. The VDI currently receives a 3 year grant from the GCBR to:
(i) deliver practical ecosystems skills development courses to participants from underprivileged communities;
(ii) investment to co-establish a basic physical facility for training activities within GCBR projects in the long term; and
(iii) generate the information required to define the full complement of training and knowledge extension associated with the programmes of the GCBR and others.

Additional capital as well as finance for providing development services are being raised through applications to potential funders as donations, as voluntary contributions and as ‘crowd-funding’

Operations

The plan is to fund the ongoing operational costs through a variety of recovery methods from operations and services. This includes:

Charging fees for students where possible
‘Selling’ the services of students and trainees
Selling products made by trainees
Obtaining sponsorships from suppliers whose products are promoted (paint, welding rods, machinery, pipes, etc)

Each project may need to be financed in a different way and there may be a need for some cross-subsidisation.

Get Involved

Partners

Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve
The VDI currently receives a 3 year grant from the Gouritz Cluster Biospher Reserve (GCBR). Through the GCBR, funding was obtained from dob ecology (from the Netherlands), which enabled us to start with the development and building of the exhibition centre. This centre will be a multi-functional training facility whilst we wait for more funding.
Vanwyksdorp Wood & Furniture
This is a new private venture to harvest alien trees (blue-gums) from water-courses in the mountains, to saw them into timber, air-dry it and use it for making furniture. The aim is to train residents in timber and wood-work skills. It operates from a shop adjacent to the development site, and incorporates an art and craft gallery.
Churches
One church has a vegetable garden and water allocation which it allows the ‘Spekboom Project’ personnel to use. They share their water allocation with Oasis. Recently the Dept of Agriculture (Landmark) has installed storage tanks and irrigation.

Saamwerk Project
This is an association not for gain, busy registering as an NPO. They run a cement brick-making project and apricot drying project. They are busy with upgrading to a more comprehensive food processing operation. The project employs people from the local community.
Oasis Community Centre
This centre has a substantial (old) building which houses the municipal library, a creche and after-care centre, vegetable garden and several small projects for unemployed and elderly. It received government funding from PAWC Health and Community Development.
Government
Health and Community Development already contribute to projects in town. Cape Nature is active in the reserve adjacent to town (and where the town’s water source is located). Dept of Agriculture (LandCare) has been active recently.