Bonnievale is in the Western Cape’s Breede River Valley on Route 62, a very popular destination for tourists.

The area is known for its many wine cellars which produce award-winning wines and fruit for the export market.

While the farming operations require a large labour force during the harvesting time, the employment is totally seasonal. In Bonnievale only 41% of the non-white community have permanent employment, almost exclusively in the agricultural sector, while 9% find seasonal jobs. The remaining 50% rely on grants from the government (statistics from Badisa.) An enormous percentage of these receivers of grants are single mothers of whom just too many are teenagers who fell pregnant. Because of the lack of education and skills, they have no chance of entering the labour market.

We deal with a severely disadvantaged, impoverished non-white community where one is confronted with many challenges: alcohol and drug dependency, disintegrated families, overcrowded small homes, malnutrition, low literacy, high drop-out levels from school, an alarming number of teenage pregnancies and a fast growing unemployment rate.

The community has lost all sense of self-confidence and self-worth and have surrendered to a spirit of total hopelessness. They simply do not believe that the future might offer anything to aspire for.

In a study sanctioned by government on the violent nature of crime in South Africa, it was concluded that the dysfunctional nature of households was a major contributor to the statistics. It was found that the lack of intact family structures and the enormous percentage of single mothers raising children, especially boys, on their own, was a breeding ground for criminals. In such an environment boys tend to grow up with anger and resentment towards society. When they come into direct confrontation with a victim, all the bottled-up emotions are unleashed and result in a violent criminal act.

Rudolph Zinn did research for his book “Home Invasion” (Tafelberg) amongst young prisoners and came to the same conclusion. He found that 70% of case studies grew up in broken homes without a father, and 80% dropped out of school and did not have secondary school education.

In the light of these findings and the shocking realities, this community has the “perfect mix of circumstances” to breed criminally inclined individuals.

Early childhood development for every child born here, is the only miracle that will turn the tide in this community which still suffers under the curse of the Apartheid legacy.

PBO930038356 : Section 18A(1)(a) approved.

NPO    : 071-031-NPO