Men’s and Women’s (Family) Development Outreach
The Graham &Rhona Beck Development Trust (GRBDT) facilitates support groups for men and women for emotional and personal development in partnership with Hearts of Men. These programmes also focus on girls and boys to assist them as part of the family structure to make informed, responsible choices regarding education, sexuality and the abuse of alcohol and drugs. These support groups help family members (young and old) to understand their role and function not just in the family but also within the community as a whole as the restorers of social and moral value systems.
Senior Citizens
Currently three workers from the Community Development Forum represent senior citizens which organize two yearly functions where transport and financial aid is provided by the GRBDT. Health workers do regular visits and attend to basic hygiene and clinic schedules for the elderly.
Food Gardens
Highlands Stud Vegetables (Hi-Vegs)
Employees from Highlands Stud Farm are being assisted with a Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment initiative which focuses on vegetable production. The initiative had its first harvest in 2007 and is selling produce to farm workers, the after-care and crèche. Highlands Stud has made available the field and implements needed for production, whilst seeds etc. are bought from the profits. The GRBDT will provide financial assistance and other business related mentoring opportunities.
Substance Abuse
LSAAG (Langeberg Substance Abuse Action Group)
The Langeberg community has been concerned about the increase of substance abuse within their region and the harmful effect that it has on youth as well as parents. Collaboration was seen as the key to successfully address the challenges of alcohol and drug addiction, which led to the establishment of LSAAG (Langeberg Substance Abuse Action Group) as a centralised and coordinated approach to manage and monitor all existing and future interventions and services.
The focus is on addressing reduction in substance abuse within the community and involving youth and adults through programs such as youth workshops and camps, counseling and support, parent and youth information sessions, farm worker programs, spiritual guidance, sport and cultural programs as well as FAS focused programmes. LSAAG is built on three pillars, i.e. awareness, treatment and aftercare. A designated person was appointed to liaise, coordinate and manage all the activities related to LSAAG and is currently funded by the GRBDT.
FAS (Foetal Alcohol Syndrome)
The GRBDT works together with organizations such as FASFACTS to address awareness on farms in order to inform people about alcohol abuse, the effects of alcohol on the unborn child, to secure commitment from women not to drink while pregnant and for men to support the efforts. After-care alcohol addiction sessions and rehabilitation is available on a voluntary basis which is financially supported under the auspices of the LSAAG project.
Housing
The GRBDT financially supports the employees of the Graham Beck Enterprises with housing subsidies and financial assistance.This is probably the most significant programme of the GRBDT – the aim is to provide farm workers of the Graham Beck organisation with a house (title to their very own house) upon reaching retirement age of 65 years and having completed 25 years of service with the company. This benefit starts accumulating on a sliding scale after 15 years of service, the current value of which is R530k.