Kukhula Kunye

Meaning 'growing together' in the local dialect, is a project WelMac has developed for the local community where we strive to empower 150 local black woman with a sustainable income. 10 hectares of land will be put available to our employees to develop their own macadamia production. WelMac will provide them with all the necessary equipment and inputs, but they will deliver the workforce. When the trees come into production the nuts will belong to the workers and provide them with an extra source of income. During this project, the people involved will start training and educating others within their community to cultivate macadamias efficiently and in combination with the crops they are currently cultivating.

Training builders upliftment WelMac

15 students of the FET college of Waldesia do practical training and experience on Welgevonden. They come to the farm every day for 8 months to learn about all aspects of construction. They are supervised by an experienced builder that is employed by WelMac and they are guided and instructed on all different aspects of construction, from laying foundations up to the roofing. After these 8 months FET sends an engineer to grade their work and if they pass they will be qualified and certified constructors/builders.

General Agricultural eduction

Our staff is educated in general practises of growing crops. In between rows we have taught them how to grow cabbage, which they may harvest themselves and now are capable of growing in their own backyards. Cabbage is a mayor part of the diet of the locals during winter months, in summer we will teach them how to grow ‘millies’ (mais).

Staff education

WelMac employees are constantly given the opportunity to enrol in certain training programmes on all different aspects of farming like the responsible use of pesticides and herbicides and other plant protection programmes and other programmes to develop and educate them.  

Sponsoring of local school

WelMac provides a local school with necessary equipment and funding for their sports devision.

Wood donations

All the wood that is cleared from the farm is donated to the local community. The community is allowed to come on the farm and gather it themselves. The wood is used mainly for cooking, it is also sold on to others outside of the community, which provides them with a source of income.

Cattle grazing

The to-be-planted areas of the farm are made available to local farmers to graze their cattle.

Soccer field maintenance

The Soccer team of Waldesia has a field in the area, Welmac sends a slasher when needed to cut the grass and we do other maintenance around the field.

Support of Local Church

Regularly a donation is given by WelMac of bags of Millie meal (of which the community makes porridge, a significant part of their diet), to reward children that partake in a cleanup project in Waldesia (the local community), where the kids go out and pick up trash for recycling.