Sterkstroom, NEC contributed to the NOK Project

Adam Moorcroft loving and kissing a donkey while out farming with his dad. His dad encourages him to love and care for all animals and he helps with the feeding and making sure the animals have water and are safe and well.

The boy on the horse is George-Henry Moorcroft of Sterkstroom. His horse, Dapper, is his responsibility and he has to feed, water, groom and muck out his stable everyday before and after school. If he is unable to do so he has to make sure he asks someone to do it for him and always checks on him when he gets home even if its in the dark. He goes out on horseback with his dad and brother who are on motor bikes over weekends to check on stock and fencing.

They also have to feed and look after any pet lambs on the farm and they take care of their four dogs.

George-Henry & John-Edgar also have a passion for growing vegetables and are encouraged to do so. They have a little green house as well as a veggie patch. I have also taught them how to make their own compost with Bokashi Bran. Jenna Richardson (daughter of WAA member Adele) also grows veggies on their farm very successfully and both the Richardson girls go out farming with their dad learning to love the land and care of animals. A number of other WAA children & grandchildren are also very involved in farm life going out with their parents & grandparents.

A number of WAA ladies go for long walks in the country side and have lovely gardens and vegetable patches as well as green houses.

We have a very good relationship with the state vets and co ordinate rabies vaccine drives as well as keeping the farmers informed about outbreaks of diseases that are a danger to the lively hood of the stock and the farmer as well as food security in the country. An example is the serious outbreak of Food & Mouth Disease which is a real danger to the whole country’s wellbeing and food security. The farmers as a whole are very aware of the importance of Biosecurity in the country in order to avoid the spread of these dreaded stock diseases.