Woodridge Way 2017

Hooglied Weekend at Agape Church, hosted by Marius and Marthe Malan

Emmanuel senior children had the opportunity to attend the Hooglied Weekend at Agape Church, Middelburg. Marius and Marthe Malan invited the children for the entire weekend. I believe there is not a child that did not learn something, spend some time in the Word and prayer, and will have lots of tales to tell. The weekend was packed with activities, started on Friday eve, 14 July, ending Sunday 16th of July. All Glory goes to God our Father. Thank you Marius and Marthe for this wonderful weekend.

Vision

ECYCC (Emmanuel Child and Youth Care Centre) envisions a world where all children are nurtured, loved and cared for and where these children will grow up to be self-sufficient and have the opportunity to actively contribute to their communities.

Mission

ECYCC is a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the health and well-being of vulnerable children. Our mission is to inspire, motivate, develop and educate these underprivileged children.

ECYCC have an open book policy with a clear Code of Conduct, Financial Policy Statement & Fraud Prevention Policy, Child Protection Policy and yearly Financial Statements done by Registered Accountants & Auditors. We work strictly according to the Child Care Act.

Our main source of income is one-off donations, monthly Sponsors/Donors and fundraisers. As from April 2014, ECYCC is also funded by the DOSD (Department Of Social Development) towards nutrition, developmental programs & projects, personal, health & hygiene and the salary of a qualified Social Worker. ECYCC receives DOSD inspections and monitoring every three months on financial matters and other.

Children living at the centre are between the ages of birth and 18 years old. All children are welcome regardless of race, culture, religion and political views. ECYCC is a Christian based organisation with our only purpose of loving each and every child equally with no intention of discriminating at any point in time against the background of a child.

The ECYCC is a registered Non Profit Organisation operating as a DOSD Child & Youth Care Centre. Children are legally placed via a court order and upon removal of a child, a removal order via the court is in place. The ECYCC works strictly according to the Child Care Act, Privacy Policy and other structures are in place in order to protect children and their human rights. A huge part of our work is to reunify children with their family members, which makes the family of a child as much our client as the child.

The centre is registered by the Department of Health and DOSD to accommodate 28 children at any one time. The ECYCC reached full capacity currently and have no space available for any more children at this point. We would whole heatedly appreciate and support any other organisation in Middelburg which went through the correct legal process as to register another non profit organisation first of all, work according to the child care act only and have legal procedures and structures in place. This will mean a great deal to us as the need is great in our community and the hands few.

The ECYCC is in no position as to recruit children as per the Child Care Act as well as our Child and Youth Care registration. It can also not be done by any other unauthorized (not registered) organisation. A child can only legally be placed at the centre with a valued reason, referred by the DOSD and accompanied by the correct documentation, valid court order or form 36 in case of safe keeping purposes. Emmanuel then becomes the legal guardians of a child for the time accommodated at the centre.

Any child and youth care facility acts as a final resort and a temporal solution, until such time the child is reunited with his/her family or placed in to Forster care. Emmanuel do not deal with Forster care or adoption cases. This is handled by the DOSD. Every child living at Emmanuel still remains under his/her external Social Worker's supervision and guidance, working closely with the internal Social Worker, employed by the ECYCC on a permanent basis, who oversee the child's needs are being met on a day to day basis at the centre.

Any other activities like projects in Rossmead, Midros and other areas is not part of our forte though operated by individual members or board members as we serve our community as a home based care facility for children only. From time to time children living at Emmanuel takes part in some of these projects a p skills training and other.

The ECYCC recently registered at SARS as a Public Benefit Organisation which gives us the credibility to issue Section 18 A Receipts to sponsors and donors.

Emmanuel means "God with us".....may God be with each person reading this and reminding us that He is on the Throne and no one else. Go well by His Grace.

How good it feels to receive pressies and even more so to make stuff ourselves

Emmanuel boys cooking

Emmanuel girls having High Tea

Karoo Mighty Men Confirences

8 Junie 2017
Emmanuel Child&Youth Care,

Namens die KarooMMC komitee wil ons julle bedank vir julle deelname aan Karoo MMC vir die afgelope 7 jaar. Julle was deel van ‘n span wat duisende mense se lewens onherroeplik verander het...
“Praise the Lord, my son is 16 years old and was at MMC last year as well as this year; he was a different boy and has been blessed with all the powerful messages.”
“Thank you for the best weekend ever, me giving my heart to the Lord.”
 Vandag is Karoo Mighty Men ‘n herinnering. Nie iets om af te stof nie maar om naby jou hart te koester...
Stof– FanieLaubscher

Ekhou die stap skoene vas in my hand en wil dit begin afstof, maar huiwer vir ‘n oomblik.
Hierdie stof verteenwoordig so baie.Hierdie is ongelooflike ervaring stof. Dit is stof van die Karoo en my laaste stukkie van tasbare onthou.
Die plaas, die manne wat aanstap, die groot verhoog, die opgewondenheid… alles sulke vinnige terug blik oomblikke wat nou deur my gedagtesspoel. Die musiek begin speel, die indrukwekkende verhoog voor ons en so effe links, die laaste onthou van die grootsheid van ‘n Karoo son sak.
Ek onthou hierdie oomblikke amper die beste van elke jaar se Karoo MMC. Amper soos die Here se verwelkomings groet by die Karoo. Terwyl die wolke subtiel ingekleur word en die manne se stemme begin opdruis kry ek so effense heimweegevoel van ‘n laaste Karoo Mighty Men sonsak. Ek probeer elke sekonde inneem, want ek besef hierdie is ons laaste besoek saam op die plaas.
Ek kyk af en maak my oë toe. Ek bid uit dankbaarheid. Dankbaar vir oomblikke, dankbaar om te kan bid. Ek bid vir my seuntjie se toekoms, sommer vir die oom regsvoor my se toekoms ook. Ek bid oor bekommernisse en ek bid vir Genade. Ek maak my oë oop en sien die droë grond en stukkies gras rondom my skoene. My sit-plekkie op die plaas. My stukkie grond waar ek so baie met die Here sit en praat gedurende die naweek.
Hierdie stof op my stap stewels is nie werklik
stof wat ek wil af skud nie. Dit verteenwoordig so baie. My alleen oomblikke met God tussen duisende manne. My Karoo son sak oomblikke. ‘n Kosbare hartstyd wat ek altyd by my sal dra. Stof wat dalk droogte weerspieël, maar die Karoo is groen en ons binneste ontvang reën wat ons gemoed en geloof versterk en nuwe lewe bring. Nuwe hoop, nuwe uitsien en nuwe denke oor ‘n God wat Sy kosbare beskermende hande om ons vou en ons styf vashou met deernis en onderskraging.
Wat ‘n wonderlike voorreg en seëning om met hierdie herinneringe te kan wegstap.

Ja voorwaar ‘n voorreg om so ‘n ryke herinnering in jou hart te kan dra.

Nogmaals baie dankie, mag julle werklik geseënd wees!

Ruthi van der Merwe (Namens Karoo Mighty Men Komitee)

Day spend with Hands On Africa at City of Refuge Middelburg

Woodridge Way Slide Show 2013

Woodridge Way 2013

If queens know greater pleasures they are lucky indeed

“I remember lying on my back in the bottom of the wagon, eating cold green mealies and tossing the cobs into the veld, looking at the pale Karoo sky above with the little kestrels swooping, and listening to Olifant gossiping with the mules. If queens know greater pleasures they are lucky indeed.”

Eve Palmer – The Plains of Camdeboo, 1966

Around 40 cyclists from across South Africa know exactly how Eve Palmer felt when she wrote that paragraph…they had bicycles in the place of her mule wagon, and way more than cold green mealies to eat, but in five days they got to know 500km of Eve’s beloved land up close and personal.

Photo courtesy Arjen Melkhuyse

There’s so much more to the TransKaroo Mountain Bike Tour than just the history and beauty of the Karoo, though. Riders expect to get to know the land well because it is, after all, a mountain bike tour… but getting up close and personal with the people of the Eastern Cape is what makes the TransKaroo Tour a life-changing event.

The Eastern Cape is a remarkable province that has raised and adopted so many special people. People like Billy and Carol Teeton of Woodridge College:– they created and marketed the Tour; begged for sponsorships; planned, rode and marked the route; arranged food and accommodation with farmers along the way; woke up long before the riders rose and went to sleep long after the last rider had turned in for the night. They also managed to convince the finest volunteers to assist them – men and women you could go to war with – and they did all of this so that the rider's entry fee could be used to enrich the lives of others. They did the same in 2009 and 2011, but in 2013 they got another Eastern Cape legend, Mike Glover from Red Cherry Adventures and Touch Africa, to help out and the Tour took on a life of its own.

Touch Africa taught the riders how easy it is make a difference to the lives of children-in-need in this country. As a Touch Africa initiative, the proceeds of the Tour went to a child and youth care centre in Middleburg called Emmanuel. The home is run by Bertus and Carol Deysel, who provide a safe, loving – sometimes temporary – haven for local children.  

Cyclists know that their contributions sometimes benefit local communities, but Touch Africa makes that contribution feel more tangible by having each rider sign a handprint on the wall of the beneficiary organisation. It’s one thing to hear that your money will make a difference in someone’s life – it’s another thing entirely to be able to pick that little someone up and and hug him and hear him say “Dankie, tannie, lekker ry!”

There is a lovely story that illustrates how simple it can be to Touch Africa*:- Mike was riding his motorbike in the Baviaans one year when he came across schoolchildren far from the nearest school. They told him that they walk to the police station every day to catch a lift to school because the school bus had been broken for years. After making enquiries in Willowmore Mike found the dust-covered bus standing in a shed and arranged for it to be taken to Port Elizabeth for repairs. The broken part that had brought the bus to a halt for eight years cost a mere R85.  The Touch Africa team found sponsors to refurbish the bus for the Willowmore children, and the bus is still running, largely due to Touch Africa’s philosophy around the longevity of their projects by ensuring, for instance, that ongoing maintenance and fuel is sponsored. 

In the same way, the 40 riders on the TransKaroo will never be able to pass Middleburg without popping in at Emmanuel for big smiles, warm hugs and a “Dankie, tannie, lekker ry.”

Lucky indeed!

*The Willowmore Bus Story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRKRk9fjuU8.  Also see www.touchafrica.info for small initiatives that make a big difference in childrens' lives.

Back to life....back to reality

Geoff Vorpagel

Most of my friends use Twitter and Facebook to sell or promote something. I have decided that this says more about my friends than it does about those two social medias. Young entrepreneurs one and all! The really good thing about aged decrepitude is that I have nothing to sell (I have a website for that) and no real causes to promote. Thus, for me, the social media really are social and I can jus...t say stuff I want to say to my friends without fear of a damaged public profile. Thus I am pleased to announce that I have had a life altering experience on the Transkaroo Mtbtour. Why you may ask? The scenery and hospitality was unbelievable. The Afrikaans hospitality knows no bounds. But I knew that before I started. What changed things for me was that from the time I said I would do it I stopped being "sick getting well" and became "well getting fit". For those that don't know, I have spent the years from 2007 till now in and out of hospital the whole time and the 2 years prior to 2007 on crutches. In that time I have had both hip joints cut out and replaced with steel ones and then a section of my gut removed when a tumour was found after a burst appendix. The guys I rode with on the Transkaroo Mtbtour let me suck their wheels till the final 20 kms and then no quarter was asked or given. Thanks for bringing me back to life guys. A finer bunch I have never ridden with; quality warriors one and all

A stormy finish to test the toughest

Louis Hayward, his wife Leilani, William and Elkhe put together THE most delicious pooitjie of tender lamb in the rustic 'hunters' boma. A freindly pot bellied pig, tame springbuck, adorable 'hansies', hilarious turkeys and chickens filled the yard between the tents. The crew had set up an incredible last night camp on the front lawn at Doornrivier, beneath Mount Mac that stood tall behind the farmstead. There was a carcophony of loud snoring coming from almost every tent, male and female. The week had taken its toll and weary bodies recharged before the final challenge, 85km, 2000m or more of climbing and a technically challenging 17km climb. As the first group of riders set off an hour earlier than the rest, the weather in the east was clear. The low cloud that hugged Mac that morning only began to show intent as the second group left camp at 8.30. It was only when the sweep vehicle had began the 17km climb did it begin to rain. The mud stuck thick to tires as the road turned into a little river. It was good to see the support vehicle handing out the necessary before the half way mark. The wind picked up and the going got very tough. Between the sweep vehicle, the motorbike and the backup 4x4 3/4 of the group made it to the 2nd water point, the shelter of farmer Ralfs barn at Melkhoutbos. 10 riders slogged it out to Off Camber but the official finish had already been decided and as a result every one of the 41 riders that began the Transkaroo Mtbtour of 2013 was a finisher. Sharon and Tony Webb of Off Camber were amazing, opening their boma and showers to the wet and exhausted party that had come to the end of their 500km journey to touch Emmanuel Child and Youth Care Centre in Middelburg, Eastern Cap. 

Noors, soous, oos 'nd west

You're very special people indeed, when you open up your beautiful home to 60 people dressed in Lycra, helmeted and covered in Camdeboo dust! Hansie and Charonne Terblanche were amazing hosts as they chatted eagerly with all the inquisitive guests while preparing the venison and lasagne pies and sipping on Stone Road thanks to Louisvale. The fourth day began with a smooth jeep  track through thick Noors and our first taste of the teeth of a strong westerly wind. Before long we were grinding south on a testing undulating road south, with a lead group that decided to push to the limit. After Amy and Gary Hobsons water point, 35km in, we were treated to a spectacular kloofing, Haaspoort, folds of rock in peach Melba, south towards the mighty Cockscombe looming afore. By now the westerly was kicking up quite a stink and it was time to tuck up to the water point in farmer van Rensburgs goat kraal, perfectly positioned out of the wind and catching the warmth of the sun. It was proving to be a tough 110km but the picturesque Hottentotskloof, south to the Baviaansberge took ones mind off the soreness of the saddle for some! This was the day that saddle wore down the riders shorts, literally. The winter afternoon sun brought out every detail of this remote mountainous area on the edge of the Grootrivierpoort and heading east to Doornrivier farm at the end of another excellent days cycling we were welcomed by an array of Red Cherry tents on farmer Hayward's front lawn. Pooitjie in the boma that night, what a great to celebrate the end of day four!

Flying across the Camdeboo, UFO's and Noorsveld

Take a few moments to chat to a Karoo farmer about his day to day doings and you'll learn a lot about the passion for the land, conservation and community building. Trenly and Wilmarie had been the most amazing hosts, the jeep track had been graded  and the north wind continued to howl. We went to bed with a triple rainbow around a magnificent full moon and we woke up to two clouds, UFO looking but pancake looking to some. We headed out through fast, fast hard pack narrow roads, skirting the hills south of Kriegerskraal and then through the Harris veld with the most amazing aloes. Kendrew and Marais siding flew past but not before Bertus and Neal had rescued a Steenbok who flew head first into the fence and got stuck. Big sky country, the camdeboo, an incredible landscape! The wind turned a bit chilly and farmer Gerber's barn was a welcome stop out of he wind. Shortly after the stop we hit the Noors, a strange but valuable cactus type plant that is unique we think to tis area. Skirting Jansenville we hit the corrugation and after 130km, driekopvleiwes was an awesome site from the koppie preceding it.it was so lovely to see Charonne and Hansie Terblanche, our hosts for the night, after four years since ours last visit to the farm. THE most amazing game pie, lasagne and melktert with a bottle of Stone road merlot and a good chat to Hansie and Charonne, we hit the sack after another great day on the Transkaroo.

The North wind doth blow

Balmy weather we're having! An amazing evening in Bethesda was followed by a restful night next to the fire place on the tennis club floor. Our party left Bethesda crossing the suspension bridges over the Gats River and it was soon Stylkrans, our first climb of the 800m we were to do today, in the 97km. The view looking back over the valley was glorious as it always is, but to catch the peloton of 42 riders on the switchbacks with Compasberg as a back drop was very special. The ride to our first water point at Rietpoort, 25km was incredibly pretty, but the NW was beginning to show its teeth. The waterstops have been incredible! The next 30km were to be some of the best anyTrans Karoo rider in the past could ever have ridden , with riders clocking above 60km per hour with the wind behind them on the flats towards the Murraysberg road. The jeep track thereafter was technical, steep and one had beutiful vistas of the valley below. We all pulled in to Rheboksberg, Greig and Lynn Rose Innes and were treated to roostekoek, wors and pumpkin soup in the shelter of the barn on the hay bails. What a waterstops, wow! The climb out over the mountain was my favorite part of today, with views of the Camdeboo from the top and a technical descent to the Kroons farm. The turn into the wind for 10km was tough going and the Bothashoop water point was a most welcome stop, again in the shelter of Paul Merrifields guest house. Well, what a finish it was. With the wind behind us the last 25km was an amazing way to finish a great day cycling through, Gods country! Trenly Spence and Willmarie, welcomed usvto their farm, Kriegerskraal, andvWillmarie had bravely and successfully joined us from Bethesda. The local farmers joined together to provide the most delicious lamb Braai, chops so tender and flavour some, Malva pudding and all the trimmings. Several beers were shared until late by some, but really, what an incredible welcome by more very special Karoo people. 

Azure

Middelberg had an electrical power outage, so 60 people getting going at 6am was our first challenge we overcame. The day dawned, still and clear with an amazingly clear blue sky. We were blessed by Pastor Fred of the Alcapaye Church and wished a warm farewell by Carol, Bertus and the children. Rob Southey and Rhett escorted us out of town and into the golden countryside for our first 37km to the first water point. Brent, magic made sure some early tech issues were sorted out and it was more or less plain sailing, with an incredible array of delicious treats set up by Caroline at the stop. The NW wind had picked up, but that just pushed us up past Suurfontein and a heard of 20 Eland, past Gordonville and herds of Wildebeest and Blessbok, up and over the watershed down to The Rest where our second water point was stationed after 60km. The last 20km was a mad dash for the showers for some. It was a most welcoming sight seeing the village appear around the corner and the tennis club with its campsite and hot showers. 2pm and everyone was in, with the remainder of the day spent relaxing in the village. The evening was a very special occasion, a gorgeous Braai provided by the farming community, renown artist Albert Reedlinghuis sharing his artistic talents, Charl playing the violin over supper, Peet giving us facts about the village, Low doing the Braai, Ansie and Darleen spending ages preparing the food and Martin and Charmaine Haines moving mountains to make our stay a most memorable one indeed. Thank you NIEU Bethesda for a wonderful evening and helping us to touch Emmanuel!

All safely in Middelburg

A fantastic day greeted us all and the car park was a buzz with activity this morning. We were able to keep to schedule the entire journey and our stop at Polka in Graaff Reinet was amazing. What a place, what food and the Americano was so worth coming back for. The view from the top of Ravelskloof over the Kamdeboo was its usual breathtaking beauty. Spandau Kop in the distance a beacon to Graaffies and boy were we glad to be flanked by the Tandjiesberge, for our petrol gauge had been orange for 40km already. We climbed steadily over the Sneeuberg and then down into the attractive flats of Middelberg, everyone synching together their arrival at Emmanuel. It was good to be back in Smid Street with Carol, Bertus Rhett and Michelle and of course all the children. Pastor Fred so kindly opened his doors of the church complex for us to use as an ideal overnight stop and Michelle Newton and crew laid on THE most amazing supper. The vibe this evening has been great, old friendships rekindled and new ones made. It's a COLD night with a massive, full moon!

Geoff nursing his babe

Thanks Total for your incredible help

Polka you were amazing today, yum!

Mark Thijs prepares for bed

Ready like a coiled spring..............hope there's enough coil.

Its the night before we assemble at Woodridge and I've been carbo loading all week.......but not sure if I should be feeling like I'm five meals ahead and six "you know what's" behind!!! Hopefully it'll sustain me for at least the first day.

I'm absolutely sure I haven't done enough training but hope to call on inner reserves that exist somewhere in this body and want to tell you all that I'll be drafting wherever possible so please do not expect some form of reciprocation on route.

The Karoo, hill repeats and punk!

Geoff Vorpagel

I live in the Klein Karoo (Little Karoo) where the vistas are on a slightly diminished scale compared to the Greater Karoo, the wings of the horizon clipped by staggeringly beautiful in-your-face mountains and air so clear that the mountains themselves look like they have been photo-shopped. But the philosophy of the land is much the same as the Greater Karoo. Everything that lives here lies in a constant state of readiness to sting, scratch, bite or plain eat you...including the plants.
The climate itself is either indistinguishable from a microwave, or like a deep freeze preserving you (post sting, bite or scratch) for later putrefaction in the microwave. Everything has its seasons, or so you would think. Last week Bronwyn came back from her morning run looking a little frazzled after nearly treading on a puff adder on the driveway (which is 4kms long...driveway, not puff adder) who clearly hadn’t got the office memo about summer being snake season.
If you had participated in the Cape Pioneer Trek this year you would be more than familiar with the damage a swarm of migrating bees can do. I understand the George (town not bloke) evac helicopter was kept quite busy with the carnage. LOL.
If you have done the Karoo to Coast race you will be familiar with the “Old Wagon Path” at the beginning of the race. This is a 4 km climb at 10% that is very technical at any time of the year except race time when Jimmy Zondac grades it. The rains have started in my part of the world though, so its back to all its rough and ready glory. Proper mountain biking.
My intention to do hill repeats yesterday was ruined by the “office postal system” which clearly screwed up telling the bees that spring is “hive migration time”. Doing hill repeats on this stretch of trail requires an iPod playing punk very loud, thus it was only the first sting to my head that alerted me to the fact I had ridden into a cloud of bees. The first sting tells all 10 000 others where to attack, so I did the sensible thing and dropped my bike on the spot and jumped straight off the side of the road, a drop of some 5 meters thanks to the astonishing stone work of that Bain bloke who built all the ancient wagon roads down here.
I escaped with just one sting. There was nobody watching, except some baboons that I swear were snickering, so my pride was not all that was damaged. I crept back down wind, climbed back to the road and retrieved my bike. The swarm had passed.
If you are one of those interesting people (we ALL know that latex cat suits, zippers, whips and handcuffs figure largely in you private life) and who intend to ride the TransKaroo MTBtour with a hydration pack make certain you don’t spill anything sweet and wet on it. The bees are thirsty and hungry at the minute, and those paks are hard to get off fast.