Kurland library and fire station open

KURLAND LIBRARY PROJECT 2009/2010

Kurland Village, situated on the Eastern Border of the Western Cape), approximately 23 kilometers east of the town of Plettenberg Bay and the nearest library facilities. Kurland Village is a community plagued with unemployment, poverty and many social problems with alcohol abuse at the heart of most of it. The costs to the community to visit the library in town is R13,00 one way making it R26,00 for a child to do research for a school project, putting Library visits out of the question for 99,99% of the population. Bitou Municipality constructed and equipped a library of 211 square meters total area and 195 square meters internally.

Population growth:
The 2001 population figure for Kurland Village came to just over 5000 (for whom 250 RDP houses were built and handed over during phase 1 and the services of 230 erven has been completed awaiting money for top structures). There are also about 20 surrounding farms. Population growth for the next five years will be just over 2000 bringing the total to 7000.

Community will benefits:

• Improve basic educational skills with AET and relevant information from the library.
• Decrease /address crime, drug and unemployment rate by providing equipment and educational facilities.
• Assist adult students with additional materials for education on Tertiary level.
• To provide recreational facilities to community groups to empower their skills and knowledge.
• To provide educational and recreational facilities for children to complete school projects and to provide holiday and other extension programs to schools, Pre- schools and institutions working with community children - (Born in Africa).

Service delivery:
Staff: Staff totals will be based on the growing needs of services to be rendered to the communities and the criteria prescribed by the Provincial Library Services. Two people will be employed immediately. The Branch librarian will be appointed in August 2010. The Provincial library services provided Conditional Grant funds and a Library Assistant on an annual contract has been appointed since 1 July 2010.

Library hours:
The library will operate 6 days per week from Monday to Saturday. Hours will be from 8h15 - 17h15 weekly and 9h00 - 12h00 on a Saturday. Library hours will be determined by the needs of the community.

Library Materials:
Library materials will be provided by the Provincial library services. Communities, interest groups, NGO's and individuals.

Official opening of Kurland library and fire station

Kurland Village Fire Station

Kurland village is situated approximately 23km, Natures Valley, 30km and Covie, 38km from the Fire Station in Plettenberg Bay. The distances our staff had to cover to get to an emergency resulted in unacceptable response times to these communities.

The area is composed of approximately 40% Shacks (280 plus) and 60% (460) brick structures, excluding backyard dwellers. The results were severe losses suffered by those in our country who could afford it least, the poorest of the poor especially in the case of shack fires.

Providing this facility in Kurland Village will reduce response times to all areas, include Kurland Village, Covie, Natures Valley, Redford Rd, Askop, Soetkraal and even Tsitsikamma in the Eastern Cape whom we've assisted in the past.

The local people already feel safer knowing help in a fire emergency is less than a kilometer away.

Youth in the area through learnerships and volunteer programs will be trained as fire-fighters for possible future job opportunities.