The Crags

The Crags is een regio in de Zuid-Afrikaanse provincie West-Kaap, onderdeel van de gemeente Bitou en het district Tuinroute. The Crags ligt relatief dicht bij de wat bekendere plaatsen Plettenbergbaai en Knysna en op 200 km van Port Elizabeth en zo’n 500 km van Kaapstad. Het is een prachtig groen heuvelachtig gebied op loopafstand van de zuidkust en je treft er dan ook veel toerisme in de regio. Zo is het een walhalla voor buitenactiviteiten zoals canopy tours, wandel- en mountainbikeroutes door het Tsitsikamma national park, watersporten, walvis spotten of zeevissen. Daarnaast zijn er opvallen veel wildlife revalidatieplekken te vinden zoals het olifantenheiligdom, Birds of Eden, Monkey Land, Lawnwood Snake Sanctuary, Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary en Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre. Net zoals de rest van Zuid-Afrika zijn ook hier tal van wijnhuizen, uitstekende gastronomische restaurants, boerderijkraampjes met verse producten en voedsel, en ambachtelijke kraampjes te vinden.

Ga je echter wat verder van de gebaande paden dan kom je in het zogeheten plaatsje Kurland Village. Hier staan voornamelijk eenvoudige huisjes gemaakt van steen of dakplaten. Vrijwilligers van Stichting The Crags in beweging hebben al jarenlang een bijzondere betrokkenheid bij de gemeenschap van deze plaats. Het dorp bestaat uit ongeveer 6000 inwoners en kent een relatief jonge gemiddelde leeftijd. Een deel van de bevolking haalt een klein inkomen door werk in het toerisme in de regio, maar net zoals de rest van Zuid-Afrika heerst er grote werkeloosheid en armoede. Jongeren komen gemakkelijk in aanraking met drank en drugs. Tienerzwangerschappen zijn niet ongewoon. Stichting The Crags in beweging probeert de toekomst van deze inwoners te verbeteren, met name door hen een perspectief te bieden. Dat doen we niet alleen, integendeel, dat wordt voornamelijk gedaan door de inwoners zelf en wij proberen gemeenschapsinitiatieven zo goed als mogelijk te ondersteunen. Graag stellen we u voor aan een aantal bekende inwoners met een inspirerend verhaal.

Adrio de Waal

coach running club

My name is Adrio De Waal. I was raised in Kurland Village, with my Sister and 4 Brothers. My childhood was not that of a normal child. I was born with Dwarfism and also later discovered that I had cracked hip bones, which meant that I could not walk. I crawled around up until the age of 6. I had surgery at age 5 but the doctors said there were little chance I would ever walk again. I felt hopeless and alone, could not play any sports with my friends. I think it’s my willingness and determination that saved me, I refused to give up on my dream to walk one day. I continued to push myself and eventually I got it right and could walk. I always did well at school until I turned to drugs and alcohol to try and cope with my pain of being bullied about my disability. I used drugs and alcohol for about 10 years from the age of 11 and finally stopped at the age of 21. Today I’m clean for 7 years and I run marathons on the trails (not bad for a guy who couldn’t walk!). I dedicate my life to young children to help them avoid going through what I went through. Teaching them valuable life skills and trying to keep them motivated. Thats why I joined the Runners Club. To empower the youth to make better life choices regardless of poverty and abuse. At the end we all have a choice. We are a very big group now with 29 children in total. It gets too much for me sometimes and it’s very hard to help them all with their needs (shoes, clothes etc.), but thanks to Marleen and her group we help quite a few. I love what I’m doing and I’m very passionate about it. My dream is to be able to help all these kids and give them a better life. Much love!

Lien

supervisor creche

My name is Maria Roman, Lien is my nickname. I was born and raised in The Crags. Together with my parents and seven sisters I lived in a small house, had a happy childhood. We are a close family, my mom is still alive and we see each other a lot. When I was young there was always space for an extra mouth to be fed, my mother wouldn’t send anyone away. She formed a choire with all of her daughters. We sing in church at family weddings and funerals. Last year one of my sisters past away, it’s such a great loss for the family. She started this crèche with me in July 2012. We started with eight children, at the end of 2012 there were 33 of them. Today, 73 kids come to my creche. I have a team of eight teachers, they all take care of the kids. They offer a learning program, it helps the kids when they go to primary school. I’m doing this job because of the love for children, and because we have to provide for our families. I have a daughter (her father died in a car accident when she was a baby) and a son. I haven’t had a relationship for the last ten years. I like to join church activities and singing. I’m so busy during the week that I have to do housekeeping on Saturday. The crèche is located in my house because there’s no other place to run it. I gave up my private life for the crèche. My dream is to have a proper creche. Before I die!

Jerome Beukes

in memorial: Jerome Beukes – runner

Up from 2019 Jerome wanted to join the group runners. He had serious lung problems but wanted to start training, and so he did! Jerome was so eager to make it successful. For himself but also for the kids in Kurland. To show them that hard work, commitment and the right spirit can bring you so far. And he did succeed! He was on the field many times and tried the best he could do. After a while we asked Jerome if he wanted to be involved in the management of the Runnersclub. And he said yes! We, the foundation, were so happy about it, we knew that Jerome would be a leader without raising his voice. Without standing on a stage. Just because of his calm presence, he radiated confidence and stability. Jerome had a goal, he wanted to study again and be there for the young people in the community. Unfortunately he never got the opportunity to do so as he passed away in January 2023. Nothing will be the same again. We, the runnersclub in Kurland will miss him very much.

Boeta

previously trainer runnersclub

My name is Rivaldo Camphor, my nickname is Boeta. My nickname was given to me by my grandmother, it means ‘oldest brother’. I was born in Kurland and still live here with my mom, grandma and my dog Roxy. She’s a pitbull. I’m 20 years old and I did go to Plett secondary school. Now, I want to be a fire fighter, for now I think I will stay in Kurland but if work brings me to another place I will go there. I’m a runner and that’s very important for me. I want to be fit. Running has taught me discipline, brings me new friends and allows me to try new things in life. Since I am a runner and a coach, I meet a lot of new people. People from the village know where to find me and ask me things about the running. I believe sports can help people to stay away from or get out of misery, like alcohol and drugs. In the future I want to keep on running. I don’t have any other dreams, I’m not really a dreamer.