Dassiesfontein: Overcoming illiteracy one farm worker at a time
by Jaco Cilliers
performance output, yet they have had little or no formal training. Jacobus Swartbooi struggled with these issues on his own farm with his farm workers. He thought of a solution, and his thoughts will become a reality this year. People in rural areas are often illiterate due to the fact that they live in remote areas that receive few to no government services such as education and health care. Those who cannot afford to send their children to boarding schools often end up learning skills on the farm instead of proper education. This used to be adequate, but due to the advancing technology in farming equipment and techniques, farm workers need to understand basic maths and be able to read operation manuals. The first Dassies Farm Workers Training Camp will start on 2 April 2020. This is after four years of planning and preparation. Jacobus Swartbooi and his administrative executive, Cyntia Biwa, have prepared a comprehensive programme for these students.
Jacobus Swartbooi (Founder) and Cyntia Biwa (Administrative Executive) of Dassiesfontein Farm Workers’ Training Camp near Mariental in the Hardap region of Namibia.
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iterate workers are an asset to any farm. They often work with very expensive and complex machinery. Why is it then that there is no tertiary programme that a student can follow to become a farm worker? Why is it that
many farm workers did not finish school before coming to earn minimum wages as labourers? One of the problems is that farm workers are often expected to work exceptionally well and have a high-
ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 05
Workers attending the training will learn valuable skills including: • Importance of a farm worker Without farm workers there will be no labour force to complete the labourintensive tasks of farming • Communication Effective communication can eliminate problems and lead to saving both time and money. • Farm worker hygiene Bad hygiene leads to bad health that can cause a lot of down time due to illness and disease. • Livestock vaccinations Vaccinations can be a very complex and scientific part of farm work. The vaccination programmes are usually compiled by professionals, but administering the vaccination correctly makes the difference between saving and losing money. Vaccines are very expensive, and farmers cannot afford to have it wasted. • Livestock count and record keeping This can greatly influence the profitability of a farm. Keeping records of the herd enables management to make informed decisions and can save labour, money and resources. • Animal hygiene Animal hygiene does not only impact on the health of the animals, but also 31
