Making a difference on local farms
2009-03-19
THE Deciduous Fruit Industry (DFPT) is making a difference on the social landscape of farms. Petra Nel, social worker of Procare and the project co-ordinator for the DFPT, says the programme was initiated due to increased concern over the social wellness of farm workers. JD Kirsten, a stone fruit and table grape producer in Paarl, is one of the farmers who has implemented the programme on his farms. “I would definitely recommend this programme to other producers. “We tend to focus only on our employees’ work related skills, but forget that they also have social needs. “The Wellness Programme addresses these issues, and supplies the building bricks with which people can build a value system that will enhance their personal lives.” JD says that an improvement in people skills results in improved attitudes and the way in which people relate to one another. For his farm Keurfontein it resulted in a more positive working and living atmosphere. The wellness programme addresses a wide range of social issues, discussed in working groups, referred to as ‘talk shops’ – with a difference! Says Petra: “People skills; lifestyle issues; financial life skills; time management; parenting, and work-home balance are but some of the topics covered. “As part of the programme, support care workers are identified from within the community, and trained by Procare, who have regular meetings with them to stay up to date with events on the farm.” Farm workers in general have difficulty in accessing social care services, because they are often isolated. The DFPT and Procare therefore decided to bring ‘social services’ to the farms where workers live. “Procare identifies individual problems through the farm worker Wellness Programme and then works closely with government Social Services in order to help people with their problems,” Petra says. Says Lize Ferreirra, agricultural economist for Keurfontein Estate, “Issues such as time management and people skills can make all the difference to communities’ standard of living and the productivity of the farm. “We have a permanent work force of 230 people, of whom 162 took part in the Farm Worker Wellness Programme. The programme has had a very positive influence on our workforce, and people with substance or family problems were willing to openly admit their predicament, and so start the healing process.” Procare, working closely with the DFPT,, can adjust their programmes to suit a particular client. “Tuberculosis and Tik addiction are common problems experienced on farms, so it was incorporated in our specific programme,” Lize says. Procare is also sensitive towards production cycles on farms, so workshops are scheduled during off-peak times, she says. September was selected for the Keurfontein workshop, as it is a relatively quiet month in their production cycle. Antonie September, a Keurfontein production manager, says that the workshops have significantly improved his farm management skills: “I have much better insight into the mindsets of the people I have to manage, so that I can now see both sides of a problem, and understand that people are all different. “This insight has also helped to strengthen my relationship with the people under me and improved our work efficiency.” Carol Muller, spiritual community worker on Keurfontein Estate, says that people really opened up during the workshops at Keurfontein, and were prepared to share their problems within the groups. She says that the programme has a strong spiritual dimension, but remains non-judgmental. It acknowledges individual differences and varying religious orientation, motivating people to face the challenges.
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