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We finished 2025 on a high note with a refreshing course in salad preparation. Participants learned how to prepare an iceberg salad and a tomato salad, with the focus on washing and cutting the lettuce or tomato and preparing a delicious salad dressing. Different techniques were learned to dry lettuce to ensure a crispy, fresh, green salad as a perfect side dish to any meal prepared for family and friends.

Jump starting cars and changing tyres kept the participants busy during this course. The focus was not only on simple remedies for frequent problems you can have with your car while on the road, but also on basic vehicle checks one can do before a journey. This is to ensure that the car is safe for travel and that all fluids are filled up to prevent unnecessary breakdowns and unplanned stops in a journey.

Building your own house is a dream many have and thanks to the bricklaying and plastering course, some are now equipped with the basic skills to do it themselves. Taught by experienced builders, the participants learned how to build a brick wall, using professional techniques to build it in a straight line and to make a corner. After building the wall, they learned how to plaster it smooth and even.

The sewing course was a follow up on the sewing course done in the first semester - a step up from hand sewing to machine sewing. A simple pattern served as a base to teach participants different machine settings and sewing techniques. With these basic machine skills learned, participants are now empowered to continue experimenting at home and ultimately sew to their heart's desire for family and friends.

Our first photography course taught participants the basic principles of (smartphone) photography in a very practical way. After learning some theory and receiving tips, they practiced taking photos on their smartphones, applying what they had just learned in taking photos of objects both indoors and outdoors. With improved photography skills they are now perfectly positioned to assist at any event as a photographer or even become an entrepreneur.

Home-based Care was a special course. The participants learned about caring for a loved one at home. The facilitator used a combination of both theory and practical methods in her training, and gave numerous examples from her own experiences as a home-based carer. This made the course interesting, and captivated the attention of all participants right up to the last minute.

Gardening once again featured in our second semester. This time, the focus was on compost. Participants visited gardens and composting sites to learn about different ways of making compost and how to add compost to your garden at the right time and in the correct quantities. They were able to test the different types of compost and were equipped to apply what they learnt to their own vegetable gardens at home.

The second baking course of the year focused on bread and cake. Once again directed by professional bakers, ingredients came together in a lovely dough which was baked into a crispy farm bread loaf. Fluffy batter became a deliciously spongy cake. With some icing and a decoration of sprinkles and chocolate shavings the cakes were soon turned into a treat which the participants took home to share with their families.

Roast chicken with 'stywe pap & shatini' is a simple dinner option that will never fail to treat your guests. Participants prepared both whole chickens as well as chicken pieces and roasted them golden brown in the oven. In the meantime the 'stywe pap & shatini' was prepared. Participants were rather critical, and it needed a lot of trying and tasting before the perfect taste and consistency were reached. Bon apetit!

The popular Indian dish of Breyani is a well-known hearty meal for many. However, the large amount of ingredients and the many variations from the basic recipe can easily confuse and discourage home cooks. The participants quickly realized that this does not have to be the case. Taught by a skilled facilitator, to whom cooking Breyani has become second nature, the recipe became amazingly easy to those learning. All successfully cooked a pot of delicious, mouthwatering Breyani.

The third course of the second semester attracted school children and adults alike. The facilitator explained banking and financial structures and gave advice on how to manage personal finances in a responsible way. For the school children it was a good introduction to future financial responsibilities. The participants now definitely know how to manage their finances with more confidence after completing this course.

We repeated the Home-made Jam course this semester. This time some young people joined. It was once again a very sweet and sticky experience for all, cutting, grating and boiling fruit and sugar until the right consistency was reached and the jam could be poured into jars to be enjoyed at home with family and friends. Jam on toast definitely tastes better when it is home-made!

In our first course of the second semester, it was a lot of fun for participants to work with dough, which soon turned into beautiful scones. Runny batter became delicious puffy queen cakes under the instruction of a professional baker. Each participant not only took a bag of scones and queen cakes home to share with the family but also gained a skill and confidence to keep baking at home.

Computers have become an essential part of businesses and can be found in many homes. Our ‘Basic Computer Skills’ course was attended with enthusiasm by office workers as well as people who hardly ever use a computer. The course covered basic computer programs and participants were taught about the use of internet and email. Everybody went home having gained practical skills and confidence in the use of a computer.

During the second gardening course of this semester, participants learned hands-on how to take care of a vegetable garden. Participants created mini vegetable gardens using 5L water bottles cut in half, and learned how to grow seedlings from seeds. The course partly took place outdoors, where participants learned about preparing the soil, planting and the right frequency of watering seedlings. This course planted a seed in each participant that has the potential to provide many families with fresh, home-grown vegetables.

Fresh fruit, a pot, a stove, sugar and lemon juice. There are not many things that are sweeter and have a more simple recipe than home-made jam. Participants experienced this during the Jam Making course. Fruit was cut and grated and then boiled with sugar until it reached the perfect consistency. Then the jars were filled and labelled. The final result was worthy of all the hard work, each participant taking home not only a new skill but also six jars of jam.

Sewing is a skill that is amazingly rare and yet makes a big difference in each family and community. About 20 participants attended, learning basic hand sewing in this course. Different kinds of stitches and their use was followed by sewing on (snap)buttons and repairing holes in socks. After the basics were taught and practiced, participants worked on a project to take home. They were also encouraged to bring their own clothing items that needed mending or alteration and received advice from our experienced facilitators.

In a suitable industrial-looking classroom participants learned hands-on to make their own vegetable garden. Using recycled materials like 5L plastic bottles and empty egg trays, mini gardens were created by all participants by mixing compost with earth to create fertile soil into which spinach, beetroot and cabbage seedlings were planted. Practical tips were given to enable them to carry on with their own vegetable garden at home.

The ‘Basic Hospitality’ course was a very interesting, practical and interactive course with many attendees and an enthusiastic facilitator. A large variety of topics was covered, from how to thoroughly and systematically clean a room, to how to make a bed professionally and properly. Tips were shared on how to make the guests feel extra welcome by adding small personal touches. During the second half of the training session these skills were practically demonstrated in a Guest House room.

Over 60 participants joined our Email & Business-writing course where they learned to write emails professionally, clearly and using the correct etiquette.

On two warm and sunny afternoons ‘The ABCs of Flower Arranging’ drew people from far and near. Participants started to explore different shapes and forms of arrangements using only greenery, experimenting with differently shaped vases and pots. Beautiful arrangements were taken home as proof of a successful session enjoyed by everybody.

The year started with a hugely successful course in cooking 'dombolo and stew' in a real African way. Everybody enjoyed kneading the dough and flavoured their pot of stew to perfect taste with a special mixture of spices. Whether they were beginners in the art of cooking or more experienced, enjoyed the experience and will be able to add a special touch to their cooking at home.