WESSA Schools Programme Annual Report 2019/2020

Ferdinand Brecher Primary

Steinkopf, Northern Cape

Steinkopf, in the Namakwa District Municipality, was originally a mission station

founded by the Rhenish Mission Society for the Nama people in 1819. The church played a significant role in the establishment of the town Steinkopf, being the connection between the town itself and the farms around Steinkopf. Communication and infrastructure are not that well-developed, however, the town serves as a gateway to the Atlantic Ocean, the Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier National Park as well as to Namibia. Today, Steinkopf serves mainly as a residential town and is a communal stock-farming area.

MANY CHALLENGES Many inhabitants who used to work in the nearby diamond mines, before the mines closed, have now retired, are unemployed or have left the town for greener pastures. The town and community face a number of challenges such as: poor infrastructure development, a high unemployment rate, relatively low standards of living, poverty and low property prices. In combination with the arid environment, sparse vegetation and low rainfall, the socio-economic challenges are often extremely hard to overcome. Established over a century ago, Ferdinand Brecher Primary is the only primary school in Steinkopf and the campus also accommodates the local Adult Education and Training (AET) centre. With 42 operational classrooms – accommodating approximately 900 learners from Grades R to 7 – the school has a staff complement of 26 educators and five support staff members.

A RICH HISTORY AND CULTURE

Garden ( Healthy Living theme), investigating Nama language and culture ( Community and Heritage theme) as well as working on Halfmens identification and a census of this flagship species ( Nature and Biodiversity theme). Each year since 2009, the primary school has consistently added new projects and new awards to its repertoire. Water saving projects under Nature and Biodiversity and Resource Use themes have contributed not only to the school’s recognition in the Eco-School community,

Attractions in and around Steinkopf include the Dutch Reformed Church, Klipfontein, Kinderlê and the Immanuel Succulent Nursery. Trained guides accompany touring individuals or groups on hiking trails, cultural days and/or natural tours. The wider area is known for its rich biodiversity and precolonial history, as well as for more recent history, culture and artefacts. Located within the world-renowned Succulent Karoo biome, the Steinkopf area is host to a high number of plant ‘Species of Conservation Concern’ such as the Critically Endangered Cheirodopsis peculiaris (Eseloor) and the iconic Pachypodium namaquanum (Halfmens). FERDINAND BRECHER PRIMARY SCHOOL’S THEMES AND PROJECTS The school joined the Eco-School Programme over 10 years ago, and by 2009 had already achieved the Green Flag Award for its Vegetable

but to the overall well-being of the broader Steinkopf community.

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