Your soul is a flower that blooms in nature. Let's strive to see the beauty of life and grow, learn and BRAAI together.
There were quite a few highlights in September. From Men's Day, to beautiful music, to gardening and enjoyable camps. 
We have VERY GOOD NEWS about our 1,2,3 Work Program! Read more below and come be a part of what's to come.

On Saturday, 13 September, our choirs sang beautifully during the choir final and we handed out certificates to our well-deserving NQF 1 and 4 students. The choirs sang their hearts out and we are incredibly proud of everyone. Congratulations to all the choirs and winners.

On September 24, 2025, 622 agricultural workers gathered at Ceres Secondary. When Ivor Swartz began to speak, the hall fell silent — his words touched the heart deeply.
He didn't beat around the bush: "62% of children in South Africa grow up without a father." It was a call to stand up and take responsibility again. "Who should protect our children? The adult in the room", he said — adults should take their place and not look away".
Ivor asked men to be honest about their feelings: "Say what you feel - I'm scared, I'm angry, I'm insecure". He warned against self-destruction and the pain caused by silence: "Until you say you need help, you cannot be helped". He also repeated a simple truth: "You don't just hurt yourself, you hurt others around you".
The risks were clearly addressed: children who are rejected are looking for places to belong — and too often those places are dangerous. "A child should not choose to be unsafe on the street because it is unsafe in your parents' house". Therefore, men must send their children to school and provide structure: "Basic reward offers... otherwise other people and things like social media / gangs will fill that void".
Ivor spoke out loud of the pitfalls that lie in our path. The prison was a sharp warning: "In the prison there is one way in; on your feet and one way out; on your back when you are dead". He named the reality of gang influences: "So what do you do, you become part of the 26's/28's for survival". But he emphasized: there is always a choice — "There is another alternative" — and people and communities that can help you choose another path.
He declared his decision: "No shrinking back". And he challenged men to share their burdens and build anchors: "Anchor yourself in a healthy environment, work, men's group, church".
His advice was practical and warm: "Find someone who can play the nurturing role when you no longer have someone. No one should be alone".
His message was one of hope: that no one has to be alone, that you can always make a "u-turn", and that every man still has a purpose to fulfill. As a doctor once told him after an accident that he should not have survived: "There must be something you still have to do in this life. Go figure out what it is".

Our own in-house music concert is just around the corner! Come enjoy a morning full of music and support our talented recorder and guitar groups.

There are still a few farms that have not had winter farm visits from the Koue Bokkeveld Training Center team. If you have already been contacted by one of us about a visit, but have not yet fixed a date or had a visit, you must hurry! Our winter farm visits stop at the end of October. After that it's time again for marketing visits to talk about our program and projects for 2026.