greyton Archives - Eco Atlas

New knowledge and ability through tummies and trash

The concept of community participation is one that enjoys much support in theory and far less in reality. Apart from awe at power and celebrity, online petitions and taxes, I mean. At some point, one realises that society, an apartheid legacy and the economy are just not going to cut it if you’re investigating or investing in living consciously. Going greener isn’t simple. Investing in equality isn’t easy. And yet, some people do both anyway, and in one part of the Western Cape they have a name for this.

Welcome to Greyton Transition Town, an ideology in action that belies the faded tourist billboard that welcomes you to leafy rural suburbia, its many gift shops and art galleries and its many more economically challenged citizens, mostly only seen milling about near the local shops. As a person of relative privilege in or visiting South Africa, how do you address the apathy and disempowerment that a legacy of colonialism, apartheid and economic disadvantage incurs, though? Marshall starts with the stomach, and makes his way to the trash can.

He and Transition Town partner, Nicola, are actively addressing the realities that surround them. Nicola is an animal sanctuary owner, fundraiser, events coordinator and go-to person for the movement which takes its inspiration from a similar project in Totnes, United Kingdom. Together, they run garden and feeding schemes at local schools, teaching children and teens self-sufficiency and healthy eating habits through a process called permaculture. Permaculture is an organic gardening practise that uses various natural laws to extract abundance from the earth without compromising its ability to feed future generations. The focus on permaculture encouraged them to approach local farmers, who now use no chemicals on parts of their fields, and sell directly to residents at a local market, increasing their profit margins and reducing the amount of packaging and the impact of the cold chain in the process. The new knowledge these youngsters develop also gives them new work and career opportunities, as Marshall is often contacted by bodies seeking exactly their expertise.

Recognising that there was also an opportunity in and need for recycling they organised an independent recycler to collect trash regularly, and started a swap shop to encourage locals to bring in recyclable goods. The citizen recyclers are paid in clothes, food, shoes and other necessities given by larger chains and supportive charities, empowering those with less cash and changing the way locals view trash. Speaking of which, The Transition Town movement also birthed the Trash to Treasure Festival, which rehabilitated an old dumpsite with a clean-up and a new orchard and threw a big party to bring attention to the potential in our waste and the waste of our potential. It’s clear to see that these collective efforts are not a waste of time.

Their headquarters, The Eco Lodge, is a repurposed municipal building that now hosts and accommodates community gatherings for people at every level of the LSM ladder, from school tours to mini-conferences, and if you’re lucky, you may get a vegan meal from Ruwayda, Marshall’s loving wife. If you’re not, you could visit Pure Café, a plant-based eatery that specialises in the most mouth-watering desserts that are completely animal-free (vegan).

Whether you remember it as a transition town or simply those guys giving kids in Genadendal a chance, this is a great example of the power of intention, action and its knock-on effect in building a more inclusive and empowered community.

TIP : to get the full experience, get your hands dirty and add your story to the bigger picture.

(Read more about Greyton Transition Town and get all their contact details on their Eco Atlas page.)

Live like a local on the gentle slopes of a colourful community

What does Bereaville look like? I arrived at night, so I had no idea at first. Horses at the bus stop. Pedestrians navigating by moonlight. By light of day few of the pale Greytonians I met even knew what I was talking about. “You mean Genadendal?” they asked, as if their local knowledge reached just that far. Bereaville is a five-minute drive on the other side of Greyton’s immediate neighbour, a colourful rural settlement full of life.

I went because I liked the look of Poespasrivier Cottage from its pictures (though less so its name, and that is all I will say on the subject), a missionary’s cottage nestled beneath great gum trees. Enter Bereaville up a gentle gravel road and it sits watching the small, shallow valley. Repossessed from the toll time takes on all things and restored with love and local knowledge, its main walls are thick as a pregnant belly and its corners are often curved. Adobe houses have a friendliness I’ve not found in other types of buildings. They’re typified by irregular edges, solid structures, and no foundations, at least in this area. Back in the day, they didn’t dig deep, they just built strong. Which doesn’t stop gravity from tugging over time.

When restoration began on this 150-year old home, a whole corner of it had to be repossessed and reshaped in the restoration process, Reverend Angora consulted the expertise of an American architect and took much care to include local knowledge and workmanship and original and natural materials. The full story is beautifully-written here and will give you a deeper appreciation of the quaint, resilient cottage.

These days it’s fully kitted out with energy-aware everything – a gas-powered shower, gas stove, small electric fridge, composting WC. The lights are energy savers and the walls are natural insulators. I slept with all the windows wide open, so that the sounds of the weekend world of Bereaville could be the soundtrack to my evening. Donkey brays in the dark. Horse whinnies. Laughter to the left. Singing to the right. On Sunday morning I woke up seconds before the local church bell, and blinked my eyes open to the sound of choral voices wafting through the window. I felt I was in the company of something greater than me, and was grateful to the Reverend for striking out and giving travellers an opportunity to be part of a corrugated community like this. That, and the peach trees and grapevine which will forever be growing into the gaps in my mind. The patio is perfect for brunches, lunches and a bit of painting, too.