Place of Interest
Vanwyksdorp Development Institute (VDI) is a not-for-profit company aimed at socio-economic upliftment of poor rural communities, primarily in Vanwyksdorp and the surrounding Klein Karoo. The means to achieve the Vision and Mission is the establishment of a learning campus that provides the environment and opportunity to learn skills and incubate entrepreneurial activities.
Healthy, employable youth, with better opportunities for their lives.
The aim is to establish a physical presence in Vanwyksdorp, initially primarily for the benefit of the residents of the town and its immediate surrounds. The next phase will be to extend the service capacity to communities in the Klein Karoo, Gouritz Cluster Biosphere and further afield.
A substantial portion of land has been donated in Vanwyksdorp itself, on which improvements can be made and infrastructure erected for the purpose of pursuing the Institute’s goals and objectives.
An initial layout for a possible centre/campus was drafted several years ago. A new process is under way to establish the need more accurately and to draft a new schedule of accommodation. It is anticipated that a multi-phase VDI Master Plan will be the most practical approach to development of the VDI.
The Board has decided that all building must be eco- and environment friendly. Best use will be made of natural light, solar power, natural building materials, insulation, etc. Water will be conserved and grey water used on the campus (e.g. sports fields).
There will be as much integration with the town and key partner institutions and the community as is possible. Accommodation for visitors (staff and students) will be in the already available private guest accommodation until it is unavoidable to erect a form of dedicated lodgings. There will be a reception area with good access to visitors and community users of the Institute. Workshops, tutorial rooms and other infrastructure will aid the implementation of the VDI strategies and will be planned into a masterplan for implementation in phases as the Institute’s activities grow.
There is a small hill (kopje) on the campus, which will be developed as a bio-reserve for visitors to walk on to observe the indigenous plants. As far as is possible this hill will be integrated with the campus to facilitate movement in all spaces.
Contact us
Phone: +27 83 310 6501 Gerhardt Oosthuizen (Manager)
Email: gerhardt@vwddi.co.za
Address:
Voortrekker Road, Vanwyksdorp,
Kannaland, Western Cape
Website: www.vwddi.co.za