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King Dinizulu Township Tour

Publishing date: 05.11.2004 21:46

King Dinizulu Township and upliftment Tour.
Zululand Eco-Tours from The George Hotel and Zululand Backpackers weekdays. Eshowe. Cost R235 pp.

On Tour

This tour will give you the most complete township tour that you can see and experience in South Africa. You will walk through a predominantly Zulu town with a fluent Zulu english speaking guide and see the new South Africa taking shape. You will feel and see a dynamic urgency to build a new and prosperous country. People who at first glance who seem just simple ordinary people emerge to take on bold new challenges. Lets walk……..
Cost R235 pp. Includes guide, taxi fare, tea and lunch. Start 9.00 am and ends at about 2.00 pm.
Note: During the Tour we will be speaking to various people about products and projects. No one is expecting anything from you. They will be telling you about what they are doing. If you want to contribute to any project or buy any products you may speak to the guide after the tour.

Vukani Baskets

2.Vukani Basket Project.
Project started in the 50’s by a Swedish missionary during a drought to assist rural Zulu’s to earn income from their rural homes.Used innovative ideas using natural colour dyes and using diifferent shapes. Amazing success story involving over 5 000 beneficiaries. The Vukani shop is their outlet in Eshowe. Some of the most beautiful baskets and crafts you can see.There is a collection of their best works including beading and pottery items all of which are locally made at The Vukani Museum. Gabriel will enlighten you on this project.

Vusi making Trucks

3.Eshowe Bus Terminal.
Check out the lifeblood of this town. Thousands of people moving in and out of town from rural areas miles out. Using taxi’s and Washesha buses they wind their way to shop in Eshowe. A hive of market activity typical of a Zulu town.A rural and urban interface.Busy and friendly place where you can talk to the locals and find out about how everyone ticks using you interpreter Victor Mdluli.
4.Inyanga
Inyanga Gumede sells medicines in Eshowe. These are all made of medicinal plants from the Forests and grasslands around.Every plant has a medicinal value. We are growing medicinal plants at the Hotel and Backpackers.Speak to Graham if you need to know more.Their are projects around encouraging Zulu's to do commercial medicine agriculture.

Taxing to Town

5. Take Mini bus Taxi King Dinizulu.
Get the Eshowe township vibe and jump into a Mini Taxi. After queing for a short time we take a 20 minute ride into King Dinizulu. What an experience with music blaring in you ears and a fairly cramped ride with usually very friendly people..

King Dinizulu Creche

6.King Dinizulu Creche
Meet Prudence Nyawo and her 120 children at the Creche.This crèche was sponsored by the German government some years ago and erected by the Eshowe Rotary Club. Interact with the children and maybe a few songs together.A necessary facility allowing the children to be looked after and stimulated while parents are at work. Open 7.00 –12.00 am

House in King Dinizulu

6.Township Story.
Your guide will tell you about the Apartheid past as we walk through the township. Also about the great strides that have been made in the new South Africa. Land ownership, the traditional system and other relevant topics that come to mind.Old fashion and modern houses side by side. Check on township activities, architecture, businesses etc…

Mandelas Housing Project

7. Mandela’s 1 Million Houses Project.
This is a project to house the poorer people of South Africa. Below a certain income level you then qualify for a free house. What you get: A plot of land with a basic one room house and attached bathroom and toilet. You get waterborne sewerage and potable water. Enough land to grow vegetables for your family. Access to electricity and telephones if you need. You can expand your house when you can afford to. Check this out and chat with the people.

Getting a trade

8.Jininindomnyama Skills Centre.
Opened 1997. Very enthusistic Principal,Mr Clarence Ncqobe. Apartheid Govt policy on education was way behind and this is an example of change. Zulu's are being trained in new skills and encouraged to start their own businesses.New policy of teaching skills. Create your own job. Combining of two centres. Theory now being introduced. Computers, Cooking, Sewing, Motor Mechanic, bricklaying, carpentry, agriculture.This centre is a centre of excellence in a formally poor township.Learning new skills is helping to create a new economy and positive view on their future.
Three courses of 3 months. R350 per course. 150 learner pass through every 13 weeks. Speak to learners. Where are they going.
Some success stories.

At Orphanage

9.John Montgommery Aids Orphanage.
Initial project started and funded by Ma Donda. Now her daughter Kethiwe assisted by the Presbyterian Church (Hiram Higgins) have become involved.
Centre being funded by John Motgommery Trust.
Provide small uninstitutionalised centres – family based. Over 50 children being cared for in different ways. Social workers register children so that funds can be directed to their well being. A place to stay, get fed properly, a family environment and education provided.Also a rape care centre.

Volunteers needed to do afternoon games and sport with the children.

Tea with Mrs Mpanza

10.Mrs Mpanza’s home for tea and biscuits.
While Vusi Mpanza is making his toy cars and lorries for resale you can have tea and biscuits with Mrs Lindiwe Mpanza. This is proper unblended Zulu Ntingwe tea rated in the top 5 worldwide. Unblended and at one stage sold exclusively to Harrods and Sainsbury’s in London.

Baqaque School

11.Baqaque School.
Visit a semirural revolutionised school near squatter camp. Dave Marais will let you in on Zulu education today.He transformed this formerly derelict school into what you see today It's people like Dave who are changing things in this country with all the enthusiasm and dedication. Classroom. Library. Computers. A Rotary Club - Eshowe Action School Project – one of 3000 classrooms within a 60 kilometre radius of Eshowe. Meet the children – they will have more fun than you !!.

Township pawpaws

12.Paddy Ntuli
Zululands best Sculptor of Zulu Heads. Visit Paddy at his home workshop at Norwood.
His craft is with Ibumbha - clay. His story and how he learnt his craft. Son of world reknowned father who exhibited in the USA many years back. Pass the first multiracial school in South Africa - The Roman Catholic Childhood Convent.
13. Lunch in a Zulu tea Room
Have a tasty meal with Connie at her Shebeen.Learn all about her family and children and how life is treating them all.
15.Radio Station
Community Radio project with a lot of young enthusiasm. These projects have the power to change life in rural Zululand. They would also like your views. Victor will leave you here because you might be their for hours!!! Only a short walk back to your accommodation.

Other Tours
Zululand Eco-Tours. From The George Hotel and Zululand Backpackers. Eshowe.

1.Tours to other Zulu Villages. Walters Zulu Village
2.Tours to Traditional Zulu Ceremonies Traditional Zulu Ceremonies.
3.Tours to Sangomas Healings and Initiations. Sangomas Healing and Initiations
4. Walking Township Tours. King Dinizulu Township Tour
5. Three day Zululand Outback Tour. Zululand Outback Tour
6. Zululand Weekend Package. Zululand Weekend Package

Sewing at Jinjindomnyama

Zululand Eco-Adventures.
Eshowe. Zululand.

KwaZulu Natal. South Africa.
info@eshowe.com
035 4744919.

Your Guides:
Graham Chennells. Walter Cele. Victor Mdluli.

Proud and Cocky

Children in the Creche

On Tour with Victor

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