The Forum has one long-term goal. In 2038, Genadendal turns 300. By then, we want every village in Ward 2 to be able to say:
- We work together to make a living.
- We are treated as equals.
- We are free to learn, believe, and celebrate in our own way.
We also want the gap between villages to close. A good result in one village doesn’t count if another village is left behind.
Three parts of life, three values
This site sorts the valley’s work into three spheres of life. Each sphere has its own value:
| Sphere | Its value | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Economic | Cooperation | Farming, business, jobs, trade |
| Civic | Equality | Rights, services, safety, land, care |
| Cultural | Freedom | Schools, heritage, sport, arts, faith |
Each sphere works best when it respects its own value. Problems start when one sphere takes over another. For example, when money decides who gets land or water, or when politics decides what children learn or which events get support. Part of our goal is to keep each sphere functioning while aligned to its own value.
How we plan to get there
We plan to build what we call a BioConomy in the valley. In plain terms, it means running more of the local economy so that what the valley has stays in the valley: money spent at local shops and farms, skills in our young people, water in the ground, and healthy soil.
Shops, farms, and markets carry on as they do now. The BioConomy adds ways for neighbours and businesses to work together on things nobody pays for today, such as clean rivers, healthy veld, and passing on heritage. It uses tools like co-operatives and shared agreements between the people who depend on the same land and water.
Our theory of change
We believe that:
- When the valley can see what each initiative needs and offers (this is what The Register is for),
- people and businesses in the valley can meet more of those needs from inside the valley,
- so more money, work, and skills stay here,
- and over time people work together more, villages get a fairer share, and people have more room to learn and create.
The yearly survey below will show whether this is true. If it’s not working, the survey will tell us, and we will change our approach.
How the five priorities fit
Each of the Forum’s five priorities moves the valley towards the goal. Most touch more than one sphere.
| Priority | What it does | Spheres it helps most |
|---|---|---|
| Tourism Development | Visitors spend money with valley businesses and guides, in every village | Economic, Cultural |
| Education and Skills | Young people learn skills the valley needs, so they can work and build businesses here | Cultural, Economic |
| Agriculture and Food Sovereignty | The valley grows more of its own food, and every household can get enough | Economic, Civic |
| Conservation and Environment | We look after the water, soil, and veld that everyone depends on | Civic, Economic |
| Business Development and Local Procurement | Businesses and the municipality buy from valley suppliers first, and every supplier has a fair chance | Economic, Civic |
How we will know: the yearly survey
The Forum plans to run a short survey once a year, starting in 2027. Young people from each village will be trained and paid to visit homes and ask the questions on a phone. The survey will take about 15 minutes, in Afrikaans or English.
We will ask the same questions every year, so we can see what changes. Results will be published on this site, village by village. The idea is set out in full on The Yearly Valley Survey: why the survey helps the valley speak with one voice, and what it could measure.
The survey is anonymous. We will not record names or addresses. Small hamlets will be grouped together in the results so that no household can be recognised. See the Data Policy.
Example questions
Most questions can be answered with Yes, Partly, No, or Don’t know.
We work together (Economic)
- In the past month, how much of your food came from growers or shops in the valley?
- In the past year, did you share, swap, or trade something with a neighbour?
- Is it easier or harder than last year to earn a living in the valley?
We are treated as equals (Civic)
- Does the municipality treat your village the same as other villages in the ward?
- Do you have a say in decisions that affect your village?
- Do you feel safe in your home and in your street?
We are free (Cultural)
- Can your children learn in their home language?
- Are you free to practise your faith and your traditions?
- If you wanted to start a club, a class, or a cultural event, could you?
Keeping each sphere committed to its own value
- Does money decide things in the valley that should be decided fairly?
- Does politics affect who gets help or services?
Your view
- What one change would make life in the valley better for your family?