WITH THE ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT OF AUROVILLE INDIA- THE FUTURE DREAMING PROJECT BEGINS!
Genadendal, Valley of Grace, located 5km from Greyton, the oldest Moravian mission village in Africa. Dating back to 1738, this mission station was founded by George Schmidt, a German missionary of the Moravian Church, who settled in the Bavianskloof (Valley of the Baboons) and began to evangelise among the Griqua Khoi people.
He wished to help the Khoi-khoi who were scattered, poverty-stricken and about to become extinct, because of the land dispossession and disease. A Khoi-khoi woman named Vehettge Tikhule, helped Schmidt to start a small community.
Genadendal became the first permanent settlement of the Khoi. Over the centuries it was a place of sanctuary for more than a thousand slaves when slavery was abolished in 1838.
The town flourished and became renowned for its manufacture of chairs, leather goods and Herneuter knives and for years became a self- sufficient community.
FUTURE DREAMING PROJECT
111km, a four day walk in, from the Greenpop Restoration Reforest Festival, Bodhi Khaya, Retreat, Gansbaai, is the sleepy historical town of Genadendal. The Peace tree pilgrimage begins. With each km sponsored with a tree, a Future Dream will be planted. The project was innovated by the Origin Group, who took 30 Genetic samples of Elders in the Genadendal Community, to discover that these Elders bloodlines could be traced back to the original first nations peoples of the Khoi of 1738!
The project undertakes to hear the stories from the Elders of when this village was Abundant and prosperous in every way. These dreams will be documented for perpetuity and shared with its current inhabitants. The Future Dreaming project aims to restore dignity and empower this challenged community to thrive once more. By sharing these stories at a monthly event which will take place from the end of April, pilgrims will walk into Genadendal village and be taken for a historical, spiritual and enlightening journey of this unique village’s history.
A Massive clean- up drive will be taking place in the village. Help to restore the river-banks with trees propagated from ancient trees in the village. Ceremonial trees will be planted on a story from each of the Elders and the village youth will undertake to share guardianship of these dreams. Help Peacetree by sponsoring a tree per km to the festival, which Greenpop will generously gift for the first planting of this great initiative. This project will improve eco-systems, empower individuals, creating opportunities and allow the Camissa, Sweet Water Veins of this Unique Valley to flow once more!
Please donate generously on the GivenGain Foundation platform and help manifest the FUTURE DREAM, to give the people of Genadendal hope once more and restore dignity to all who live here!
Should you wish to join Ayala and join this Pilgrimage, please contact her on peacetreepilgrimage@gmail.com.
