The Pines Christian Care Centre for Children, known locally as The Pines, is also the driving force behind a unique concept to Welkom: The Pines Mulch.
Situated at the old St Helena mining complex, the buildings have since 2005 been progressively renovated.
“We care for 37 children as part of the South African foster care system.
“We get most of the children from the Department of Social Development and much of our funding from churches in America,” says Randy Teachout, facility manager.
When he returned to South Africa in 2018 he tried to find bulk mulch (wood chips) to use on the grounds as he knew of the benefits it held.
“Spreading mulch around trees, in gardens and flower beds, reduces the presence of weeds, which lowers the amount of water evaporation and increases the nutritional value of soil as the chips break down and decompose.
“Putting mulch around the property would save money and manpower in the maintenance of our plant life,” he says.
This layer of material applied to the surface of soil also has the added benefit of enhancing the visual appeal of the area.
Teachout’s search led to Alma Kwekery, where he learned that bulk mulch was not sold in the area, but that Alma would support efforts to make and sell it.
And so, The Pines Mulch was born: A business opportunity that could benefit the home, and the gardening community of Welkom.
Teachout says money for the equipment was raised thanks to generous Christian donors, and so the Pines Mulch had its beginnings.
“Around this time, The Pines also began our transition programme.
“This was to help the young men and women in our care who, having reached 18 years of age, needed to develop some independence and who needed help finding work or further educational opportunities,” says Teachout.
The Pines set up flats where these young adults live in semi-independence. Some of the youngsters in the transition programme have gone on to study at a university, but some are looking to join the job market.
“Working for The Pines Mulch is an ideal way for them to learn the rigors of work, to earn money, and to get experience in working.
“The main purpose is to employ these youths and give them a sense of purpose as they look to what comes next,” says Teachout.
As the business model began to develop and having solved the challenges of manpower and machinery, they now had to find the branches that, when put through the chipper, would provide the wood for the chips.
“Here is where an opportunity was found to serve the community. We offer our chipping services free of charge to homeowners and property managers needing to trim or remove trees.
“We help get rid of the branches for free, making sure they do not end up in a landfill or dumped somewhere in the veld. In return, we would make our money by selling the product.
“It is a win-win. We are called on a regular basis by schools in the area and we also help the municipality by chipping the branches from trees trimmed along the road. We process the branches on site.”
He says it has taken six years for the market to slowly build up thanks, in no small part, to the efforts of Van der Walt.
A young man who grew up at the home, Tankiso Mpemvana, is the principal driver and crew chief.
“The young men in the crew are enjoying the opportunity for gainful employment, so we are accomplishing the purpose for which we started it.
“The Pines also benefits from the arrangement as there is enough mulch to provide for our gardening needs,” Teachout says.
Because of the restrictions of the chipper, they have to be fairly selective about the branches they use.
“Thorn and palm tree wood are out of the question, and we are not able to use plant cuttings or smaller branches unless they are connected to larger branches that will pull the branch into the machine,” he says.
For more information on the programme, contact Teachout via WhatsApp on 072-962-1815. Alternatively, call Mpemvana on 063-207-4899.
