Uniondale, a small town in the Little Karoo, came about by the joining of two towns (Hopedale and Lyon) in 1865. It was initially known for its wagon building and ostrich feather industries, which later waned and left a quaint farming town. Uniondale lies next to the Langkloof and is still predominantly a sheep, goat, seed and apple farming community.

The surrounding area has wide open spaces, clear skies, breathtaking scenery. Great as this is for tourism, there is limited potential for work opportunities for the abundant unskilled community living in Uniondale.

The Uniondale district has 7,000 inhabitants, of which only 30% are in full time employment. Very limited full-time employment is available at the surrounding farms, and in Uniondale itself. Some limited opportunities exist for non-skilled labour at the guest houses, restaurants, small retail shops and supermarkets, and the Aloe factory, but this is largely seasonal and cannot provide a sustainable year-round income.

This has a substantial impact on the aspirations and opportunities available to many in our community, particularly young people who risk growing up with a sense of hopelessness about their lives. This in turn often leads to serious issues such as family breakdown, alcohol abuse, dropping out of education, permanent unemployment, and mental and physical health problems.

The government’s “all-pay” social hand-out system has failed in many cases because of the misuse of the funds, particularly on alcohol.

As Uniondale is a small remote town, there is very little entertainment or organised social activity, particularly for young people. This leaves a vacuum which is all too often filled by alcohol abuse and petty crime.