by Aurora Krotoa Moses
The Valley Collaborative unites a range of stakeholders, including community members, youth organisations, business owners, schools, working groups and other organisations. An important part of the work is also connecting with people and organisations that are already active in Lynedoch and Vlottenburg and finding ways for their existing knowledge, resources and activities to support the goals of the collective.
There has been a lot happening over the past year, from youth engagement and community planning to conversations around shared spaces, women’s gatherings, the local market and creating new connections.
From planning to action
An important step in this period was the proposal co-creation session held in November 2025.
The session was specifically focused on developing a Grant-in-Aid funding application to Stellenbosch Municipality. People came together to work through the proposal and identify the activities and priorities that the funding could support.
The application was successful, and the Grant-in-Aid funding has supported activities taking place during 2026. The first was the Women’s Month gathering held on 31 August at the Sustainability Institute.
Celebrating the women who hold our communities together, the gathering created a space for women to connect, be creative and have conversations about their experiences, the roles they play in their communities and the kinds of support and opportunities they would like to see going forward.
Further activities are planned for the remainder of 2026 and into 2027.
Celebrating the Women Who Hold Our Communities Together – Women’s Month Gathering
Each woman had an opportunity to speak about what she had created and what it represented, including the kind of leader she wanted to be and the qualities she wanted to bring into her community. The activity created a space for women to reflect, listen to one another and share their different experiences and visions for leadership.
The Valley Collaborative has also received support through the University’s Social Impact Fund. This has assisted with the coordination of activities and basic catering, and in the appointment of a Communications Officer.
A lot of the work also continues to happen through the voluntary contributions of people who give their time, skills and energy to help organise activities, participate in working groups, facilitate sessions and support different parts of the work.
There are also organisations and venues that make spaces available or offer them at a lower cost, helping activities take place using resources that already exist.
Youth engagement
For Youth Day 2026, the Valley Collaborative hosted a Youth Day Think Tank themed “Our Voices, Our Future” hosted at Vlottenburg United Reformed Church.
The event was organised by a committee of volunteers and as a result young people were able to get together to engage around their communities and discover their role in shaping the future. The event forms part of the broader youth empowerment work taking place through the Valley Collaborative and its connections with organisations and programmes already working with young people.
Our Voices, Our Future – Youth Day Think Tank
Young people gather to discuss, “Our Voices, Our Future” and in the space introduce themselves, connect, and begin conversations around their communities and their role in shaping the future.
Coming together to plan
Around Mandela Day, the Valley Collaborative held a mid-year reflection and planning session at the Sustainability Institute, facilitated by Ranyaka.
The session was an opportunity to look at the priorities identified through the Grant-in-Aid proposal and assess how ready the Valley Collaborative was to put the plans into action.
This included looking at what needed to happen, who could be involved in implementing the different activities, what resources were available and what still needed to be put in place.
The three focus areas are:
- Food Security and Wellbeing
- Youth Empowerment
- Economic Empowerment
The session helped move the work from the proposal and planning stage towards implementation.
The Grant-in-Aid funding is supporting activities connected to these priorities. In addition to the three focus areas mentioned above, the Valley Collaborative also has a forum that discusses issues relating to housing, infrastructure and safety.
Showing up at the Vlottenburg Station Market
Volunteers Aurora and Anthea (a Lynedoch Youth Hub alumni and current participant) had a stand at the Vlottenburg Station Market. This provided an opportunity for the representatives to be present in a community space, share information about the work and engage with people outside of the usual meetings and workshops.
The team also took the opportunity to speak to vendors at the market and hear more about the people running the different stalls, their businesses and their experiences.
This created another opportunity for connection to people who are active in the local economy and to better understand the different activities already in existence.
It was also an opportunity for young people to take responsibility for representing the Valley Collaborative at a local event.
Reimagining shared spaces
The spatial workshop focused on reimagining and exploring shared spaces and resources in the community and as a result helped people to see what is already available and consider how spaces and resources could potentially be used and connected differently.
Connecting with people who are already doing work in the Valley creates opportunities to build on existing resources and relationships rather than working separately from them.
Reimagining Shared Spaces – Spatial Workshop
Members of the Valley Collaborative explored the shared spaces and resources that already exist within the Valley and in doing connect, share ideas and consider how these resources could potentially be used and connected differently.
Strengthening the way the Valley Collaborative works
The establishment of a core team has also been an important development because they provide continuity across the different areas of work, while the working groups and wider network continue to contribute to specific projects and priorities.
This structure allows different people and organisations to take ownership of the work they are involved in, while remaining connected to the broader vision.
Each brings something different to the work.
Some contribute their time. Some provide expertise. Some provide spaces or resources. Some help connect the Valley Collaborative to people and opportunities. Others are directly involved in planning and delivering activities.
Together, these contributions have helped keep momentum.
Looking at what has been achieved since November 2025
- A Grant-in-Aid proposal was co-created and successfully funded by Stellenbosch Municipality.
- The University’s Social Impact Fund has supported the coordination of activities and strengthened the Valley Collaborative’s capacity, including creating the Communications Officer role.
- Young people have been involved in planning and participating in youth activities.
- The mid-year reflection and planning session brought working groups together around the priorities for the year ahead and helped identify what was needed to move towards implementation.
- The first Grant-in-Aid-supported activity took place through the Women’s Month gathering on 31 August.
Looking ahead
There is more planned, especially around the priorities of:
- Food Security
- Wellbeing
- Youth Empowerment
- Economic Empowerment
We are proud of what has been achieved over the past year, and it shows how different contributions can come together to support the collective work. The next phase will build on the relationships, working groups, funding and activities already underway.
There is still work to do, but there is also a strong foundation to build on.
Together, we continue building a Valley worth believing in. Learn more here.