Care4Tulbagh
Care for Tulbagh Association
Care4Tulbagh provides services for other formal associations, interest groups and the community of Tulbagh to the conserve the past, improve the present, and plan for a sustainable future.
We research solutions in conjunction with international and national experts.
We create platforms for integrated cooperation, provide expert knowledge and skills to assist other associations; empower other organisations, refine visions, and provide support. We do not fund.
Tulbagh Valley is unique... its nature and culture, and of course its fruits, olives and wine.
There is evidence of human activity in the valley that goes way back to the Early Stone Age, which began around 2.6 million years ago. Stone tools of early hominins are still scattered around the valley. San people hunted in the valley, and later the cattle of Khoi people grazed in the valley.
The built heritage of the valley goes back 300 years, and some of the oldest buildings of the modern era in South Africa are here. Tulbagh Village is home to buildings from three different conserved heritage eras: Cape Dutch, Early British (Edwardian), and late British (Victorian).
The village was named after Rijk Tulbagh, Governor of the Dutch Cape Colony from 1751 to 1771. The village, established in 1743 as Roodezand, was renamed in 1804 when it was officially proclaimed as a town.
The biosphere of Tulbagh Valley is part of the Cape Floristic Region (CFR), home of 9'000 plant species of which about 6'200 are endemic. The northern boundary of the valley is shared with the Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area, which has UNESCO World Heritage Status. There are many critically endangered species in the valley.
This heritage needs to be protected, properly maintained, and to be enjoyed by locals and visitors in a responsible manner. And of course for future generations.
Tulbagh people are from many different cultures. Home languages of locals include 9 South African languages, some other African languages, several European languages, as well as languages from Latin America and Asia.
Care4Tulbagh stands for cooperation between cultures. We share the same living space and need to overcome unnecessary barriers between people in order to live harmoniously.
Tulbagh Valley heritage is under threat as both national and local government are failing in their national constitutional duties to conserve the past, perform maintenance in the present, and plan for the future. Both the past and future need to be protected in a responsible, sustainable manner.
The Care for Tulbagh Association (Care4Tulbagh) was established by concerned residents in response to the urgent need of well-planned, strategic and implementable plans to address these shortcomings.
Care4Tulbagh will strive for a coherent approach consolidating the goals of present initiatives, associations and organizations and serve as an independent umbrella association to promote and protect the interests of the Tulbagh Valley community and environment.