Schoonbee Landgoed’s Covid-19 response

Farmers confront the uncontrollable forces of nature daily, adapting to new challenges.

As the Coronavirus pandemic swept across the globe, it became clear that South Africa would soon be exposed to the virus.

The relationship between Schoonbee Landgoed and our surrounding communities is a longstanding one of mutual trust and respect, built on the spirit of Ubuntu: I am because you are. Any harm to the community or farm would be mutually damaging, and Schoonbee Landgoed knew that we had to be proactive to ensure not only the survival, but the thriving of our community.

We set up a Covid-19 response team prior to the nationwide lockdown to address the challenges we would face with a workforce of over 2500 people. Prevention efforts extended to reach into the homes of our employees.

 

 

We implemented the following protocols on our farms and packhouses to prevent the spread of the virus:

• We control access to the farms and sanitise clocking devices.
We built hand-washing stations throughout our properties so our workforce could have a constant supply of clean water and soap to maintain optimum hygiene. Schoonbee Landgoed staff manufactured reusable face masks to ensure that each employee has at least two masks to wear at work, home, and travel to limit the spread of the virus. Masks are compulsory on the premises.

• We appointed a COVID-19 officer and 46 marshals who monitor teams on the farm for any symptoms of COVID-19. They are equipped with laser thermometers, visual social distancing aids and screening documents. If these marshals suspect a possible case of COVID-19, the patient is taken to our on-site HalleluYah Clinic for a check-up with our registered nurse.

• Because we rely heavily on transport, we sanitise all vehicles twice a day and offer this service free of charge to external transporters on our premises.

• To ensure that our pack houses stay clean and safe for our workers, we have added sanitiser and handwash basins for each table and entrance. We restrict access to the pack houses and we stagger the arrival times and monitor employees’ temperatures.

• We created “sani-teams” who are responsible for sanitising all surfaces for a constant level of hygiene in both the pack houses and offices.

•Schoonbee Landgoed has an on-site health clinic. The HalleluYah Clinic is an invaluable resource to our community, as the COVID-19 infection count is increasing in our area. The HalleluYah Clinic has a registered nurse who is equipped to screen and diagnose patients. This reduces the load on our heavily burdened healthcare system. We can source private laboratory testing, while we maintain adequate storage and patient confidentiality concerning medical conditions.

• The clinic also screens all employees (such as truck drivers, messengers, or employees) who travel to different areas twice daily.

• Education is the most important aspect of disease control, and Schoonbee Landgoed focuses on creating awareness of the virus.

• We host education sessions for our employees and provide them with leaflets on prevention methods and symptom identification. We spread these leaflets in local languages in our surrounding communities.  We hope to reach more than 18 000 people in our region, as our employees are often the main breadwinners and educators in their homes and neighbourhoods.

• Schoonbee Landgoed is part of an initiative to provide basic foodstuffs to our neighbouring communities and through this, we distribute information on the pandemic. We also offer lemons and oranges to our staff to assist them to stay healthy.

 

The Coronavirus pandemic has changed the world we live in. It has made us rethink how we work, and how we care for each other, and it has reminded us how important it is to keep our communities safe.

Every day won is a victory.