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Crèche

Desert Fruit Kids plays a critical role in our community development commitment on the farm. We strive to create spaces and places for holistic education for the children, and create employment opportunities for people living on the farm and surrounding settlements. In early 2017, the crèche employed two women who live in the local community and bring special skills to this learning environment. These ladies have interpreting skills and are able to speak two to three different languages, which helps the children feel more comfortable, and makes for easier communication between teacher and child.

The primary aim of the crèche is to provide employees’ children with a safe haven during the work day when their parents are engaged in other activities on the farm. We believe that creating a caring and loving environment will help children to mentally engage, emotionally mature, and be more open to learning as they grow up. Providing a good education, having fun, making friends, preparing for primary school and developing life skills are all pillars of our Desert Fruit Kids commitment. An on-site sister provides health care at the crèche every morning with visual inspection.

We currently have 38 children attending the crèche and plan to grow in size and quality every year; thus creating more educational opportunities for the children, and additional employment opportunities for local adults.

Headmistress Suzette provides education for pre-school children to equip them with the basic skill set necessary to attend primary school in Ariamsvlei or Karasburg.

Teacher Maria van der Byl provides a loving learning environment for children ages 4 – 6, providing them with the necessary skills to move on to the pre-school class.

Teacher Maria Imaneul’s playgroup consist of 2 – 4-year olds. She not only provides a loving environment for play and exploration, she also places a strong emphasis on teaching her students good behavior and prepping them for their next class.

Clinic

The Desert Fruit Clinic opened in March 2017, and was visited by Namibia’s Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration Hon. Minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana on 18 October 2017.

This clinic allows us to provide our employees with basic health services, delivered on-site by a well-trained, registered nurse.

Registered nurse Rachel Goraseb has over 20 years’ experience within the government sector. She does a daily check-in at the crèche—a visual and physical inspection of each child.

The clinic is a free-of-charge service that the company provides its employees. Further steps are taken when Nurse Rachel is unable to assist employees with health issues; including company provided  transport to a clinic in the nearest town that is able to provide the necessary services.

Shop and Butchery

At Desert Fruit we are committed to the best possible welfare of our employees. We do our best to ensure that we have healthy employees who benefit from and are committed to the farm’s growth.

Because we are situated 65km from the nearest town, we originally established and staffed a farm shop to help employees purchase day-to-day staples. We have since expanded our product line to include fresh vegetables and meat – both of which are sold at “cost.”

Farm-grown vegetables provide a variety of choices for employees, and ensure that they have easy access to a healthier, balanced diet.

The on-site butchery slaughters and prepares our own livestock to supply fresh meat to employees and their families.
We are currently selling more than 1200kg of organic beef to our employees.

Transport to and from Karasburg (175km from the farm) is provided to employees at the end of each month.

Water and sanitation Programme

Desert Fruit is committed to providing employees with easy access to basic sanitation facilities and clean running water. Stations are built in each of the date orchards on the farm, with each station providing running water, toilets and basins.

In the Press

Desert Fruit Namibia confident of good offering for Fresh Date Harvest

December 19th, 2019|

Desert Fruit Namibia, a date farm which actively farms and markets speciality varieties including Medjool, Zamli, Khallas and Barhi, has expressed confidence in the upcoming harvest of the fresh dates, which is envisaged for end January or early February 2020. Managing Director Seth Holmes advised that the company has been steadily improving its fresh offering, specifically with the Barhi variety and is focused on tonnage growth as well as quality. “We know that our fresh dates are sought after, especially in the Middle and Far East and there has [...]

Desert Fruit Namibia assists in equipping NDF with leadership skills

November 12th, 2019|

On 24 October 2019, a delegation of 18 senior military officers from the Namibia Command and Staff College based in Okahandja led by the Commandant of the College, Brigadier General Mathew Shipulwa, conducted a study tour to Desert Fruit Namibia (DFN). The study tour is part of a course aimed at developing NDF Senior Officers to take up command and staff appointments and equip them with the necessary leadership skills and knowledge to master the aspects of their job. The aim of the DFN tour was to cement theoretical [...]

Karasberg Schools visit to University of Namibia Keetmanshoop Campus

June 16th, 2019|

Desert Fruit Farm in association with the representative of the Ministry of Education, Schools Inspector, Mrs Magdeman and the Counsellor of the Karas East Constituency Counsellor, D. Coetzee initialled a program of familiarisation with the Namibian Tertiary Structures . This program is focused primarily at the senior learners from the High Schools of the Karasberg area.The program was a day of interaction and touring of the University of Namibia, Keetmanshoop Campus. Designed to familiarise the learners with what a university is and the benefits of Tertiary Education, as well as [...]

Desert Fruit Sponsors Academic achievement Awards – Karasberg

June 16th, 2019|

What has become an annual event, initially conceptualised by Counsellor of the Karas East Constituency, Counsellor Coetzee and the Department of Education Schools inspector, Mrs Magdeman, The Karasberg Academic Achievements Awards. These awards, now sponsored by Desert Fruit since 2015, seek to pay tribute to the hard working and dedicated Learners within the Karasberg Schooling systems. The Awards specifically pay tribute to the grade 7 (final year of Primary schooling), Grade 10 and 12 (penultimate and final year of Secondary schooling).  Honour Shields are handed to the top three learners [...]

Khalifa Award presentation to Supporting Namibian Government Structures

June 16th, 2019|

Managing Director Seth Holmes presenting a copy of the winner’s certificate to Honourable Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry – Hon. Deputy Minister Lucia Lipumbu. Seth Holmes, Willem Amutenya. Diina V. Nashidengo (Deputy Director) Deputy Executive Director of Agriculture Ms Ester N. Kaapanda, Seth Holmes (MD Desert Fruit), Honourable Minister of Agricultre - Hon. Minister Alpheus G !Naruseb, Deputy Minister of Agriculture – Hon Depty Minister Anna Shiwenda, Mrs Karoline Hendricks (Desert Fruit Management) Managing Director Seth Holmes presenting a copy of the winner’s certificate to [...]

Desert Fruit Namibia scoops sought after UAE Khalifa Award

March 13th, 2019|

Desert Fruit Namibia (DFN) has been awarded with a Khalifa award, namely the Award of Pioneering development and productive project by the Honourable Professor Ziad the Secretary General of the Khalifa Date Palm. This award, which DFN shares with SAHAM Agriculture of Morocco, recognises Desert Fruit Namibia for their invaluable contribution to the Date agricultural sector, with special emphasis on the high quality, tonnage and variety that Desert Fruit produces and the fact that all of this is achieved in the Southern Hemisphere. According to H.H.Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al [...]

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