Die vestiging van Skanskopeiland-besproeiingnedersetting as 'n mylpaal in selfwerksame armoedeverligting

Abstract

Skanskopeiland is een van die besproeiingsnedersettings wat in die vroeë dekades van die twintigste eeu langs die Benede-Oranjerivier (vandag die Garieprivier) gevestig is met die doel om blanke armoede te help verlig. Na afloop van die Carnegiekommissie se ondersoek en die Kimberleykongres oor armoede was dit in die 1930's beide die staat en die kerk se benadering om arm gemeenskappe te ondersteun om deur selfwerksaamheid vir hulle en hulle nageslag 'n selfstandige bestaan te verseker. Terselfdertyd kon hulle deur landbouproduksie 'n bydrae tot die landsekonomie en die ontwikkeling van die streek maak. Hoewel hulle na die toekenning van grond feitlik geen verdere staatshulp ontvang het nie en oor beperkte hulpbronne beskik het, is die meeste van die eerste nedersetters op Skanskopeiland suksesvol gevestig. Aangedryf deur die wil om vir hulleself te sorg en vir hulle gesinne 'n beter bestaan moontlik te maak, was hulle bereid om fisies hard te werk. Hulle het die eenvoudige tegnieke en tegnologie wat beskikbaar was, aangewend om die natuur te "tem" en die vrugbare grond voor te berei vir landbouproduksie. Hierdie artikel skets die historiese agtergrond waarbinne die nedersetting op Skanskopeiland gevestig is, beskryf die moeisame prosesse waardeur die nedersetters die eiland vir landbouproduksie gereed gemaak het, en beoordeel hulle pogings om hulleself en hulle nageslag uit armoede op te hef.

The establishment of the Skanskop Island irrigation settlement as a milestone in poverty relief through personal initiative Skanskop Island is one of the irrigation settlements established in the early part of the twentieth century along the Lower Orange River (today the Gariep River) with the aim to help relieve the poor white problem. After the investigation of the Carnegie Commission and the Kimberley Congress dealing with poverty among whites, both the state and the church adopted an approach in the 1930s of giving only limited support to poor agricultural communities to stimulate them to improve their position through self-activity. If they succeeded in becoming successful agricultural producers, they would also make a contribution to the national economy and the development of the region. Although the first settlers at Skanskop received only minimal support from the state and possessed limited resources, most of them were successfully settled on the land. Driven by the will to provide for themselves and their families, they were prepared to perform hard physical labour. They utilised the simple techniques and technologies available to them to "tame" nature and to prepare the fertile soil for production. This article sketches the historical background of the establishment of the Skanskop Island settlement, describes the laborious processes through which the land was prepared for production, and evaluates the efforts of the settlers to lift themselves and their offspring from a state of poverty to become independent producers.