Work together

The Backplow initiative originated during the lockout period when Lood Bester and his friend Herman Marx from Vibro distributed food to needy communities on an informal basis. The project quickly gained momentum when a number of farmers became involved and delivered loads of food. These tons of food were distributed informally using Vibro’s transport network, but it was realized that the need was enormous and a sustainable project had to be launched. Atterbury Trust has been approached and Backplow is currently managed under the banner of Atterbury Trust.

According to Zahn Hulme, executive trustee of Atterbury Trust, more than 125 tons of food has been distributed to old age homes, schools and orphanages in and around Pretoria since the start of the project. This is the equivalent of about 503,000 meals. “Transparency and accountability are important to people and the Atterbury Trust has been trusted since 1998 as an organization that effectively manages return projects. We walk a path with organizations and make sure that it is properly managed and that the help reaches the right people. ”

The Returning Plow Building was erected on eight hectares of land in the east of Pretoria – on the N4, near the Rayton off-ramp – made available by Faan and Dirk van der Walt, the founders of WeBuyCars.

In addition to the food processing facility and cold storage, a vegetable and fruit garden is planned, as well as a clothes bank. Co-founder of Terugploeg, Lood Bester says that a number of employment initiatives are planned on the site – meat will be processed, braai wood will be cut, packaged and sold. “All these functions need hands; to take care of the gardens, to process the food, to sort, wash and iron the clothes we get in, to pack the loads of wood in braai packs… with this we want to create jobs for the people from the communities we serve, ”he says excitedly .

Furthermore, it is intended to set up a lecture hall in the building, in which courses and talks can be presented to inspire both school children and adults with practical advice and training, so that they can also improve their own circumstances themselves.

The official opening of the new plowing facility is planned for January 2022.