PROJECT ORANGE
2020 Project Team Reports
Dear Project Team
I attach for your records two reports which I sent out yesterday to the 13 Packhouses who supplied project orange with a total of 6,8 million oranges.
A note to the non-industry persons:
The surrounding citrus farmers/producers of the Olifants River Valley directed their donation of oranges to a certain Packhouse and the Ruben Richards Foundation then collected the oranges and later also naartjies from these Packhouses for sorting, packaging and despatching from Namakwaland Sitrus.
I want to say to you what I said to the Packhouses and Producers yesterday - THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR EFFORTS to make the project a success. From operational management at Namakwaland Sitrus, the project management and coordination skills of Marlene, to the logistical miracles pulled off by Elma and the lighting packing skills of teams under the leadership of Lucy, the media and marketing headed by Daniel to the transport and distribution of the millions of oranges mainly by Slabbert Transport, and all the behind the scenes organising by people like Debbie Dreyer of Social Development (Western Cape government), Pastor Barry Isaacs and Apostle Theo Roman, Dr Michael Louis, Riedwaan of FCW, Paramount Chiefs Martinus Fredericks (Nama) and David Johannes (Cochoqua), Township theatre-makers like Mandisi, Prof Eric and the team of the Centre for Early Childhood Development, Team Langabaan, Tina of 1000 Women, Kasi Foundation and Gerald Nomlala, Clanwilliam Leifde Diens, and many many many others - not forgetting our Project Orange Ambassadors - Siv, Bianca, Christopher, Zoe and Ma Edna (88 years old) and Lydia, our single largest individual donor from Cape Town who outgave even corporate sponsors ....
All of you combined - WOW WOW WOW. A big shout out to you all. What a pleasure to have you all making such a wonderful contribution to the project and just sharing your enthusiasm to get the much-needed fresh Vitamin-C to those who needed it most.
I hope we will be able to do it again in 2021. Not sure if we will have COVID-19 as something to help the Producers make the donation but let's see.
We have learned many good lessons from this first project which we will use to improve upon next time around.
Please feel free to share these reports with your networks. I will be uploading them to the RRF website shortly. They are now public documents and have been authorised and approved by the Governing Board of the Foundation for distribution.
Best regards and have a safe and meaningful festive season.
Ruben