GENADENDAL: FROM DEGRADATION TO RESTORATION

While the need to preserve our cultural heritage is widely recognized, the availability of financial resources to do so is often deficient.
To alleviate the financial challenge of restoration/ conservation (for the the owner, the Moravian Church) the Genadendal Mission Museum, under the Chairmanship of the late Rev. Martin Wessels decided in 1987 on the initiative: 'Adopt the Heritage Site’ and spread awareness around about these monuments and their importance. The curator was given the task of public relations officer. Planning publicity strategies and campaigns. writing and producing presentations and press releases were not easy. State departments always told him that due to the country’s economic crisis, the budgetary allocations for culture in general and heritage conservation in particular had been reduced.
Though the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) is the overseeing statutory organisation established under the National Heritage Resources Act, No 25 of 1999, as the national administrative body responsible for the protection of South Africa’s cultural heritage, no financial assistance to preserve the declared monuments at Genadendal were given.
To gain private funding sources was just as difficult, but with Solomon’s wisdom and God’s intervention the museum could find friends and financial institutions who bought the initiative, “Adopt a monument” and who were willing to assist us to ensure that our monuments are kept for posterity. The video declares who the benefactors were. However, it is also the responsibility of the owners to address at least the basic maintenance work on their restored buildings.

[@ronalddippenaar2381]

A beautiful example of Man being his brother's keeper. God bless Genadendal!