GOODYEAR

The GoodYear program is a groundbreaking leadership development program operating in rural-agricultural communities. The program selects students who have either finished matric or who have finished tertiary agricultural education. These students are then taken in for a year. We develop the student on a wholistic level, ensuring that they have the right foundations in order to become successful leaders and agents of change in their communities.

More about the Program

GoodYear is a 1-year training program for young people between the ages of 18-23. During a GoodYear the students live at a GF4GF Centre and are taught good moral values, critical life skills and various hard skills. They are raised up as leaders for their communities. These students make a practical contribution to the community during their GoodYear.

The GoodYear program brings post-matriculants into a healthy, intimate spiritual family for a GoodYear on a GF4GF Centre. Here they are mentored to be influential leaders in their communities. We establish Good Foundations in their lives. We disciple them holistically and, through them, we reach out to schools, communities and farms.

The transfer of root and life skills to GoodYear students, mainly through a multiple short courses and hard work, takes place from an outcomes-based approach.

Not all students go directly into farming. While some do, others are placed in leadership positions on commercial farms or start working in the community within various professions (example: teaching). The result is that the rural-agricultural community is positively impacted from a number of different spheres, creating sustainable, positive change. For more information use the buttons below to download our resource packs.

GoodYear Bursary Fund

The GoodYear students who qualify are supported in their tertiary education via the GoodYear Bursary fund. Most GoodYear students come from rural communities where they lack the financial support to study towards a tertiary education.

GoodYear students are eligible for support from the fund based on their academic ability, character and motivation to succeed at their studies. The fund does not yet have the capacity to support study fees but instead focuses on addressing emergency needs required to keep the student at the institution. Examples of this may be basic food or accommodation or transport money.

The fund also helps, where possible, with registration fees and with UNISA (or other correspondence study fees). The need is wassessed individually for each student. This fund is managed in collaboration with Beulah Africa.

Success Stories

It is impossible to capture the depth and extent of the change that takes place in the lives of our students. It is also not possible to have all the success stories here. Be inspired as you read our latest 2 featured success stories below.

Alutta Siko (Choppa)

It’s Choppa here, I just want to pass my gratitude to the centre. From the bottom of my heart I just want to say thank you for the opportunity you guys gave me. You guys took me while I didn’t have any choice then you’ve welcomed me as part of the family, you believed in me, my abilities, my character and attitude while I was not even aware that I can be someone who is important.

The highlight of my life was the first time hearing someone who is a father figure telling me that he’s proud of me….those were Oom Welhem’s words to me and they unlocked something deep inside of me and increased my level of confidence. The most important thing I’ve learnt in Palms is Love, how to be loved and how to give love.

I’m really thankful to God for you guys because I don’t think I will be the person I am now if I didn’t start my journey with you guys….Palms will remain a foundation of my journey because that’s where I’ve learnt lots of things about life, people and God. I know I was never a better child but you guys were great parents to me.

Thank you to everyone one who played a role in my life from the Palms team….may God extend your Territory. Now I am a Practice Manager at Steynsburg Animal Hospital, next year I’m planning to study Animal Health Technician. God has been great in my life, my Relationship with Him is the only thing that I am 100% sure about.

Thank you for building a solid foundation in my life.

Phindile & Nomsa

Tjoh ek dink ons Hemelse Vader het sy planne met my lewe. Om mee weg te spring. Ek wou landbou gaan studeer het. Maar weens finansies was dit net onmoontlik. Maar ek ontmoet toe vir Gerhard Teseling in Graad 11. Graad 12 nooi hulle my palms toe vir ‘n naweek om te sien wat daar aangaan. Ek maak toe Palms my tweede opsie naas studeer. Ek kon toe nie gaan swot nie toe word ek aanvaar op Palms.

11 Maart 2014 het ek ‘n ontmoeting met die Here op verlate pit gehad. Ek was toe in Oktober op Palms geskors… Maar ons Vader was so amazing. Ek was toe geregistreer vir 94.7 fietsry en moes toe aanbly. Oom Louis de Kock van Wildeklawer vra toe vir studente om hulle finansiël te ondersteun. Ek het geen aansoek in daardie jaar tot verdere studies gedoen nie. Oom Wilhelm het my oorreed om by Grootfontein aansoeke te doen. Ek het toe gedoen en was aanvaar. Ek het die Wildeklawer onderhoud begewoon. Ek was toe aanvaar. So ek weet nie hoe om te sê nie, as ek net terug dink kon ek sien hoe betrokke die Here in my situasie was. Ja ek erken en ek dank Palms dat ek vandag ‘n ontmoeting met die Here het. Ek dank Palms vir Nomsa want dis danksy die beginsels van Palms dat ek en sy vandag waardes het. Palms het diep Bybelse en goeie lewens beginsels in my en Nomsa kom plant want vandag is ons so positief en gedissiplineerd in die lewe en deur dit is ons geseënd. Nomsa is nou tans besig om aan haar onderwys graad te werk en ek moet sê, Palms het fondasie vir ons gelê om te gryp vir wat die Here in stoor het vir ons lewens.