THE AWE INSPIRING KAROO

OUR STORY

In 2011, after observing children wandering the streets of Prince Albert, clearly in need of intervention from the community and resources invested in their well-being, Ingrid Wolfaardt wrote an open letter to the mayor. This prompted an in-depth investigation of rural and urban initiatives that focused on the youth of the community, and an analysis of where the town and region needed to channel resources.

The outcome was a decision that an organisation was needed to drive existing initiatives for social transformation, as well as birth new ones, and in 2013 the Prince Albert Community Trust (PACT) was formed, with Wolfaardt as founder, joined by a board of trustees that included community champions and the mayoral post (ex officio).

In December 2014, the trust received its public benefit organisation number and began to operate, with Wolfaardt driving the projects in a pro-bono manner.

During February 2020, NPO status was achieved.

#US4US AUDIENCE (PHOTO BY LOUIS BOTHA)

In 2015, the PACT POP Centre – now the official headquarters of PACT – was built and opened in Rondomskrik to serve as a safe space and cultural and educational hub for the children of the community.

Over the last few years, PACT has dramatically increased its footprint within the communities of Prince Albert, Leeu Gamka and Klaarstroom, and initiated numerous successful projects and programmes spanning education, wellbeing, skills development and the arts, through which it’s empowered myriad individuals, and the communities at large.

This growth has been galvanized by a growing engagement from the community, support from donors and patrons, and hard work and commitment from its staff, all of whom have facilitated the successful roll out of impactful interventions and the strategic use of resources.