Women’s Month: Princess Kutuka

Here at the Table Mountain Fund, our Small Grant Facilities hold a very special place in our hearts. These community driven projects have, over the years, achieved some incredible outcomes both in terms of on-the-ground conservation work AND social upliftment. For the remainder of Women’s Month, we will be introducing you to some of the incredible women who have benefited from our Grootbos Foundation and Whale Coast Conservation Small Grants Facilities.

Princess Kutuka, is one of these inspiring women. For a number of years now, Princess has worked with the Grootbos Foundation and Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy to implement biodiversity stewardship and restoration projects within the critically endangered habitats that occur within the Agulhas Plain. By employing women, Princess is empowering marginalised women from the surrounding communities by providing them with an income and an avenue to support their families.

During the 2017/18 funding cycle, Princess received a grant from the Grootbos Foundation Small Grants Facility, to remove alien invasive plant species from a servitude on Farm215 within a patch of Critically Endangered Elim Ferricrete fynbos – of which less than 5% remains. The signing of the servitude formed part of the Grootbos Foundation’s TMF-funded Agulhas Green Corridor project. To support Princess and her team, Contour Training Academy provided additional training to Princess, and 20 alien clearers within the region, which was funded through the Whale Coast Conservation Small Grant Facility.

“We do this for our fynbos, so that it can grow again. And for our nature. There are lots of invasive trees, and we must take them out. That allows people to pick the Fynbos to sell it and visitors can come to our region to look at the flowers, which brings money to the region.” – Princess Kutuka

Photo Credit: Peter Chadwick