Green Door Project is a learning support centre for primary and high school girls in Jamestown, Stellenbosch. MatieMedia’s Nakishka Skriker spoke to Chanene van As, founder and chief executive officer of the organisation, as well as volunteers at Green Door Project, in order to find out how this organisation is making a difference in the Jamestown community.
Pictured above is Chanene van As, founder and chief executive officer of Green Door Project, a learning support centre for school girls in Jamestown. Green Door Project has indoor learning areas, as well as vibrant garden and play areas where the girls learn outside. “I like the concept of the rainbow garden as it symbolises unity and diversity,” Nuhaa Adams, a volunteer at Green Door Project, tells MatieMedia via written correspondence. PHOTO: Nakishka Skriker
When Chanene van As was a young girl, she was fixated on the song ‘Behind the Green Door’ from the television show, Sha Na Na. “I was so intrigued, and I used to ask my mom: Mommy, what is behind this green door?” she tells MatieMedia.
Van As first saw her current home in Webersvalley road, Jamestown, in 2006. “I drove past it and told my husband, ‘we must buy this place and do something behind the green door’,” she says.
The old carriage house is over 100 years old, according to Van As, but it has been given new life. Behind Van As’ green door lies a vibrant garden and learning centre, which welcomes 25 girls each week as part of Green Door Project, a community initiative aimed at empowering girls in grades one to 10.
Green Door Project is a learning support centre in Jamestown which was founded by Chanene van As eight years ago. After-school learning programmes for girls in grades one to 10 are hosted in Van As’ vibrant backyard, as well as a rented space beyond her plot. PHOTO: Nakishka Skriker
Opening doors for the community
Green Door Project helps girls from Weber Gedenk Primary School and Stellenzicht Secondary School in Jamestown, according to Madeleine Linders, who has volunteered at the organisation for over a month.
There is a specific focus on the improvement of their numeracy, and literacy in English and Afrikaans, says Van As.
The learning centre is not only limited to the building in the backyard, or the rented property that falls beyond Van As’ plot. The girls love learning outdoors, she says, and lessons often take place in the garden and play areas.
“We do the academic stuff, but play is also very important to us,” she says. “You learn while you live, and you live while you learn.”
Before she started the organisation, the teen pregnancy rate in Jamestown was high, states Van As. This drove her decision to start a learning centre for girls eight years ago.
It is important to “bloom where you are planted”, she says. Now a resident of Jamestown for 19 years, Van As aims to empower the entire community through Green Door Project. “If you invest in the women, you invest in the whole community,” she says.
‘Play’ is one of the most important parts of Green Door Project, a learning support centre for girls in Jamestown. This is according to Chanene van As (pictured above), founder and chief executive officer of the organisation. Much of the learning takes place in the learning space outside, which has a view of Stellenbosch’s mountains, states Van As. PHOTO: Nakishka Skriker
Versatile development
Green Door Project serves as a “multi-function hub where you can buy flowers [and] plants, you can paint, do arts and crafts, and you can get coffee”, says Ravell Frans, who has volunteered at the organisation for over a year.
Frans describes Green Door Project as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that “works with girls who come from broken homes” and teaches them skills such as sewing, gardening, painting, literacy and maths.
He became involved with the organisation through the sustainable development and environmental impact committee at Stellenbosch University’s Helshoogte Men’s Residence last year. “We’ve just been going there, painting and cleaning up the garden, and afterwards, we have a session with the girls,” says Frans.
“I’m very passionate about volunteering especially when it’s proactive, and I love community development, especially if the people want to help themselves too,” he adds.
Green Door Project has recently launched the Green Door Garden Shop. The organisation now sells plants as a means of generating sustainable income, says Van As.
Green Door Project also sells clothing, and hosts children’s birthday parties, women’s functions, and a monthly homeschooling function. This is all part of generating exposure for the organisation, Van As says.
Donations and materials that aren’t used by the organisation go to the greater Jamestown community, says Van As. The organisation also feeds 10 to 12 families a week, she adds.
Green Door Project is a learning support centre for girls in Jamestown. It also functions as an events venue; a place to purchase plants, clothing, and coffee; and a space for students to study. This is according to Chanene van As, founder and chief executive officer of the organisation. PHOTOS: Nakishka Skriker
It takes a village
Green Door Project “caters for young girls who need a safe environment”, says Frans, adding that we have very few NGOs in Stellenbosch that do this, and this motivates him to “help wherever possible”.
“I support the organisation because it empowers women and I firmly stand behind anything that benefits women,” says Nuhaa Adams, a Stellenbosch University student and friend of Frans’ who volunteers at Green Door Project.
“The organisation takes in young women from turbulent households and provides a safe haven for them to heal and flourish,” she tells MatieMedia via written correspondence.
Green Door Project has few permanent staff members, and relies on assistance from volunteers and sponsors. The Helshoogte Men’s Residence has had a relationship with the organisation for six years, excluding 2019 and 2020, says Frans.
The organisation also has a partnership with Every Nation Church, whose members volunteer each year, according to Van As.
Green Door Project has also partnered with Woolworths, who provide the organisation with food, she says. Additionally, she names ClemenGold as one of the organisation’s sponsors, as well as two private donors.
“I had a great experience learning about the Green Door Project and its social impact,” says Adams. “I also really enjoyed that I was volunteering with my friends doing something productive and fun.”
Van As encourages students to come to the Green Door Project garden, not only to volunteer, but also to utilise the space as a study area, where they can buy coffee and use the Wi-Fi.
Pictured above is Tamsin Adonis, a Stellenbosch University student who temporarily worked for Visit Stellenbosch during its Garden Town Stellenbosch initiative. During the initiative, Adonis welcomed guests to the Green Door Project garden, which doubles as a learning centre for young girls. PHOTO: Nakishka Skriker
Fostering relationships
When Linders is not taking care of her grandchildren, she volunteers at Green Door Project, taking on a host of duties, such as feeding the children and assisting at events. “I love kids, that’s why I’m here,” she says.
Linders initially became involved with the organisation through her niece who attends the learning centre.
After recently completing a childcare course, and volunteering at Green Door Project, Linders says there are many “small details” she has learnt about taking care of children, which she wouldn’t have otherwise known about, despite being a mother and grandmother.
A safe haven
Many of the girls at the Green Door Project learning centre come from difficult circumstances, says Van As.
“The girls definitely have their challenges, but here’s a space where they can be safe, get food, and play,” she says.
In the original song from Sha Na Na, a party was behind the green door, Van As says. She likes to think that the girls at the learning centre have equally as much fun.
Most importantly, Van As hopes that love, harmony and peace lie behind her green door.