August 2022
Hello again, it’s been a while. Omni has been up to a lot that we’ve been keeping to ourselves and our small town. An update is long overdue. As is an upgrade. And upgrades we have made. If you haven’t yet seen our new site please check it out. Theomnifoundation.com
We are extremely grateful to local webmaster, fellow home-schooling mom, and potential future eco-village mate, Barbara Coetzer, of Iron Pig Projects. We are doing community in the now, working together for the benefit of each other and the greater whole. So, even though we don’t yet have the land to build our Omni ecovillage dreams, we are carrying out our vision in the present, doing what we can with what we’ve got. Thanks Barbara! You’ve done beautiful work on our site.
If you should encounter any glitches on the site as you scroll through, please let us know, or just drop us a line to tell us what you think of our new nest on the web.
While compiling information for our website, I had to consolidate our old What’s Up with Omni newsletters into an archive. Going through the history of our growth over the last five-and-a-half-years, I realize that this little blog of ours is fulfilling its purpose as the keeper of our story, highlighting the triumphs and trials of our journey, and sharing a message and perspective that we believe the world desperately needs to hear more.
That message is: We are one and we must begin to live in that reality if we are to thrive. Love is the force that brings and holds us together in oneness. Love for one another, Love for Earth, the Universe/God, and everything within it.
Though our message is wrapped in music, videos, publications and community action, the foundation of it all is Love. Love is the mark we want to make—the impression we wish to leave behind.
So, what has been up with Omni?
The Past
In January we published our 11th issue of Omni Vision Magazine, then stopped the presses for an indefinite hiatus and turned our focus to our small town.
In February we started The Graskop Creative Arts Network, a.k.a. The CAN Club, created to provide opportunities for the artists of Graskop to promote community spirit through artistic expression. Activities include music, drama, special events, classes, markets, fundraisers, service projects, and more. The club sprang from our “Carols by Candlelight” Christmas event last year, with the children from the Emmanuel Family Home. This year we decided to expand to include more than just music, and to open it up to the greater community.
Through March and April, in cooperation with the Graskop Homeschoolers we planned a Family Fun Day for our town, with a bounce house, talent show, and market. We rehearsed music and drama for “How the Lion Got His Roar,” made costumes and props, sold raffle tickets, and on April 30th we had a blast! It was not without its small-town glitches and drama, but all in all it was a great success. The community worked together to make it happen, and we made some wonderful memories.
In June Omni attended its first Graskop Conservancy board meeting and Cameron got his long longed-for drone, for his birthday and Father’s Day. His first mission was to create this stunning video, in support of the Graskop Conservancy.
Along came July with a field trip to Africa Silks, less than 30 minutes away in a cozy farm nestled in the mountains of Mpumalanga. There we learned how silk is processed, from worm to weave. We enjoyed a picnic, the kids enjoyed bouncing around the playground, and then the CAN Club choir and I played a set at Voggies, the restaurant/bar. Once again, we had a blast!
On Mandela Day, July 18, the Conservancy promoted a community clean-up day, which we hope to make a more regular event.
We ended the month by participating in the Moonlight Market, which brings us to…
The Present
Though the about us page on our website still highlights our vision of what we plan to build, we have recently met others whose dreams match our own, and who already have the property on which to build. Gaia Sanctuary is located in Swellendam, Western Cape, and is everything we envision. Though there are still zoning issues to work through (or rather to receive miracles for), the founders are far ahead of us in the property manifestation path, and we are looking in to joining with them.
The Future
In the upcoming weeks we will be making a trip to Gaia Sanctuary and, of course, we’ll keep you informed of how that unfolds.
Other than that, the CAN Club and Homeschoolers have some gardening and other entrepreneurial plans and we are looking forward to another community fun day at Beach Island Graskop in the spring, with a choir concert and gig. Then it will be time to start prepping for Christmas. After that… God only knows…
And that’s what’s up with Omni.
If you’d like to stay updated on our progress and/or to get involved, please subscribe to this blog, drop us a note, and support us by shopping Omni or donating to our cause. Thank you!
Wishing you infinite blessings!
Cameron and Leah Kirrane
Directors of The Omni Foundation, NPC
