Moshopiadi Nchabeleng participated in a competition hosted by Thaba Eco Hotel/Park to help transform their water reservoir as part of World Environmental Day.
Moshopiadi won this competition and joined Thaba Eco Hotel and Spa for three days to paint their water reservoir!

The idea of the art mural started when the Thaba Eco Park Environmental Manager identified an opportunity to turn an old concrete water reservoir tank, at the eco park, into an attractive feature for visitors to enjoy. This was achieved through the launch of an art mural competition.

Youth were encouraged to enter and, in doing so, showcase their artistic talents.
During this period, Ms Mareli De Klerk, Ben Viljoen’s art teacher, happened to join the Thaba Eco Park Environmental Manager on a guided eco drive where she heard about this competition and informed her learners.

According to the Manager, Thaba received many amazing art mural design entries, from all over, but Moshopiadi’s design stood out.

At an early age, Moshopiadi realised she had a true artistic gift. With the necessary encouragement from her mother, Lillian, along with Ms De Klerk, they encouraged Moshopiadi to express herself through different art mediums.

This was her first attempt at an art mural on this scale. As a result, a classmate, Ankia Blok, as well as Moshopiadi’s mother and Ms Hannelie Blok, were invited to join Thaba Eco Hotel and Spa for three days as part of her prize package.

On the first day, Moshopiadi and her team arrived and were warmly welcomed by the manager and the front office staff. After dinner, they settled in and got a good night’s rest in preparation for the day ahead.

The second day is where the hard work started. After breakfast, Moshopiadi and her team were escorted down to the site. All the paints and brushes that were used were graciously sponsored by Versus Paint and Hamilton’s.

To ensure Moshopiadi and her team had everything they needed, ladders, umbrellas and other materials were set up at the site. In addition, a tea and coffee station (including snacks and cold drinks) was laid out.

Moshopiadi and Ankia had set good targets to complete, section by section, of the mural, leaving ample time for touch-ups. They divided their days into two sessions (morning and afternoon) and were driven back to the hotel to enjoy a complimentary meal at Kraal Restaurant after every session.

On the third day, the art team continued powering on with enthusiasm and energy to be finished by the end of the day, and after a well-deserved night’s sleep, Moshopiadi and her team got to sleep in a bit and eased into day four.

After breakfast, they were taken to the site to enjoy and reflect on the magic they had created, before they departed home.
In the message the school received, Thaba Eco Hotel stated that they would like to humbly thank Moshopiadi and her team for their outstanding work and that they see great things in Moshopiadi and Ankia’s art future, wishing them all the success they deserve.

• Information received from Hoërskool Ben Viljoen.