Community Projects Lavender Hill Residents Turn Goals Into Reality

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WORDS Melike Sevim 

The residents of Lavender Hill have developed various projects to improve their neighbourhood and combat the 42% rate of unemployment. Each of the projects has been created to tackle a particular issue, such as the housing deficiency, and they also provide skills training for the jobless.

The three main projects are run by an active group of residents who reject the use of formal titles for their positions. When asked why, one of the leading men, Peter Phillips or Uncle Peter as he is affectionately known said: ‘Everybody wants to help, everybody is in charge.’ They run the projects from a container, which transforms from office to workshop depending on the demand.

The power team (from left to right): Victoria Booysen, Fagodien Campller, leader of the Bicycle Club, councillor, Shanon Rossouw and Peter Phillips. Photo: Melike Sevim

With the aim of sharing resources like funding and knowledge, they work closely with three different organisations; People Building Project (PHP), Progressive Women’s Movement South Africa (PWMSA) and the Bicycle Club. Victoria Booysen, who is the face of the PWMSA, explains that knowledge is the most powerful resource; therefore each project supports the other to ensure the transfer of knowledge.

People Housing Project (PHP)

PHP is a governmental programme which encourages and supports individuals and communities in their efforts to fulfil their own housing needs. This programme includes the house owner in the decision-making process with the aim to raise social and economic awareness and hopefully equip citizens with the tools to transform their situation.

It’s truly empowering to see the determination of the community to construct their houses. Many residents are skilled at building and if not, then they help with other tasks like digging, painting and cleaning. These residents have waited years for housing so they work hard to achieve results from which they will benefit. Lydia Maree lived in a shack for eleven years and she moved into her new house last year. She was overwhelmed by her good fortune as she now has access to electricity and a toilet. In her words she said: ‘Lucky, proud and blessed.’

When the government donated land to build houses in Lavender Hill in 2004, five women from the PWMSA, including Victoria, set up the PHP for the local residents. Today 163 families have been provided with new housing, but the project hopes to provide a further 225 families with housing by June. The families are paid to build their own houses, which keeps the money in the community and provides a solution to the high unemployment rate.

The residents of Lavender Hill work hard to improve their neighbourhood. These women are cleaning in front of the houses. ‘Everybody wants to help,’ Peter Phillips said. Photo: Melike Sevim

Another resident Shireen Stevens, invited me into her new home and proudly showed me every room and pointed at all her furniture. ‘I can only thank Jesus.’ She lived in a shack for seven years before she taking possession of a proper house.

Progressive Women’s Movement South Africa (PWMSA)

The Progressive Women’s Movement of South Africa (PWMSA) is a non-profit organisation launched in Bloemfontein to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the 1956 march when 20,000 women took to the Union Buildings to protest against apartheid. Every year the women remind themselves of this courage.

They envisioned a movement that would enable women to speak with one voice and address their concerns using a single platform of action irrespective of race, class, religion or political and social standing. Victoria introduced the movement to the community of Lavender Hill and she runs the project from the same container as the other projects.

PWMSA works with the Department of Trade and Industry and through them the women are taught about business opportunities at a local level and they are invited to exchange programmes with women from countries with similar demographics to South Africa. The women do not receive money but they do receive the equipment they need to run a business. ‘The vision of our movement is to promote the transformation of South African society into one that is truly non-racial and non-sexist, through advancing women’s socio-political, cultural and economic conditions,’ said Victoria.

Following a similar project in Limpopo, the women are trained how to grow different profitable vegetables, plants and herbs. The group are shown how to grow Moringa, which is a popular and profitable plant because it is rich in vitamins and minerals. Now, with the assistance of Judge Dr Wallace Mgoqi, who is doing legal services for the organisation, PWMSA has applied for a farm in Philippi. The organisation hopes to encourage women from around South Africa to grow Moringa. To avoid unfairness, the women are chosen by the ward councillor, Shanon Rossouw. She chooses the ‘Aunties’ she believes will work well as coordinators. Victoria refers to them as the ‘dead’ or ‘forgotten’ aunties, who use alcohol and whose kids are gangsters. Victoria wants these women to have a goal and to achieve something in life.

PWMSA’s most recent project is called one woman = one hectare of land. The project was launched in February in cooperation with Judge Dr Wallace Mgoqi with the aim of providing one woman with one hectare of land to ensure food security.

Abubakar Sieamie has been in the Bicycle Club for two years. It helped him focus on developing his skills to fix and build things. Photo: Melike Sevim

Bicycle club

The Lavender Hill Bicycle Club was founded in 2009 by local resident Fagodien Campller. The aim behind the Bicycle Club is to keep the youth off the streets and to teach them how to ride safely. Fagodien is dedicated to the project, pronouncing that it is about health, inspiration and giving the kids the opportunity to travel. The kids pay a very small amount to ride twice a week and they also go to races on the weekends. The number members fluctuates and Fagodien jokes about the boys choosing their girlfriends over spending time at the club but he does not see it as a huge problem as the club is designed to be flexible because it’s there to serve the boys.

One of the boys from the bicycle club, Abubakar Sieamie is 17 years old and finished school last year. He joined the club for two years because it helped him focus on developing mechanical skills.

All of the projects in Lavender Hill show the motivation of the community to make an impact on the lives around them. The projects are coordinated so that knowledge between members can be shared and provide further opportunities. Their hope for the future is an inspiration and their plans are infinite. Peter affirmed how it is a blessing to help fellow community members. ‘This is a way for us to give back what they deserve,’ he said.

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