Tag Archive for: social solutions

,

If I were president for a day | Buyekezwa Ndlumbini

Buyiblog

 

 

I met Buyi at Dwesa Nature Reserve in the Eastern Cape where she was working as an intern for her nature conservation studies and receiving a basic stipend for her time. It was a short contract though and she had no further prospects for permanent, gainful employment when it finished and this was the biggest milestone that hung round her neck as a single mother, her greatest goal being an excellent education for her daughter. We chatted about her challenges and joys, her greatest wishes and what changes she as a young woman living in rural South Africa would bring about if she were president of the country. What changes would you bring about if you were president for a day?

What are your greatest challenges? 

My greatest challenge is that I am unemployed because I’m a single parent. There is an overpopulation of the unemployed youth and yet everyone should have the chance to get a job. With no jobs for the youth they are depending on their parents to survive.

Living in a rural area there is no access to newspapers and the internet. Basic service delivery is not happening, they are taking too long to tar the road to our village even though they approved it 3 years ago. We pay the price, the bakkies in our area are badly damaged by the state of the road. The education in our area is also very poor, teachers don’t send their own children to the schools they teach at. They don’t identify the children with special needs that need to go to a special school. The clinic in our area is only open during the week, if there is an emergency on the weekend we have to hire a bake for R1 000 to get the person to hospital.

What are your greatest joys?

To be with my family. To have a chance to work and give my daughter better opportunities. Nature conservation gives me joy because I really care.

 

If you were president what would you make happen?

I would make sure that every child is well educated. I would create more jobs for youth who are unemployed and that will decrease the crime. I would make sure the rural areas have the same services as the urban areas – libraries, soccer fields, internet cafes. I would encourage South Africans to farm on a small scale, if you are farming you will not be suffering. I would educate people about alien invasive plants and their problems and about the importance of saving water.

What is your greatest wish?

My greatest wish is to get a permanent job.

What is stopping you from achieving your wish?

People give jobs to their family members, there is so much nepotism. it is very difficult to get a job, even if you are qualified. and then you find the person who got the job is not qualified at all.

 

Thank to all the places on Eco Atlas that give gainful, fair and socially just employment with upskilling, training and empowerment as part of their employment mandate. www.ecoatlas.co.za 

Change Makers | Ekasi Project Green

Abonga Tom and Sizwe Nyuka Mlenzana, at Ekasi Garden Headquarters, Vusamanzi Primary School, Khayelitsha. ©David Peter Harris

Abonga Tom and Sizwe Nyuka Mlenzana, at Ekasi Garden Headquarters, Vusamanzi Primary School, Khayelitsha. ©David Peter Harris

 

 

The creative heart of Site C in Khayelitsha  is a vibrant group of young peeps. They all share a common passion,  positive leadership and commitment to bring about innovation, hope and positive change, starting from their community. One of the Change Makers episodes featured Xolisa Bangani and Ikhaya Garden, the vegetable garden at Isikhokelo Primary School that is spearheading the movement to make “gardening cool”. Ekasi Project Green is a brother organization, based at Vusamanzi Primary School. It was started in September 2014 by six friends, who took inspiration from their makhulu’s garden in the Eastern Cape, with the idea of guaranteeing a healthy diet for the students. We met up with Abonga Tom and Sizwe Nyuka Mlenzana, who have been friends since they were kids. In the ten years I have lived in Cape Town, this was my second trip to Khayelitsha.

Why Ekasi?

“Young people like to believe in what they see, they watch us and want to get involved. Ekasi is a role model, by doing we motivate children to explore their talent and creativity. Our passion is fueled by the difference we see we’re making and the excitement of the students at Vusamanzi Primary School when they come running to help and play”.

The overall influx of bad news coverage is acting like a counter agent to change, and this is why Sizwe, Abonga and friends are joining forces.

 

_MG_7608

Samkelo and Asange stand by their vegetable garden. They took up gardening since Ekasi started.©David Peter Harris

 

 

“A tip for Social Innovators? Be ambitious, self-confident, patient, safe and most of all, free your mind and stay positive. Don’t compare yourself to anybody else but stay focused.”

Ekasi is also working in partnership with Slow Food Youth Network, an organisation from Italy that promotes good, clean, fair food with a focus on sustainability. “Slow Food Youth Network is very supportive in everything we do, from the WE LOVE OUR SEEDS workshop and Funky Vegetable Festival we organized here in Khayelitsha. We also volunteer for the organisation and presented Slow Food in Good Food and Wine at CTICC”, Sizwe tells me .

Sizwe recently returned from France, where  he attended the 3rd Eating City Summer Campus, alongside 42 people from all over the world. The Campus offered a global platform where participants could discuss the impacts of food system on  natural elements, identify the problems and also come up with solutions. They wrote a declaration which will be presented in Milan this October in the event called Terra Madre Giovani – We Feed the Planet and again in Paris at the COP21 summit to Ban Ki Moon the general secretary of the UN. Sizwe tells me “What I learnt is that as young people we need to be involved in this movement because young people are the future we need to be part of the solution when it comes to climate change, food sovereignty and sustainable ways of living”. 

While I was writing this post, I scrolled down my news feeds, and I stumbled upon an article on the TED page. “Leadership Advice from the Dalai Lama”, some of my personal favourite keywords had come up and I couldn’t ignore it.  One of the quotes seemed fit to show the collectiveness of Ekasi Garden’s story.

 “Don’t be discouraged by the terrible news we hear; in reality, that reflects a small portion of the human story. Beneath the ugly tip of that glacier lies a vast reservoir of sensitivity and kindness.”

Ekasi Garden and Ikhaya Garden are hosting an Eat In event on the 26th September 2015, from 9.30am until 1.00pm, at Moses Mabhida Library, Site C, Khayelitsha. The event, supported by Slow Food Youth Network, emphasizes the a story behind every pot. Eat In is about making friends and celebrating food; different chefs will be showcasing their recipes, telling their stories about their food and their culture, tradition and environment. 

Get in touch with Ekasi Garden via their Eco Atlas page.

Change Makers | Stellar Organics | Irene Dell

Irene Dell from Stellar Foundation at one of the estates during the launch of the off-the-grid project ©David Peter Harris.

Irene Dell from Stellar Foundation at one of the estates during the launch of the off-the-grid project ©David Peter Harris.

 

A few years ago I noticed a funky new wine brand at the bottle store; a red wine with a very interesting label called Live a Little. Quirky on the outside, this  wine was produced by Stellar Winery, South Africa’s largest producer of fine organic and fair trade wines. At the time, Stellar was one of the only of its kind for its innovation in winemaking (holding the organic certification and being vegan friendly) as well as its focus on people and their social empowerment.

The Live a Little label was on my mind during our drive to the cellar, situated at Kyshalte, just outside Vredendal in the Western Cape. I was about to put a whole lot of new faces to the name Stellar and it was exciting. I had been in contact with Irene Dell, a longstanding and empowering employee of Stellar Foundation, a non-profit organisation, and we had been invited to the launch of the renewable energy project.

On our arrival, Irene and I sat at her desk and she quickly briefed me on some of the social projects the Stellar Foundation runs; the projects are intended for the workers, their families and the communities within the area ranging from a free primary health care scheme, a judo club to vegetable gardens, a crèche in Trawal as well as the latest off-the-grid project. Irene’s passionate words made me realize how close she was to the issues we were touching on. One of the only women in a mainly man-workforce, I asked her what her secret is.

“I listen to what people’s needs are and I am familiar with their conditions and situations. Because of cultural differences, one should be careful not to impose ideas from one’s own cultural situation on others but see how a dialogue can bring issues and options up. Our biggest thing is to satisfy needs while communicating the responsibility on the other side. Giving responsibly paves the way for sustainability.”

 

The Consol lights are Phase I of Stellar's off-the-grid project. ©David Peter Harris

The Consol lights are Phase I of Stellar’s off-the-grid project. ©David Peter Harris

 

Stellar Multi-estate sources organic grapes from independent farms, which, together with the cellar, bottling and packaging plant make up a Fair Trade structure, Stellar Winery Multi-Estate. Workers on the farms and in the winery, including seasonal workers, together own 26% of the enterprise through shares in the Stellar Empowerment Trust. Irene, David and I spent the afternoon together, driving from one estate to another, officially launching Phase I of the off-the-grid project, which involved distributing the Consol solar-powered lights. I loved seeing Irene interacting with the workers. She totally gets them and cares so deeply about their upliftment and personal growth.

“We are not out to change the world. We are only hoping to better lives with what we do. It’s the small, the  little things we do”.

That night we were hosted by Willem Rossouw, Managing Director of Stellar, and his family. While sitting at the dinner table eating a typical Weskus snoek dish with fresh, homemade beer bread, I expressed my deep admiration for the  range and quality of the social upliftment projects that are ongoing.  William replied saying that “The most important project is the one you cannot see”, referring to the portion of the business the workers own through the Fair Trade shares. Agreed.

Everything about this short visit made a sound impression;  the affectionate relationships at the cellar, the motivation to improve lives in the area and the softness interwoven in it. Before Irene and I parted, she added something, which exemplifies her loving and passionate nature.

“There are always solutions to problems, you just have to ask nicely and they will turn up”.

 

Farm workers preparing and clearing the vineyards of any weeds or plants that will hinder their organic production©David Peter Harris

Farm workers preparing and clearing the vineyards of any weeds or plants that will hinder their organic production©David Peter Harris

 

I personally came a long way from the first Live a Little bottle label, and I spent the drive back thinking of the kind of impact we make, even when shopping for wine.

Get in touch Stellar Organic Winery via their Eco Atlas page and vote with your wallet when next you’re scanning the shelves for a good wine….

 

 

 

 

Change Makers | Lunchbox Theatre

Mcedisi Ncedani and Stuart Palmer. Stuart started Lunch Box Theatre in 2007, bringing theatre projects as primary awareness raising tools for important issues that are relevant to South Africa’s youth ©David Peter Harris

Mncedisi Ncedani and Stuart Palmer. Stuart started Lunchbox Theatre in 2007, bringing theatre projects as primary awareness raising tools for important issues that are relevant to South Africa’s youth ©David Peter Harris

 

I met up with Stuart, Founder/Director/Facilitator/Script Writer and Actor of Lunchbox Theatre and Mncedisi Ncedani, Actor, Facilitator, Project Manager and Dreamer, after their catchy and  engaging Whale Show at a Primary School in New Horizons, Plettenberg Bay.

“There is so much passion in what we do. Passion for the theatre, passion for using our craft in a fun and educational way, passion for reaching kids, who are the generation of tomorrow; at this age group, they are young enough  to have that sense of wonder with vivid imaginations but they also start to measure their own impact in the world, and when they walk out of here, something has set in. So this is not just a job, this is a calling. “

 

Wanda the Whale, the star of the Whale show, is made entirely out of recycled materials. This amazing puppet was brought to life by South African Artist Simon Max Bannister ©David Peter Harris

Wanda the Whale, the star of the Whale show, is made entirely out of recycled materials. This amazing puppet was brought to life by South African Artist Simon Max Bannister ©David Peter Harris

Since 2007, Lunchbox has been using theatre as a medium to educate South Africa’s youth (grade 3 to Grade 7) and foster employment. Lunchbox Theatre is based in the Western Cape.

Read more on Lunchbox Theatre or make contact via their Eco Atlas page.

Change Makers | Ikhaya Garden

Xolisa Bangani, Head Farmer and Founder of Ikhaya Garden at Isikhokelo Primary School in Site C, Khayelitsha, Cape Town. ©David Peter Harris

Xolisa Bangani, Head Farmer and Founder of Ikhaya Garden at Isikhokelo Primary School in Site C, Khayelitsha, Cape Town. ©David Peter Harris

 

“At first I started with the passion for nature and growing produce; now I love seeing the project running,  young people stepping up and doing great work for food security, sustainability and care for the environment here at Isikhokelo Primary School and the larger community in Khayelitsha. A tip for Social Innovators? Learn how to stay independent and local, but attract different people, from different places and you’ll see something special happening.”

Started in September 2013 as a community based organization, Ikhaya Garden in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, is an organic food gardening and sustainable living project, aiming to involve the youth by creating a connection with nature while strengthening the bond between the school and the community as part of social development. Xolisa is leading change in his community by portraying gardening as a fun, cool model that mixes art and gardening. After only a little more than year from its creation, Ikhaya Kulture has started spreading in the community in the form of other projects in Khayelitsha.

 

Contact Ikhaya Garden on their Eco Atlas page, spread the Ikhaya Kulture and join them on their next planting day/ workshop. It’s real fun!

 

 

,

Change Makers | An introduction

Change Makers is a collection of uplifting people and communities in South Africa who have started with an idea and are achieving great things, because they have put their head where their heart is.

Change Makers is a collection of uplifting people and communities in South Africa who have started with an idea and are achieving great things, because they have put their head where their heart is.

 

“Change” is one of those words that continuously bounces back and forth in conversations nowadays. Grand personalities, from Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Terry Pratchett to Mahatma Gandhi  and the Dalai Lama have produced some of the most powerful quotes to get people going to “Be the change they want to see”.  However, while these wise snippets have always made me inspired, from the inside out, and helped me put a whole lot in perspective, I feel I have struggled so far to constantly keep at the change I want to see in the world. Change is most often perceived as something difficult, like starting to exercise; it is projected into the future, the world of tomorrow and what will be when we will have more time, more money, more and more. The truth is that change starts today, with each and every one of us. My change is different to your change.

“Transformation is our watchword. At this moment in time, we are called upon to lead and act with courage. We are called upon to embrace change. Change in our societies. Change in the management of our economies. Change in our relationship with our one and only planet.” (Synthesis report of the UN Secretary-General on the post-2015 sustainable development agenda). The eight Millennium Development Goals are being reviewed this year, with discussions on how to develop an integrated sustainable development agenda, and for countries to adopt a set of global goals to secure a just, healthy, educated and happy population. Never before has civil society  been encouraged to take global action, for its people and the (one and only) planet.

Change Makers is a collection of uplifting people and communities in South Africa who have started with an idea and are achieving great things, because they have put their head where their heart is. Photographer David Peter Harris and myself (Clotilde) are embarking on this journey of inspiration, together with you. If you know of anybody/companies/organisations who are committed to bringing about positive change, please let us know in the comments below; we would love to chat to them and share their story. In the words of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu,

“We may not be capable of changing the world in one fell swoop on our own, but when we swim together in the same good direction, we become an unstoppable force.”

Be curious. Lead and act with courage. Stay inspired. Embrace change.