Community activists have combined the art of football and a community clean-up and gardening campaign of local parks to inspire youths in one of Durban’s impoverished inner-city landmarks, Cato Manor. The Cato Manor Siyakhula Project is one of several Imagine Durban demonstration projects that are being funded by the Canadian International Development Agency.

Skhumbuzo Mkhize of the Burning Ball Soccer School of Excellence and Bheki Dlamini of the uSizo Foundation are driving this demonstration project aimed at encouraging schoolchildren and parents to beautify municipal parks and get teenagers off the street corners in this bustling dormitory suburb.

Siyakhula, meaning ‘We’re Growing’ in isiZulu, will continue to receive support from Imagine Durban until May this year to get the youth involved in cleaning and sprucing up the local parks. The project kicked off with schoolchildren playing a vital role in the clean-up campaign while enjoying the spoils of soccer.

“The project uses a participatory approach to rehabilitate the parks and to reconceptualize how the surrounding community interacts and respects public spaces while creating a safe environment for children,” said Mkhize.

“Siyakhula project is playing a crucial role in the environmental consciousness within the community and they are now more aware of the need to keep the environment clean and tidy. Our park is looking good. Before that it was an eyesore with broken bottles, litter and rubble.”

“It is pleasing to note that the community is seeing the fruits of our labour of love and the advantages of living and working in a cleaner place while feeling confident that the children are off the streets.”

Two schoolgirls, inspired by Imagine Durban’s campaign on sustainability issues, are putting the sunshine into the taps at their suburban school with an innovative solar geyser project.

It took an international conference on sustainability in Durban to open their eyes on the impact of global warming and climate change.

Matriculant candidates Nomfundo Mbokazi and Michelle Hartley have become ambassadors for energy saving after they presented papers at the Sustainable Cities conference in Durban in 2008.

They returned to their classroom determined to launch the school’s first solar water heater system on the roof of a school block as an example of an Imagine Durban demonstration project.

Now, they are the toast of the Danville Park Girl’s High School in Durban North, where their solar water heater project has captured the imagination of the 805 pupils and their teachers.

At the conference, they expressed interest in solar geysers after rubbing shoulders with mayors and city officials from around the world on how solar energy could be successfully tapped in sun-rich Africa.

They learnt that solar water heaters saves money for people and help to increase the security of the local and national energy supply and reduce greenhouse emissions, chiefly a cause of climate change.

“We spoke of our dream for a crime-free Durban and how young people can get involved in recycling paper and energy saving and promoting peace and racial harmony to ensure sustainability. We were interested in energy saving solutions and saw solar geyser as a breakthrough for our school,” they added.

“In Canada, where there is less sun, they are using solar energy to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. Here in Africa, we have plenty of sunshine, but yet we are not tapping into this sustainable energy source.”

The Vumani Urban Renewal Programme will be funding its second workshop on growing food organically on 14th and 15th May at the eThembeni Methodist Church in Inanda.   The workshop forms part of an Imagine Durban demonstration project to document organic farming methods being undertaken by the Vumani Urban Renewal Programme.

The overall intention of Vumani is to support local networking and to develop a shared strategy for improved Food Sovereignty in eThekwini's urban and peri-urban habitats.

The workshop will be facilitated by Mr Lawrence Mkhaliphi from Biowatch, Ms Rowena Curr, nutritionist, Mr. Neville Meyer, Ms.Coral Vinsen and Vumani members from Vumani Urban Renewal Programme.  The topics to be addressed during this second workshop are:

• Improving Plant Nutrition
• Pest and Disease managemen
• Improving Household Nutrition
• Planting Innovations and Natural Methods of Landuse
• Water Wise Practices
• Food Production within the Economic Climate
• Micro Farming Methods and Practical Garden Design options

Seating is limited as the most workshop spaces have been reserved for those who attended the first workshop hosted by Vumani.  If you would like to attend the second workshop please contact Coral Vinsen on email: vinsen@saol.com

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