Cape Town - They might just be an ordinary bunch of Capetonians, but these extraordinary community members are making a huge difference cleaning up dirty neighbourhoods.
Alison Samodien from the Think Yellow Projects Cape Town, wrote to tell us about their clean up efforts in response to the Cape Argus #CleanYourHood campaign.
“We are not an NPO, just a group of Capetonians who care about our neighbouring communities,” said Samodien. Their initiative was originally established in 2008 when Alison and a group of her friends decided to gift loaves of bread to needy members of the Blikkiesdorp community.
“During this time we have tried to make the living conditions of the community members more comfortable.” The initiative is also currently feeding 30 to 60 community members soup on a weekly basis.
After a recent discovery of an unbearable rubbish site, Samodien alongside the Tzu Chi foundation were prompted to join hands with the community to remove the rubbish every Saturday. For the past two weeks a minimum of 30 community members, including the elderly, have taken on the challenge of keeping their community clean. In return, the Tzu Chi foundation gives them a 1kg bag of rice for their efforts.
On behalf of the organisation, Samodien would like to plead with the rest of the city to get involved. The living conditions are not of the best with an unemployment rate of at least 73%.
“We are always in need of extra gloves, face masks, recyclable plastic bags and cleaning tools. We would also love to get a weekly sponsor of refreshments for the people who assist in cleaning. The community members could also benefit from a donation of ponchos so that they can continue cleaning in the rain. Any form of assistance would be a blessing.”
The intention is to continue cleaning every Saturday for the next six months as they hope to encourage 100 residents every Saturday to assist with cleaning their hood.
Those wanting to get involved may contact the group via their Facebook page: Think Yellow Projects Cape Town or e-mail: [email protected]