Cape Town - The switching on of festive lights is not just something that happens in the city centre. One Grassy Park man has taken the festivities to his community, hosting his very own switching on of the festive lights ceremony at his home.
Kenneth Felix, 65, had previously renovated his local park so that he could bring the community closer together. The “switching on of lights” has been an annual event for those in South Close, Grassy Park, for the eighth year.
Felix believes everyone in the community should be connected.
“The world has become smaller and smaller, but the human race has become bigger and bigger. In spite of the smallness of the world, people are drifting apart. I try to do something so that we can be together.
“I live in a very underprivileged neighbourhood, and I may not have my family with me at all times but I will always have a neighbour. The neighbours are the heartbeat of the whole thing.
“My neighbour is your neighbour is our neighbour.”
Felix feels the park has given the community an opportunity to learn more about each other.
Before upgrading of the park, children were unable to play barefoot due to shards of broken glass lying on the ground. The park also played host to some unsavoury elements, he said.
“I created an opportunity to sit down and talk to them. Get a story from those we usually reject. Children come to play in the park, other people have come to socialise in the park. Mothers and fathers, who would normally sit at home, now make time to sit in the park.”
Felix feels it’s up to every community member to make an impact.
“I was never pleased with mediocre things. I don’t want to die full, because in the graves you find lots of riches, people who died with lots of ideas in them. I want to die empty.”
When telling the Cape Argus about how the community has reacted to his activism, Felix became choked up.
“Someone told me that what I have done really touches their heart. It brought a tear to my eye when he said: ‘Kenny, we love you’.”
More than 100 people from Grassy Park came to see the switching on of the lights. He said he was hoping to bring back the tradition of decorating homes and celebrating the festive season as a community.
“My three-month-old granddaughter was asleep in our house, but as soon as she heard me on the microphone, she was awake."
“There were some who had never been and didn’t know what would happen but when I hit one after starting the countdown, it was an awesome experience for them."
“There were still people at 1.30am talking about it, even though we finished up at 10.30pm.”