Youngsters keen to clean Aberdeen
There has been a recent revived effort from residents of Aberdeen to uplift and clean the town, and youngsters are also lending a hand.
Townsfolk have been joined by a team of enthusiastic youths, under the leadership of Lotusville residents Rolavian 'Lollo' Jackson, Zettie Darries and Octavius Coetzee.
“We wanted to get involved to do our bit to help, as we are all part of Aberdeen,” explained Jackson.
The men were put in touch with Cornelia Cronje, who has worked with some of the local primary school children on painting and litter projects in the town.
At the end of last month, Jackson and his friends recruited 24 children from Lotusville. They met up with Cronje and fellow antiwaste warrior Ian Reed on a Saturday morning and spent several hours cleaning the streets in the centre of town.
The children were thrilled to each receive a hand-crocheted beanie, donated by a group of Reed’s friends in Durban.
One Sunday, Jackson took most of the children to work on one of the traffic islands, clearing up litter and repainting the kerbstones.
Each child proudly wore a reflective safety vest, provided by the men. Cronje brought along white paint and brushes, and after sweeping away the dust, the children set to work. Meanwhile, Darries took a small group of younger children to the centre of town, where they collected several bags of litter.
As well as the obvious benefits of the litter being cleared, Jackson explained that they also wanted to give the children something positive to do.
Donations towards the renewal project can be made to Wilhelm van der Vyver Trust, ABSA, account number 4073811959, using reference AH 0039.