Residents take action to clean up areas
WHILE residents’ patience grows thin, illegal dumpsites grow bigger, prompting them to literally take matters into their own hands and pick up rubbish scattered around their respective areas.
One such initiative is the Uitenhage Mula Swop Shop which was launched at the Dale Street Congregational Church on Thursday.
The initiative, aimed at children in Gerald Smit, encourages them to collect recyclable products in the area and bring them to the church.
The items are weighed and the children receive “mula” accordingly, which they then can exchange for a variety of food, educational, toy or clothing items. They also receive a hot meal for each visit.
The shop’s coordinator, Quinette Goosen, said the initiative taught children to take responsibility for themselves and the environment and rewarded them for doing so.
“The shop is open every Thursday at the church and we are hoping to extend the project to other needy areas.
“We teach the children about pride. They no longer have to beg for money, they can earn their own and at the same time clean up their environment. All of the things on offer were sponsored and we are trying to get more sponsors, to grow the project.”
In 2012, Helenvale residents developed their own project, Helenvale Empowerment Pty Ltd (Hemco), in association with the Northern Areas People’s Development Initiative.
Hemco chairwoman Rebecca Windvogel said the company’s purpose was to rid Helenvale of illegal dumpsites.
In February, the group filled 400 black plastic bags with plastic bottles and another 600 bags with waste they collected from six sites.
Windvogel said: “We want to change the environment. The people in the northern areas are used to no one caring, that is why they do not care about the place. We want people to know waste has value, and we can recycle and renew it.”