Sunday 9 December 2018

A sense of community in South African Townships.

We left South Africa 4 years ago this month to move to Dubai, originally from the UK. We embraced life in South Africa to the full. Peter working, child 4 and 5 in education and myself getting involved in full time volunteering supporting vulnerable children living in poverty.

We had 4 wonderful years here and desperately miss our friends here and I visit as often as I can (twice a year) to continue with the hands on volunteering work, delivering Christmas gifts in townships in Pretoria. 

Last weekend I was in Soshanguve delivering gifts to 250 children, some of their housing conditions are heartbreaking as you'll see if you click this link.

This shack in the Alaskan Informal Settlement in a township called Mamelodi. This is home to a mother and father and 2 children. It is one room, where they eat, sleep and wash. There is no running water, there is no electricity, no toilet, no windows and the floor is mud.

So why is this shack painted like this?

4 years ago child 5 and I were working with an arts project to give the community a sense of belonging, to encourage members of the community to have pride in their homes, to join in, create some art, help and support their neighbours and create a sense of belonging and pride in their homes.

Child 5 and I camped in the community for the weekend, ate dinner, sang songs and was thoroughly looked after and entertained during our stay.


Can you imagine the whole landscape with shacks decorated? It would look stunning.

22 comments:

  1. What an amazing shack and story behind the explosion of colour. Sou wonderful to be able to give something back to an obviously needy community. very inspiring #mysundayphoto

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    1. I met some amazing people over the 4 years I lived there and was involved in so many different projects like this

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  2. It looks fabulous, but I can't get my head round living in such a small space. It's amazing that you keep going back to South Africa to support the charity.

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    1. thank you, once you've been to Africa, it owns a little bit of you

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  3. I love the way the house is decorated. It would make for an amazing landscape and it's amazing work you are doing out there.

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  4. How inspiring, I admire you for your charity work. The shack looks amazing and it would certainly be a different view if they were all decorated this way. x
    #mysundayphoto

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    1. Thank you Anne, it's impossible to stay away

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  5. Hi Suzanne, I bet yoy see some really heartbreaking situations doing your charity work. An entire community living in coloured shacks would certainly brighten up anyones day. The world could do with more colour.

    #MySundayPhoto

    xx

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    1. It would look totally amazing having the countryside coloured in

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  6. I am so impressed by your work and giving. Colorful homes is a visual sign of hope. I love the idea.

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  7. Such a bright and colourful shack, the landscape would look amazing.

    Thank you for linking up to #MySundayPhoto

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  8. That shack is fabulous! It looks so cheery and happy. It is sure to brighten up their day coming home to that.
    Well done with the charity work x

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    1. it certainly makes people value their homes much more

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  9. Your story is worthy of a book. I hope you'll write one one day. Till then I can only appreciate the significance of this brightly coloured shack. #MySundayPhoto

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    1. I keep saying one day to the book, who knows?

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  10. Yes, I can imagine it. It's a wonderful thing you did and are doing.

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