Just one day after the Now Empowering Achievable Dreams (NEAD) dancers had cleaned up a vacant plot of all sorts of rubbish, including dead dogs, two residents, in broad daylight, dumped their household garbage right where these young people had cleaned without complaint and with great pride.
The dancers had cleaned the plot in Benfica Street, Freedom Park, on Saturday December 10.
I am furious and deeply ashamed that some of my community members seem to think that it’s okay to destroy the efforts of young people who aim to make their area cleaner.
What does one say to a group of young people, who came together on a Saturday morning to clean up where they didn’t mess?
How does one restore the hope in them that Tafelsig will indeed become the community we dream of together, the community where one can walk around proudly. How do you encourage these young people to go out and do it again, bigger and better when they feel so dejected?
I know I should call Law Enforcement and let the guilty parties pay fines, but is that really the only answer there is to this?
This act of defiance causes so much anger and loss of self.
I understand that new ways of doing old things are difficult for certain people to embrace. I understand that certain types of people see me and my efforts as wanting to be “kwaai” but here’s the thing – I don’t care about what they think about me. I do care how they treat the efforts and dreams of the young people in my care.
This is not allowed and I will not stand by and watch a small, insignificant group of people who have lost all hope to destroy the dreams of a whole community of living in a better place, a place of excellence.
To the Freedom Park community, please note that I will not stop, I refuse to wallow in self pity and entitlement about poor Tafelsig because there is nothing poor about this community. In fact, I have the honour to know some of the richest people right here in this community.
We welcome suggestions on making a clean environment sustainable and not a once in a while, do good affair.