Originally published on 01 December 2022

A determined community in Gauteng decided to fix their town themselves.

What was the problem?

The corner of Pretoria Road and Fifth Avenue in Benoni was overgrown and messy. The community decided to take action to sort out the problem themselves so that their families had spaces to enjoy themselves.

How did they solve it?

Jonathan Etherington lives in the area and was unhappy with the corner's state. He started Clean Projects in December 2022. He believed that "small actions can create big changes" and got more than 50 volunteers to help make a difference.

So how did they do it?

• The team started by cutting the grass and making a bed of succulent plants, which saved water.
• They found other areas that needed help and, with support from sponsors, partners, and volunteers, worked on more than 10 kilometres of road and nearby parks.
• They planted, painted, cleaned, and weeded to make the area look better.

The community quickly saw big improvements and got strong local support. Clean Projects hired a full-time worker to keep up their progress.

Alison Etherington, Jonathan’s wife and project leader, talked about the importance of community involvement: “We wanted to inspire others to act and make change. It’s the little things that counted, and together we could make a big difference. We hoped the project would encourage communities and businesses to adopt these areas to ensure they remained in good condition and build on what we started. We wanted the community to take ownership of the city, truly making our home a place to be proud of.”

Join the movement

Interested in helping to make a cleaner and more beautiful community? Join the Clean Projects initiative by visiting their Facebook page here or start your own community project. Together, we can help South Africa reach its full potential!

Acknowledgements

Original article written by: Jani de Beer

Photograph supplied by: Clean Projects Initiative

Source

Get your community involved

Is there a community-driven group or caring business in your area? A dedicated group of committed people can effectively solve local problems.

Think about starting or joining community groups like a street WhatsApp group, residents' association, or community policing forum (CPF) to get help and to stay informed and involved in local issues.

• How to set up a community group
• How to start a WhatsApp group
• How to start a residents' association
• How to set up a community policing forum
• How to set up a neighbourhood watch
• How to organise community action
• How to use media to create pressure for change

Know your rights – how local government works

It’s important to understand how your local government works so that you can work with them to support what they are doing while your community continues to keep them accountable and deliver services on time. Remember you have a constitutional right to many of the services provided by local government, as well as to accountability and transparency, wherever you live and regardless of how much you earn. It is also where money collected from taxes and rates goes.