By the time the #CleanupGtown week started on Monday, the list had grown to 45 people and organisations volunteering to 'adopt a spot' in Grahamstown – or at least undertake to help keep it clean.
By the time the #CleanupGtown week started on Monday, the list had grown to 45 people and organisations volunteering to 'adopt a spot' in Grahamstown – or at least undertake to help keep it clean.
Grahamstown has been a flurry of buckets, brooms, spades and front-end loaders this week – with more to come today and tomorrow.
Entities, families and individuals taking responsibility for their surrounds include Makana Brick, Beer Properties, Davies Optometrists and The Eye Store, Rat & Parrot, the Graham Hotel complex, the Grahamstown Hospitality Guild, Grahamstown Parents Network, Grahamstown Residents Association, property agents Harcourts, Pam Golding, IPC and Gaybba Properties, Doves on Huntley body corporate, Fingo Festival, the schools Nombulelo, Ntsika, Kingswood, VGHS, DSG and St Andrew's, Fingo Festival, the National Arts Festival, Project Orange, Rhodes Community Engagement, Geography Department and Infrastructure and Operations, Robyn Gerber, Rotarty Sunset, Round Table, the Southwood-OKeeffe-Makasi family, the Colonel Graham, Raphael Centre, Kenrich Delta, McCullum Brokers, The Tax House, Kowie Catchment Campaign, Makana Tourism, Assumption Development Centre, the Institute for Water Research, Grocott's Mail (admin), Andrew Slaughter and friends, Davies Plumbing, Harry Owen and Chrissie Boughey, Pronto Driving School and Sunnyside United Neighbours.
Makana Municipality are providing staff through the CWP and EPWP, as well as technical and other backup. They are also taking on the cleaning up of municipal buildings.
Pennypinchers is providing transport for collected rubbish to the dump. Buco is offering a 10% discount on materials bought explicityly for #CleanupGtown.
Tomorrow Andrew Slaughter is leading a group cleaning up in the Station area, 8am-10am.
Sixty children and the environmental awareness teacher from Fikizolo Primary School will be joining Grocott's Mail as we clean up near the school as part of the #CleanupGtown campaign today, midday to 3pm. The venue is the corner of Powell and Ngcanga streets in Newtown, on the edge of the old Newtown Cemetery. The area is known by locals as 'Kenya'.
When Grocott's Mail columnist Olive Ngesi first directed us to her house, she said, "Go past Fikizolo, first left, then right at the rubbish". Grocott's and the Ngesis thought that should change. Olive and her daughter Winnie will take part in the clean-up.
Near the site there is a World War II grave of Private N Gqibani, service number N/36514, who died on 6 January 1945.
If you're still keen to get involved, there are lots of problem areas identified for cleaning up – but that have no takers yet. Some are bigger problems that need technical solutions – such as sewage leaks near Kuuyasa School and the N Street soup kitchen.
Cloncore Street near the recycling depot is daily strewn with insulation removed from fridges and padding removed from car seats. The dump in Jadi Street, Thatha, is still an eyesore as are several other dumping sites across the town – some illegal, some overflowing from the rubbish skips meant to contain the mess.
Creative City, who kickstarted the project, have announced a meeting at 4pm on Tuesday 16 February to debrief and plan ahead.
If you'd like to get involved, email travel@nationalartsfestival.co.za or editor@grocotts.co.za – we'll add your pledge to the growing list, or help put you in touch with someone to work with.
THE (OTHER) FUN PART
The Creative City is hosting CINEMA UNDER THE STARS on 12 and 13 February, 7.30pm and 9pm at Fiddlers Green. Four movies over two nights – Friday: Night at the Museum 3 (Secret of the Tomb) and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Saturday: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Life of Pi. It's R30 entry per night for adults. Pensioners and students R20, Children 12 and under R15. Tickets at the gate. Block bookings R20 per person. Call 046 603 1103 for more info.
