Project Clean-up
From twiki
Background
In an effort to address the historical backlog of basic services to the village (township), the Friends of Chintsa group have implemented a systematic clean up to rid the area of refuse. It is a mammoth, but attainable objective if we get enough friends involved and take on section by section over a period of a few months. Volunteer Africa 32' South & African Heartland Journeys, two local businesses in the area have committed staff, vehicles and equipment for this project.
The Strategy
Positive Action - Positive Alternative - Positive Change
- Clean-up an area - Positive Action
- Install 'Blue bin' sites - Positive Alternative
- Provide black refuse sack - Positive reinforcement of alternative
- Collect refuse using bakkie - Positive Change
- Encourage Municipal support/collections - Delivery of services
Diary of progress
March-August 2010
At a Friends of Chintsa meeting the future developments of this project were discussed. So far the strategy was making positive changes and reaching successful outcomes. The project leaders felt that sufficient change had taken place in the practices of residents in the village and the 'blue-bin' sites were regularly being used.
The project was falling short in two key area
- The lack of regularlty of the municipality to collect the rubbish from the blue bin sites.
- This issues affects not only the residents in close proximity to the blue bin site but the surrounding environment. Over the weeks when there is no collection the bins are overfilled and refuse is left at the base of the bins. Dogs, as well as other animals, pull apart the rubbish and it scatters. Glass bottle become smashed and pose serious dangers to children. The rotting waste poses a health risk and the stench of the refuse becomes awful.
- Section 17 remains unserviced
- Without the use of the AHJ 4x4, due to maintainance, it is not possible to collect refuse from dwellings in this area. Unfortunately the quantity of refuse is building up in the gulleys and outskirts posing environmental threats. Although residents of this area have refuse bags available to them the refuse is not being taken to the bin sites.
Instead of the weekly distribution of refuse sacks a new approach would be adopted. Black bags would be freely available from a number of outlets: Chintsa East Primary School, African Heartland Journeys offices and the municipal offices. The latter has been unavailable.
17 March 2010
100 bags from section 16
10 March 2010
Yeah! We have the municipality on board again and set about armed with the not most effective two-wheel-drive AHJ Mahindra and volunteer help. The Friends decended with 200 black bags onto section 17 in a wave from top to bottom then later repeated the process collecting the filled backs along the way. If anyone is willing to help out with their 4x4 we would greatly appreciate it. Thanks
3 March 2010
This project needs your help, the trust AHJ Landrover has broken and the residents of Section 17 are missing out, if you are able to help please contact the AHJ office. Again the Friends puchased bags, about 100, thanks to the volunteers for working so hard.
24 February 2010
The municipality are still reluctant to provide refuse sacks for the residents or this project so again the Friends purchased enough (about 100) to get the job done... come on Great Kei Muni.
17 February 2010
Another great effort from Friends. This is a great project which clearly shows the positivity which flourishes from collaborative working.
10 February 2010
This week the Friends bought 200 black bags from the local shop and a team of 20-30 Friends and residents handed out black bags in Section 16 hoping that the municipality will at least provide their marginally effective refuse vehicle service.
3 February 2010
The municipality which is supposed to provide services for the needs of Chintsa residents have apparently run out of black refuse sacks. In addition to running out of black bags the municipality's representive informed Friends that the people of the 'location' were not entitled to bags as they "do not pay rates". The representative did not seem to realise that although many people in the Chintsa area do pay rates the municipality still do not deliever full services. As has been discussed in a public meeting with the Cllr Marley it is unlikely that should all residents pay rates that services will be delievered anyway.
In spite of this Friends believe that the residents of the 'location' are entitled to services and have once again taken on the cost of purchasing refuse sacks to continue the good work which is now visually apparent. Again approx 200 refuse sacks were collected
27 January 2010
With refuse sacks purchased by the Friends of Chintsa an energetic team of friends including children from the community worked hard in Section 17. Approx 120 refuse sack were filled and hoping for collection.
20 January 2010
With all the optimism a new year brings, especially considering what 2010 promises for South Africa, Friends helping with Project Clean-up set off over 200 refuse sacks with the aim of getting them filled. An hour was spent distributing most of the available sacks to households and a small team help to clear litter which had strayed from the ‘blue-bin’ sites.
Unfortunately one Chintsa resident felt so aggrieved by the build up and spread of refuse at a bin site near the family home that they removed the bins. This is a direct consequence to the lack of municipal provision and a real knock for Project Clean-up; considering the time it has taken to build the capacity of the refuse infrastructure.
Despite this minor setback 2010 will be a great year for the Chintsa community and a cleaner healthier environment for all!
13 January 2010 - Complaint to Great Kei Municipality
The Friends have registered a complaint with the GKM for the lack of refuse collection service over the last couple of weeks. The complaint was also in support of the Ratepayers Association (CERPA) offical complaint for the same. Complaint details
Summary of November and December
Whilst working towards the end of the year the project reached its crescendo. Literally rubbish was being collected everywhere and not just by friends but members of the community were actively getting involved. Looking back this has been a really successful year:
- From little community involvement and little municipal involvement
- To proactive involvement by Friends through installation of Blue-bin sites
- Then the helping hands of the friends and many of community's children to pick up rubbish
- Also local businesses allowing the use of their backies and donating hundreds of black plastic bags
- And of course the huge increase in the number of households putting out their refuse on a weekly basis
Now with over 3000 black bags cleared away, that should be a cleaner start for 2010. Well done everyone!
October 2009 Update - 1 year down the road, & a lot less litter
When the Friends of Chintsa group formed in October 2008, one of the first issues to arise was the problem of waste in the village. Many ideas of how to deal with the problem were discussed before Project Clean-up was created. Project clean-up started officially in May 2009 and started as Friends of Chintsa members along with Volunteer Africa 32 Degrees South volunteers targeting specific areas in clearing historical waste. This process took many months and involved the installation of bins on sites where waste was cleared. Black bags were also given out to households in the first section of the village and residents were encouraged to join in with the hourly clean-up and to put their rubbish by the road side to be collected at the end of the clean-up and placed at the village gates for municipal collection the following day. This method continued for many months until the majority of historical waste was cleared and the residents had bought into the mind set of Wednesdays being clean-up day.
Project clean-up has been running successfully for over five months now and has progressed into the other sections of the village. However, instead of volunteers picking up waste, the main priority is now to hand out black bags to encourage residents to clear their own waste and get into the routine of putting out their waste each week. This has already been adopted by the first section of the village and it is amazing to see residents putting their bags out by the blue bins every Wednesday afternoon and the children coming to help distribute over two hundred bags each week. Friends of Chintsa hope that soon the whole village will adopt this initiative and Chintsa will be a litter free area.
27 July Update
Just over a month and three more cleanups have taken place, one was concelled due to the heavy winds and rain. Wednesday had an awesome turn out with about close to 100 people collecting over a 120 bags of rubbish. Some of the areas currently being tackled are pretty hectic dumps in the informal settlement, known as 17. A very special thanks to Jo, Mikee, Denver, Milton and the ever enthusistic supporter Nokuphumla Phakamile who all managed to rally their charges and take on the "mini-dumps".
A complaint was laid with the Great Kei Muncipality for the mess they left when removing the rubbish from the village entrance. Friends of Chintsa have requested improvemed service delivery in this regard into the future. Further thanks to those who returned to sort out the mess left by the muncipality.
17 June Update
If our success can be judged by the amount of black bags filled and removed, then we must have reached our peak. We have bought Fred's shop right out of black bags (apologies to all other residents in need on a Wednesday afternoon). The black bag usage of the project has escalated to unsustainable levels; including local residents and litter pickers approximately 100 bags are now being filled plus any available heavy duty grain bags. We are approaching the stage were a mere Landrover collecting the filled bags is insufficient.
In the same manner as the previous two weeks, bags were distributed to the residents of the section 16 for collection within the hour. Our teams of litter picker (aka dump site clearance) moved further into the area known as section 17 clearing numerous mini dump sites.
More blue bins are being installed along the main routes and some existing sites have been upgraded to accommodate even more rubbish! Fantastic!
10 June Update
Another great effort by all friends! Again a massive amount of litter and rubbish was removed.
3 June Update
The Friends task team continued the clean-up initiative on two fronts. As usual Friends and supporting community members cleared areas of the community, this time focusing their efforts on the road sides past the school.
However, to encourage and motivate more local residents to get involved a free black bag was given to each residence in the upper area of section 16. Residents were encouraged to fill the black bag with any rubbish on or around their area. Then to deposit the bag by the side of the road for collection 30mins later. Well, 30mins later there were black bags lining the side of the road!
Success! This alleviates the workload of the Friends so that a more concentrated effort can be given to the 'not yet cleaned up' areas, whilst the 'cleaned-up' areas are maintained by the residents. It was also great to see so many of the big blue bins full and ready for the Thursday collection.
26 May Update
The heavy rain on Wednesday 20 May, much needed, led to us canceling the afternoon cleanup session. We'll carry on as planned this Wednesday with the removal of the mini dumps. The ISV - SANCO - VA32 - FoC project on the rehabilitation of the township entrance, however, did do their own cleanups of the area where they are working .......... see "Township to Village" project on this wiki.
15 May Update
The Wednesday afternoon clean up sessions have now been running for the past two weeks. With a group of about 10 keen Friends starting near the entrance cleaning, the total number of litter cleaners by the end of the hour was closer to 100. Approximately 120 bags of litter have been collected and removed from the village by the municipality.
Special thanks to Mjo, Phumla, Mikee Ford, Jo and the Volunteer Africa crew who arrived both weeks.
Wednesday 20 May will see some bakkies and heavy duty bags going in to remove the mini-dumps that have culminated over the many years of no refuse removal to the community. Hope to see you there!
UPDATE 25/03/09
The strategy has been developed and accepted by the residents. Wednesday afternoons will involve clear up operations on identified sites in section 16, with bags being collected by the Thursday municipal service.
Links
Link to Flickr slideshow of Project Clean-up in action
