Have you ever come up with a great idea for a community project, only to see it fail because of crime in the area?
A plan and practical measures are vital to ensure that safety forms part of any plan to bring positive change to your community. In Umlazi, Durban, the team behind the For Us By Us Community Market held a community picnic at Umlazi’s D-section park in June 2022 to celebrate the launch of a Community Safety Patrol team for the area.
The Market is the driving force behind the safety initiative and the team used the opportunity to explain how the project would work, the role of this team and where they would be stationed in the mornings and evenings.
The purpose was to bring the community together in a fun way to launch the project and introduce Safety Patrol Volunteers. A special prayer was held to remember those who have passed away due to crime and area – and also, the young who passed away as a result of their participation in the liberation struggle in South Africa. The local Community Safety Forum and ward committee members were amongst the key stakeholders. Also on the programme was a hamper handover to a group of elderly people who are active in their community – thank you!
Thank you to the Nedbank Proud of my Town programme for sponsoring the stage and tent hire for the day. Community Safety is one of ten programmes that forms part of the Proud of my Town initiative, for which Ranyaka is the national implementation agent.
Umlazi is one of 21 communities in 9 towns in 8 provinces across South Africa that is part of Nedbank’s Proud of my Town initiative. Ranyaka is the national implementation agent for PoMT.