A group of resourceful and enterprising individuals from the Cape Town Central City are rolling up their sleeves to help underprivileged communities adversely affected by the nationwide lockdown.
It’s one of the shining beacons of hope to have emerged since Lockdown was enforced on South Africans. Aptly named, Cape Town Together, the initiative by ordinary people to help those less fortunate in this urgent time of need, has been nothing less than impressive. Cape Town Together’s secret to its success lies in the fact that it operates via community pods called Community Action Networks (CANs) that operate in pairs. In the city centre, the Cape Town CBD Community Action Network (CAN) twins with Khayelitsha CAN, with neighbourhood-level community action providing resources to relieve the devastation brought on by Covid-19.
CBD resident Joel Bronkowski, who is an active CBD CAN member, says the initiative is a good way of getting “normal people” to act and take ownership within their communities. “It’s also a great means of getting people to bring together NGOs and the private sector.”
Another committed CBD CAN member is Jackie May. As a CBD resident, Jackie feels it is impossible to ignore marginalised people. “They live here, too, and have become extremely vulnerable during the pandemic.” She adds: “Lockdown has really drawn attention to people who don’t have homes. It has been a wake-up call, and for the CBD CAN, a focus.”
CBD resident and CBD CAN member, Joel Bronkowski
SHELTERING THE HOMELESS
The group’s attention in assisting the homeless has proved fruitful as they recently secured shelter in a backpacker’s lodge in town for 20 men rendered homeless by Covid-19. The 20 individuals, informal traders from the city centre and Camp’s Bay, had been staying in lodges and backpacker dorms before Lockdown.
Miki Redelinghuys, a CBD CAN mover and shaker, facilitated their shelter, with supporters from City Bowl CANs joining forces with the Holy Trinity Church and The Haven Night Shelter to secure accommodation for the group who were out in the cold in Van Riebeeck Park under Table Mountain. Of these collaborations, Miki notes: “We’re excited about the inner-city relationships and solidarity that has been built to create this solution and we hope that the model created here may be replicated to provide more accommodation opportunities.”
Miki Redelinghuys, a CBD CAN mover and shaker
GREAT INITIATIVES
In addition to shelter space, the CBD CAN is assisting communities with food and has raised about R100 000 for food parcels and soup kitchens for families in Khayelitsha. The group has also assisted with masks, blankets and hand sanitisers.
“Initially, we collected almost 1 000 masks including about 300 from Ballo, the sustainable clothing and accessories brand,” says Jackie. “Since we’ve formalised the mask drive, we’ve raised about R30 000 - mostly through quizzes organised by Joel Bronkowski and hosted by quiz master Jon Keevy. I’m also currently having masks made by tailors and designers in town, which Thane Bernardo from the Gardens CAN takes to our sister CAN in Khayelitsha. We’ve also had support from The Clothing Bank, House of Lucent, Hannah Lavery and Enkosi Bags.”
Jackie admits that while the biggest needs are masks, food and shelter space, Covid-19 has also brought into sharp focus “all the systemic and long-term issues that need to be solved like inequality, racism and poverty”. “Our work is a tiny drop in the ocean. But I always like to quote the Dalai Lama who said, “if you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito””.
Jackie May has been involved with CBD CAN right from the start
CONSOLIDATED CONNECTIONS
The CBD CAN’s ability to swiftly respond to community needs has been remarkable, especially as the group carries its work online using WhatsApp and many of the members are strangers.
Jackie says their secret is learning, sharing, supporting, and finding the right partnerships.
“From our sister CAN in Khayelitsha, we learn resilience and hard work. There are lots of moving parts, but it’s amazing how the shifting puzzle is connected through our internal communications aide, Zoe Valour, and collaborations with other City Bowl CANs.
“In some ways, it feels like a delicate, but very strong, spider’s web of connections. Miraculously there seems to be someone who is able to respond to requests as they pop up in the WhatsApp group. There are always offers of lifting, donations, fabric and food.”
Joel shares Jackie’s sentiments and says technology is helping to tear down “some of these invisible walls that separate us, through a frenzy of WhatsApps, voice notes, video clips and images”.
MAKING GREAT STRIDES
The CBD CAN has made great strides in a short space of time. The question now is whether the group can maintain its momentum as people return to work with the easing of lockdown regulations. Both Joel and Jackie say it will be “quite tricky”.
“Things with my work are really ramping up, so it’s a tricky balance. I don’t know what the future holds for me or my involvement in the Cape Town Together movement, but I know a lot of good has come out of it,” says Joel.
Jackie, on the other hand, says relationships formed at the start of lockdown will be key. “These consolidated connections are useful and effective, and we continue to form new collaborations. We have also had to respect each other’s boundaries and changing capacities. We move at the speed of trust and learn to practice self-care. So, how we move forward is largely shaped by what we have already created and continue to create.”
IMAGES: CCID, Joel Bronkowski, Zach Mashele, CBD CAN