Our Vredehoek cleaning team is doing better than ever!
Help us keep them going.
You may have seen the Streetscapes workers cleaning your street at last! We now have a monthly roster to make sure that all the streets and parks in the DPV area get attention from the cleaning team. Under Hilma Amutenya’s supervision, the team is working through our area week by week, starting from the top of Devil’s Peak at the Eco Park and surrounding streets, and working down the mountain. They’re in the second month of the roster, and streets which didn’t receive enough attention in the past are being spruced up. The team likes knowing in advance where they will be working each week, weather permitting.
And, now that we have launched our own Facebook page and Instagram profile, you’ll also be able to see when the cleaning team will be coming to your area.
We’ve just gone live with our first posts, so follow us to stay informed about the roster and for other news!
Let’s support Streetscapes stipends
Please fill in this short survey about the cleaning team. We need the information to support Streetscapes as they apply for new funding. The funding from the Public Employment Programme (PEP), a national government initiative that has run for three years, will end on 30 June this year. Streetscapes has been working hard to find other sources of funding to prevent retrenchments in the team. Please take a minute or two to fill in the short survey so we can show prospective funders that the Streetscapes’ team is making a difference.
Stipends are currently R145 a day. If we can raise some money, we can help Streetscapes save some of the jobs which might otherwise be lost at the end of June. Two possibilities are:
- Gardening or cleaning jobs: would you like to book one of the Streetscapes workers to work for you once a week? Let us know what you need, and we can put you in touch with the right person at Streetscapes.
- Have you established a garden on your street corner, or would you like to do this? Many of the Streetscapes’ beneficiaries have experience of working in their veggie gardens and can help you and your neighbours establish and maintain street gardens.
If you have ideas about ways to sponsor stipends for Streetscapes beneficiaries, or can offer jobs to those workers who are ready to move on from their programme, please contact us!
Streetscapes Outreach Team in our area
Streetscapes has set up an Outreach team, by training up workers who have themselves all lived on the street. The team works across the city bowl, and on Fridays they are in Devil’s Peak and Vredehoek. They have already started to engage with individuals in our area after being alerted by residents.
Rudie Basson heads this initiative with Thomas Williams supervising the group on the ground.
A few weeks ago, Rudie, Thomas and Thabo Koti joined patrollers from DPVwatch and TBK Watch for a night-time walk down Upper Buitenkant Street to the Mill Street bridge. They engaged with several homeless people on the way, and shared information about Streetscapes services with both the Watch members and the homeless. They also arranged to follow up with a number of the people they spoke to. We hope to organise more night walkabouts in future.
If you are concerned about a person sleeping rough in your street, drop us a line at info@dpvoutreach.org.za with a description of the person, and where and when he or she is usually seen and we will let Rudie and Thomas know.
Needle alert
Have you spotted discarded needles in one of our parks or in a gutter? The Streetscapes Outreach team is equipped to pick up needles safely and to have them disposed of correctly. Please let us know if there is a specific spot needing to be cleared, and we will liaise with the team. Email the location to info@dpvoutreach.org.za.
We are still working closely with Chantel Sampson. She supports the members of the cleaning team as they work through the rehabilitation and counselling programmes, and liaises closely with the Streetscapes Outreach team.
She expects to continue with her auxiliary social worker course studies (which we fund) from July.
Drop and go compost
Did you know that you can take your veggie scraps to be composted at the Rugley Road garden?
If you have spare buckets such as the HTH pool buckets with a lid, please consider donating them to Streetscapes. That way, residents in a rush can drop their bucket of compost, pick up an empty container and be on their way in a minute!
DPV Outreach needs a treasurer!
We are looking for someone who is good with figures and money to be our treasurer.
If you would like to join our team, please be in touch.
Thank you for your donations
Thank you to all our supporters for your regular donations. Every contribution helps us make a difference. To make a donation, please visit our Donate page.