Own Haven staff doing their bit to clean up Southernwood

Own Haven Housing Association staff have rolled up their sleeves to help improve Southernwood’s image.

With their managers, they have started a weekly campaign cleaning up St George’s Road and the park behind Southernwood Square, in St Peter’s Road.

MD Andrew Wiseman said: “As part of our commitment to creating communities, we looked to expand our effect beyond the front gates of the complexes we manage and are involved with.

We started interacting with the neighbouring properties to form partnerships to start making a visible difference to the streetscape

“We started interacting with the neighbouring properties to form partnerships to start making a visible difference to the streetscape.”

He said they had begun with cleaning the streets and then extended their campaign to include Southernwood Park, encouraging residents and children to use the facility.

“The street cleanup is trying to make a sustained difference and ultimately change habits of others to keep the area clean.

“Our neighbour, Wicus Terblanche, partnered in the street programme as well as our weekly soup kitchen, where we feed about 200 hungry mouths and provide basic healthcare items.

“Subsequent to that, we purchased the small Eriko Court building of eight units across the road, and finally secured a section of the Southernwood Park from Buffalo City Municipality as part of their support for the social housing programme,” Wiseman said.

“The park site, with an adjoining house that we purchased, was unveiled as Southernwood Square on Valentine’s Day 2012 by the former minister of human settlements — the first subsidised social housing high-rise development in the country, providing 249 units.”

He said their mandate was to provide sought-after, well-managed homes — not houses.

There is a mix of people who attend — grannies, the unemployed, children whose parents are working and they’re left alone and looking for a meal

They looked to go beyond the bricks and mortar to provide a conducive environment where parents could have peace of mind regarding their children’s safety after school.

The site was well-managed with the grounds and gardens maintained.

“I am pleased to report that our regular cleaning programme is gaining the support of BCM as far as possible with its trucks removing collected waste in the donated refuse bags we fill and leave on the pavement.

“The biggest challenge is the lack of bins or a skip that can be collected weekly.”

He said Own Haven was targeting St George’s Road, where it had a degree of influence but aimed to extend its reach as more landlords and neighbours hopefully came on board.

On Wednesdays, they run a soup kitchen at the entrance to Southernwood Square where they feed about 200 people.

“There is a mix of people who attend — grannies, the unemployed, children whose parents are working and they’re left alone and looking for a meal.

“We serve sandwiches and make three pots of samp and beans or soup.

“The initiative has gained outside interest, where other companies have joined us and they cook, prepare, and serve once a month.”

Wiseman said Berkley Foods had been generous with donations but for the most part, the kitchen was funded and run by Own Haven.

“We would like to grow this initiative but require assistance with contributions or donations for this initiative.”

Own Haven has also partnered with Nal’ibali and offers reading groups on a Thursday afternoon to children living in the complex.

“This is an attempt to assist with developing reading skills and in turn, assist with the children’s homework.

“The number of children attending these groups ranges from 15 to 40, depending on what extra-murals the children have at school.”

A vegetable garden has also been created at the back of Eriko Court in St George’s Road.

Spinach, beetroot and onions are planted from seed, grown and harvested, and then sold at a reasonable price to the tenants and residents living in the area.

“Unfortunately, it is difficult to keep up with the demand.

“The sale of the harvest allows for the purchase of additional seeds and employs a worker for one day a week to tend to the garden,” said Wiseman.

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