Poverty Relief and Empowerment for Change Organisation (PRECO) are working to get kids off the streets and out of gangs by getting them involved in the community.
Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and Apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings. – Nelson Mandela
If you’re fortunate enough to be amongst the privileged, you may come from a school of thought that money can alleviate poverty. This cannot be more far off from the truth. You see, money can only do so much – the way that money is being spent ultimately depends on the progress within a struggling community. While money can alleviate poverty; it will cease to have effect if it fails to reinforce positive change in the behaviour of the poor.
“The purpose is to serve the community – especially the vulnerable being children who dropped out of school early and took to the streets for a destructive lifestyle. Children are encouraged to complete their schooling. We do this by supporting them during this process.
When it comes to our women, we note that domestic violence is a rife issue in South Africa. And so, we educate women about their general rights – we teach them how to file for protection orders and maintenance applications,” says Fahgmeeda Ameerodien – Singh, Founder and Director of Poverty Relief and Empowerment for Change Organisation (PRECO), located in Belhar in Cape Town.
Poverty stricken situations are common on the Cape Flats resulting in each corner to be characterized by gang turf. It is almost standard for children to join gangs from an early age just to experience a sense of self-worth and acceptance – very few can resist the temptation, leading them down a dark path of drug abuse, violence and teenage pregnancies.
To get the children more involved, PRECO works in close collaboration with local Schools within Belhar, explains Fahgmeeda. Projects such as the Junior Police Commissioner Debate Competition – a project recognised by the Department of Community and Safety, aims to establish a safe community cultivated by the youth itself. In turn, they (youth) are rewarded for their efforts and positive behaviour.
“The winners of the competition receive shields, certificates and medals to keep their spirit alive.”
“I noticed that children needed more ways to occupy themselves positively especially during the holidays. In doing so, we decided to start fun, holiday programs for children with entertainment and their favourite snacks,” reiterated Faghmeeda.
During the Apartheid Era, people were forcibly removed from District Six to live on the Cape Flats. The Belhar area however, was classified as one of these segregated areas. Surely, such phenomena came with severe repercussions – poor infrastructure, lack of resources and recreational facilities for children is the ultimate result. Unfortunately, the community continues to fall short.
“I headed the mobilisation for the Department of Education in 1990 for schools and creches to be erected in the area – sadly this did not transpire.”
For Faghmeeda, the struggle did not end here: “We are now cooking 100 litres of pots of food which gets distributed on a weekly basis to the poor and the needy. We also run programs aimed to nurture and encourage youth for the better.
We have faced many challenges over the years but we refuse to give up on our community. I believe that you cannot always change the world, but you can change the world in one person.”
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