Lulama Benge Dingiswayo has been working to make townships like Gugulethu and Khayelitsha greener by planting gardens over dumping hotspots.
Cape Town, South Africa (14 September 2020) – Inspired by the beauty of gardens Lulama Benge Dingiswayo is working to green the townships of the Western Capes, turning dumping sites into little copies of Kirstenbosch gardens.
Lulama has been working his way through, Langa, Gugulethu and Khayelitsha; combatting illegal dumping hotspots by clearing the spaces and planting trees and other hardy plants to help green the spaces.
It is easy to ask why people could let the area get into such a state but sadly many of these areas are victim to illegal dumping and once it happens it is hard to stop people from doing it. The area can quickly become overwhelmed with litter and more than what an average person can take on alone.
Yes, municipalities are responsible for cleaning these areas but many will ignore the plight of townships which can be incredibly frustrating. Service delivery is often very poor in these areas.
It takes a special kind of person to take on these projects and steer a community into a better space. As soon as these areas are cleaned up, the entire mood of the community changes. Many will join in when the initial cleanup is done which is great as that creates a sense of responsibility for the space and ensures the community work on keeping it clean.
It started because Luluma and his community got tired of the smell of rotting waste outside their homes. They were also seeing a massive increase in rat populations. Using old tyres, they created a colourful border and turned the dumping spot into a beautiful space where they could go relax.
Since then, the movement has spread, and many communities are working to green their spaces. You can find out how to get involved with the Malibeinye project here.
“Anyone who would like to donate trees, flowers, tyres, compost, paint or paint brushes for our future projects can contact Lulama Benge on 060 688 8384 or email at lulama234@gmail.com
Hope to reach as many parts of our communities and want to educate the residences on keeping our communities clean.
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We urge everyone to take responsibility of their area and to avoid dumping litter in our public spaces.”
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