Suburbs, parks and roads are looking tidy thanks to community investment into the We Care 4 Nelspruit project that uplifts destitute people living on the streets.
Mbombela, South Africa (30 April 2023) – We Care 4 Nelspruit is a community project with the aim of keeping the City of Mbombela tidy while uplifting destitute citizens that have fallen on hard times. The project offers a dignified form of employment and a hearty meal for each day’s work.
We Care 4 Nelspruit was started before the pandemic but the entire project was placed on hold until it could go live again in early 2022, post-lockdown. It was founded in part by the Mpumalanga Leadership Foundation, the Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism and the Nelspruit City Improvement District.
The Nelspruit Community Forum had worked hard to feed vulnerable people living on the streets. However, the efforts were only giving people a meal, what they needed most was an opportunity to work their way beyond life on the streets. In an effort to restore the dignity of people being fed through the forum, they launched the We Care 4 Nelspruit project to give back to the people.
Inviting people who have no opportunity for employment, they are offered a stipend for a day’s work and a substantial meal to fill them before the day’s end. That way their dignity is restored and they get a hand up instead of a handout. The work being done is clearing verges, taking care of parks and public spaces that are not being upkept, and making them look presentable once again.
Community members and local businesses help fund the stipends and meals for the teams that keep Mbombela tidy. They also work in conjunction with the city so that there is no competition. While businesses help support the bones of the organisation, the team also runs on a volunteer basis and heads into the areas that need it most. These days are decided by where communities feel the need is highest.
Parks are being used by families again, long stretches of roads and overgrown corners are being cleared so visibility is improved and the town, with all its suburbs, looks polished. This project is just getting off the ground again but things are already looking up and investment in community care, is growing!
If you would like to learn more about the project, you can follow We Care 4 Nelspruit on Facebook here.
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