Covid-19: Gauteng Together aims to address local community needs
The initiative aims to mobilise ordinary community members to initiate cans in their neighbourhoods, identify community needs and work towards addressing them through coordinated, localised action.
A recently-launched initiative calling for the establishment of Community Action Networks (Can) across Gauteng seeks to address the social impact of Covid-19.
Gauteng Together, as it is known, was started by the Angel Network, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and CONECKT and is supported by organisations, individuals and community volunteers.
The initiative was pioneered by Cape Town Together and is now being rolled out in Gauteng in response to growing concerns over food insecurity, hunger and other social challenges impacting negatively on the lives of people as a result of lockdown.
Diricilla Naidoo, who forms part of Gauteng Together, said, “The initiative not only taps into the goodwill of ordinary people during this period, but importantly, develops activism at a grassroots level for neighbourhoods to work together in addressing these challenges.”
Naidoo said that 20 cans were launched in Gauteng so far and she hopes more will join.
The initiative aims to mobilise ordinary community members to initiate cans in their neighbourhoods, identify community needs and work towards addressing them through coordinated, localised action. Local organisations already conducting relief work are welcome to register as a can.
Nhlanhla Lucky Nkosi from Gauteng Together said that the initiative does not aim to replace or replicate the work being done by already-existing organisations, but rather to map out what is already done and identify gaps.
Gauteng Together committee member Neeshan Balton explained that the initiative follows a statement from former President Kgalema Motlanthe calling on South Africans to mobilise to ensure food security.
“The CAN model gives practical impetus to that call,” said Balton. “It may not have capacity to meet everyone’s needs as it kicks off, but it will go a long way in ensuring sustained community efforts to mitigate the food crisis.”
Balton said that cans are funded by Gauteng Together, but rather through partnerships with businesses or better-resourced cans, philanthropists, existing NGOs and residents.
Naidoo emphasises that cans need not only seek to address food security but also other issues arising in local communities including access to water, gender-based violence and child abuse, to name a few.
Balton said, “At its core, the CAN initiative is about developing a heightened sense of social solidarity during a very difficult time, not only here in South Africa, but globally as well.”
Details: www.gautengtogether.org
