Keeping Homestead clean
Ever wondered who is in charge of keeping the facility around Homestead Dam immaculate?
With the dam and surroundings occupying a large area, you might assume it is a group of people when, actually, it is only three men.
The service was started by two women, Bridgette Bailey and Lesley Mac Smith, but Archie Hurst decided to take over the initiative of maintaining the area around the dam along with two men, John Makola and Sam Choma.
According to Hurst, this was due to the men seeing a lack of maintenance around the dam and surrounding areas.
The Homestead Helpers work three to four times a week and have become part of the sub-committee of the Farrarmere precinct.
With help from sponsors and residents who contribute money towards supplies to keep the toilets clean, these men have maintained the outbuildings and surrounding areas.
The Community Monitoring Service (CMS) assists the Homestead Helpers by collecting rubbish and taking it away.
According to Hurst, contractors are appointed to maintain the toilets, but disappear after a couple of months.
The Helpers then step in and continue their job.
“When a contractor comes they tell us to stop working,” said Choma.
“We’ve been here for a long time; they shouldn’t bring contractors here and should hire us instead, because we are the ones who are always cleaning here,” added Makola.
The Helpers have not only kept the dam clean, they have also planted trees around it, to replace the trees that have died because of old age.
Currently there is no contractor taking care of the area surrounding the dam.
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