Park transformation sets the tone for future projects
Congella Park has undergone a complete transformation over the past two years and former vagrants have been given jobs to restore their dignity.
TWO years after a regeneration project was established at Congella Park, the park has undergone a complete transformation and is now the subject of a research endeavour by the University of Cape Town.
The move to reclaim the then derelict and decaying park was started by Atlas Scrap which undertook multiple clean-up campaigns. Seeing the potential of the property, the project was adopted by Umbilo Business Forum (UBF) in collaboration with Jennifer Rampersad and Garth Kloppenborg of the eThekwini Parks Department and funding was secured to initiate projects at the park.
One of the first projects incorporated the 12 former vagrants who were living in the park at the time, into a job creation initiative which started with the establishment of permaculture gardens that aimed to help generate income for the men and provide produce for surrounding local restaurants and food outlets. Ian Campbell-Gillies of the UBF said the next project about to be launched is a new recycling centre.
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Visiting the park this week it is hard to believe the transormation. The river and ponds which were full of sludge and rubbish are now flowing and teeming with fish. Bird life has returned and the overall look of the park has been changed. Atlas Scrap funded paving for the entrance and the recycling centre site. Wendy houses and the office building, donated by Premier Waste, will be erected this week which will see the recycle centre up and running.
According to Campbell-Gillies, the clean-up of the park has been so successful that two events were recently held on the grounds.
“The project has taken the park from a mess, where the vagrants urinated and washed in the ponds, built fires to burn copper cables and gave the neighbours cause for concern, to a place where the former vagrants have been given jobs and opportunities to restore their dignity and included in the formal economy. The place has been restored ecologically, but the prime project has been job creation in a small, controlled manner to be used as a template,” he said.
Municipal staff keep the ponds at the park free from litter, although there isn’t much in the park anymore and the former vagrants who work at the park have been given a place to live adjacent to the recycling centre.
The permaculture garden at the park has been extended and a successful spinach garden has been established on the opposite end of the park near the recycling centre. The gardens generate funds through sales to local restaurants and the staff have learnt to grow produce for their own consumption. The new recycling centre will be a formal business operated and ultimately owned by two local leaders, Lindiwe Cele and Steve Thusi from Dalton Hostel.
“The staff have all been identified and registered for credit cards and any income generated through the recycling centre will be paid to them by EFT,” explained Campbell-Gillies.
He said the park had become an example of what can be done through citizen activity. Comparing Congella Park project to the recycling site in the Durban CBD, Campbell Gilles said the park project was a rich resource for research, not only locally but it had also drawn the attention of Matthew Skade from the University of Cape Town, who had completed a survey on the park with a view to template the work that had been achieved thus far.
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Speaking on the success of the project, Rampersad said she presented on the case study at the Institution of Environment and Recreation Management Convention which ran from 17 to 19 September.
“Delegates were taken on a tour to Congella Park and were so interested in the project. This case study is a packaged deal which can be used in any park in Durban. It is workable, it addresses homelessness and is an overall win-win situation. The food gardens have been extended and are producing well, the men are still living and working in the park and once the recycling centre and toilet facilities are open, we will be opening the park to the public,” she said.
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