Clinic combats health concerns with clean-up
When piles of litter attracted rodents to Glenwood streets, a local clinic started to worry about health issues.
A GLENWOOD non-profit organisation (NPO) hosted a clean-up operation around Davenport Park and surrounds on Thursday, October 28.
The NPO, known as Asakhe Intsha yo Mzansi (Let’s build up young people in South Africa), is a branch of the Asakhe private clinic that opened on 37 Helen Joseph Road in February.
Clinic founder, Sister Nomonde Magantolo said they organised the clean-up after litter in the area raised health concerns.
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“When we saw the dirt and rodents around here affecting the health of the people living in the area as well as the businesses operating here, we got worried. We decided to do something. We partnered with the eThekwini Municipality and looked for other NPOs that were working in the area. We were blessed that the UIP agreed to offer us some help. We are also working alongside the homeless people who live on the street. They helped us pick up the dirt as well,” said Magantolo.
For Magantolo, Thursday’s clean-up was the start of an ongoing project.
“We have a sustainable plan to clean this area. We aren’t planning to clean once and then disappear,” she said.
Magantolo urged the broader community to play their part to keep the area clean.
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“We identified that it is not only the people living on the street who are making this place dirty. There are also people dumping here. We are appealing to our community to ensure the bins they take form their offices or homes are put out on the collection days for the municipality because the dirt is causing a lot of problems – rodents and flies are attracted to the area,” she said.
Sakhile Mngadi, who is the newly appointed ward councillor for Ward 33, said the clinic contacted him for assistance.
“They needed to partner up with the municipality, stakeholders and existing organisations in the community so they could benefit from their knowledge and resources. I was able to partner the clinic up with a few organisations,” he said.
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