THE move down to lockdown level one has felt like a new chapter for the men and women on the Street Lit programme.
The Denis Hurley Street Lit programme supports a team of men and women book vendors who all at one time or another have lived rough on the streets and are all currently formerly unemployed. Selling second-hand donated books at venues in and around Durban enables them to earn a living.
Speaking about the project co-ordinator, Illa Thompson, said some vendors who were in the project before lockdown have moved on to other opportunities, and some new vendors have joined the team, so there are now 11 formal vendors and four auxiliary vendors.
“After six months of severely reduced sales opportunities and financial instability, there is a sense of renewed optimism and energy as some of the familiar venues and events are opening up again. We are cautiously optimistic now about the possibility of extended trading opportunities, churches are beginning to open up, markets, concerts and events are beginning to be scheduled,” she said.
In readiness for new opportunities, the team, supported by volunteers, is currently doing a huge spring-clean and tidy-up at the book storage facility at St Johns in Durban. This will make room for all the new books which have been donated recently and which the vendors are looking forward to selling.
ALSO READ: Denis Hurley Street Lit vendors show their gratitude for ongoing support
The challenge is for every donated book to find a worthwhile home, and negotiations are underway with a cooking school, music school, children’s home, interest groups, underprivileged school libraries and sports clubs to accept long-stored specialist books from the project in exchange for a donation.
“We are grateful for all the generous book donations, now we need to focus on securing more opportunities to sell them. Let us know if you want to invite a vendor to your church, school or place of work,” she said.
The team is rolling out new marketing ideas to support the vendors so book-buyers know about regular and irregular venues, new books and new vendors. New banners are being created and the existing social media and publicity campaign is being re-imagined and extended.
Illa has been working closely over lockdown with business coach and mentor Devi Munien, appointed to the project by GIBS/ SAB Foundation, to help formulate and structure the ideas and plans. It is a year since the project won the major award from SAB to develop the Street Lit project and the team is grateful to them for an additional grant they have given to help with the impact of Covid-19.
Follow, share and like StreetLit Durban on Facebook to help grow the project and to find out more about our promotions, venues, vendors and new books.
Contact Illa to provide spaces for vendors to sell books: pubmatgal@gmail.com.
Do you want to receive news alerts via Telegram? Send us a message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535.
You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts
Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple
