R900-m project to benefit Ekurhuleni community
A ‘mini community city’ in Boksburg, estimated to cost R900 million, will be benefiting the entire community of Ekurhuleni, no matter what their financial status may be.
The Christian Crisis and Culture Centre will exist through Tigadonné, which is a registered NPO.
The centre will be located in Boksburg.
“Our proposal is to build a community centre to enrich the communities throughout the metro,” managing director and chairperson of Tigadonné, Heather Jacoby, said.
The development of the centre is scheduled to commence in 2017.
The founding committee’s mission is through the centre to reach out to the community of Ekurhuleni through skills training, trauma counselling, creativity, culture and entrepreneurship.
“It is our goal to help members of the community who are currently unemployed, to learn a skill in order to start their own businesses so that they will be able to support their families,” Jacoby said.
Their vision is to also enrich the community in body, mind and soul – “bringing souls to our Lord through the guidance of the Holy Spirit”.
She said this vision will be fulfilled by giving teenagers, who are currently on the streets with nothing to do, a safe place to enjoy themselves and also to learn skills while at the same time building up a good parent-child relationship and educating the youth regarding the dangers of drugs, alcohol abuse and other harmful substances.
“At the end of the day, we are looking at assisting members of the community to become responsible and creative and part of society again.”
According to Jacoby, they currently have more than 32 000 sponsors and individuals involved in the project, of which 198 are large companies.
“We have been actively involved with quotations and the gathering of information for the project,” Jacoby said.
“We have done a lot of research to see where the greatest need arises in Ekurhuleni.
“Research has shown that Ekurhuleni has a population of 3.2 million people; 71 per cent of these people live under the poverty level and 65 per cent are under the age of 32 years.
“This is a major concern. There is a high unemployment rate and the crime rate is growing rapidly,” she explained.
“The project will therefore benefit the youth, elderly, unskilled and unemployed.”
The following major facilities contribute to the uniqueness of the centre: crisis facilities -Trauma Centre and a Day Clinic; culture facilities – School of Music and Art and a School of Talent; sports and fun activities; a pre-school and aftercare centre; a wedding venue; an adult and a teenage coffee shop; two very smart restaurants; an African village; 60 garden sections and skills facilities (general maintenance, carpentry and mechanical).
Also envisioned is smaller workshop for pottery, leather work and glass-making ,along with a digital village and two conference centres.
“Everyone who will be making use of the centre will sign up as a member, except for day visitors.
“We are unique in the fact that both the poor and rich children will be wearing the same clothing at the centre and therefore no one will know who the disadvantaged children are,” Jacoby said.
The centre will load a certain amount of money onto each disadvantaged child’s membership card monthly, so that they can also pay for activities.
The other children of the community will also benefit from the centre because the facilities will be much more affordable for them.
“We want to thank the community and our sponsors for working hand in hand with this us on this project, even though we are experiencing a drought and going through an economic and political crisis.
“We are giving hope to the community for the new year.”
Please contact Heather on jacoby_heather@yahoo.com if you should require any further information.
