The Power of 8000 in White River receives much-needed set of new wheels

The Power of 8000 (TPO8000), a registered non-profit organisation, received a bakkie from Westvaal Numbi Ford to boost its community work.

According to TPO8000’s director, Lisa Gordon-Davis, the bakkie is to replace the previous vehicle. It has been named ‘Sebenza’ (meaning ‘work’) by White River’s communities, after the organisation had held a competition for a name.

“TPO8000 cannot conduct our unpaid work of maintaining White River without a strong vehicle. It is primarily used to transport our team and equipment, to clear rubbish bags from town on Tuesdays and Fridays and for ongoing clean-ups all around White River,” Gordon-Davis said.

ALSO READ: The Power of 8000 removes illegal ads in White River CBD

The organisation’s vehicle is a daily sight at the town’s transfer station where it drops up to six loads of rubbish bags and vegetation waste per day. Gordon-Davis said they truly appreciate the donation as it will help the organisation in their day-to-day activities. The primary aim of the TPO8000 is to keep White River clean at all times without any government funding.

“The Power of 8000 community action group truly makes a massive contribution to keep this town in great condition. The group consists of businesses and residents who all decided to make a difference, not just to complain about how bad things are, but to do something about it instead.”

Westvaal Numbi Ford’s dealer principal, Stephan Venter, said White River is one of the most beautiful small towns in South Africa; the streets are clean, the parks and pavements are beautiful, the air still fresh and the skies truly blue, which in today’s South Africa sounds impossible.

ALSO READ: Botanical Society members explore the Lowveld Botanical Garden

“As a business we saw this group growing from strength to strength. Month after month they kept on growing. People spend many hours ensuring a cleaner and more beautified White River. This group managed to bridge the service gap, and in White River, the greater goal of a cleaner, safer and more beautiful town benefits the diverse communities it serves. While serving the community, we see young and old, business and council working together. Race, political agendas and other differences are put aside – it is now a community serving a community,” he said.

The decision to support the group was an easy one, Venter said, as Westvaal Numbi Ford gladly contributes towards the community.

“It takes a village to raise a child. It, however, takes a community to raise a village. The support of the White River community enables us as a dealership to do our part in raising the village of White River. The Power of 8000 community action group is worthy of our support and we gladly help them to support this village.”