Many hands make light work, says Durban North organisation
An organisation in Durban North has made protecting the community and assisting those in need its top priorities, and the name says it all.
THE Greater Together Foundation (GTF) was formed after the July unrest, with the aim of being more proactive, should a similar situation arise.
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“The lack of general community safety, incredibly high rates of crime, and the socio-economic issues that underpin lawlessness are a collective concern for all community members, from the wealthy to the poorest and most vulnerable. Our mandate is to develop a replicable model for safer and healthier communities – one that can be shared – to drive positive change within our immediate communities,” said Bruce Taylor, chief operations officer for GTF.
Another part of GTF is humanitarian aid, where the foundation supplies food and other items to those in need, following a natural disaster.
They were instrumental in providing the area of Ntumzuma in Inanda with aid following the April flood as well as many other areas closer to home.
“When we were in the area, we noticed that there are other needs, other than the need for food and daily supplies. Facilities, such as proper refuse disposal, are lacking. Children are also in need of educational facilities as they all gather in a room when their parents are gone to work, but without any stimulation. We are looking at obtaining educational material for the children and training someone to be more interactive with them,” said Taylor.
“Our focus is to provide a problem-solving approach for safety and security of all public and private schools and to assess the need for early childhood development, aftercare and youth centres,” he said.
GTF has also been involved with feeding schemes with local organisations and churches, and will continue to do so.
“The community can also assist by donating items or cash to GTF,” said Taylor.
Some of the areas we went out to looked like a war zone and we would like to continue to assist wherever there is a need.
SPAR has come on board as a sponsor, and we also have various drop off points, being:
• Eastman spar
• Fabrica Sunningdale
• Umhlanga Hindu Society, Somerset Park
• Umhlanga Tourism Office
• UUST Offices, Herrwood Park
• GTF Offices at 20 Mackeurtan Avenue, Durban North
