Trash to treasure: Waste becomes currency to trade

Empowering the leaders of tomorrow was the official theme at the launch of Ithuteng Community After-care Centre and Recycle Project on the grounds of Refilwe Community Project in Lanseria.

The name Ithuteng was chosen by community leader Ephraime Rapuleng and in Sepedi it means ‘come, now is the time to learn’. For more than 70 children of Joe Slovo informal settlement in Lanseria, this after care-centre is a place for them to learn about the environment, themselves and their futures.

The centre was born after the Joe Slovo Community Council communicated their need for structured and educational support to the children in the community during the afternoons.

“I am very excited about the opening of the centre, we are trying to assist children to stay in school and one of the most important exercises is aftercare,” says councillor Emily Mathe, MMC for Health and Social Development from the office of the Mayor.

Councillor Mathe and John Robertson, executive director of Discovery Holdings Limited, cut the red ribbon to the new centre.

“It is an absolutely incredible achievement – I actually did not think it would be possible,” admits Robertson.

“For us to be sustainable as a business, we need to engage with communities around us and bring whatever expertise we have to that community,” says Ruth Lewin, head of corporate sustainability at Discovery.

This is exactly what Discovery did as they, together with some of their suppliers, helped to refurbish the old storeroom on the Refilwe property and provide the classroom facilities for the after-care centre.

It can accommodate pupils from Grade 1 to Grade 12. Once they’ve finished their homework, the pupils are led in an educational, physical or Bible study activity by Refilwe’s volunteers.

“We want to breathe education into them, helping them with homework and providing additional resources to improve their schoolwork. We build them up spiritually as well,” explains Ryan Moore, a volunteer from the US who has been at Refilwe for over two years.

“Hopefully we have empowered them on every level by the time they go home,” says Lelanè Brits, COO at Refilwe.

The new after-care centre also teaches children about responsibility and the environment as they must collect and bring recyclable material each Monday to be part of the programme. In addition, the children receive ‘Mulas’ (the new currency at Refilwe) for their recyclable materials and they can then exchange them for stationery, personal care items and basic food stuffs.

“This is still an abstract concept to them – they think they can negotiate,” laughs Brits.