‘Miere’ do much more than only picking up trash
In the next six months, the HlokoMiere team of Hlokomela will be cleaning the environment in and around Hoedspruit in an effort to create a healthy living environment for all residents.
The HlokoMiere, recognised by their surgeon-like “scrubs”, form part of the Citizen Connect project, a partnership project between Hlokomela and the Greater Stellenbosch Trust. According to MJ du Preez of Hlokomela, the word “miere” was chosen because of the way ants are essential for maintaining an ecological balance and the health of ecosystems. “With a specific focus on the Hoedspruit and The Oaks areas, the project aims to clean up around schools, government clinics, and public spaces to assist communities with infection control.”
Whilst these volunteers might be spending their days picking up trash, they are not garbage collectors, he said. “They are community healthcare volunteers and undergo monthly training at Hlokomela on a whole range of health awareness subjects. They are also being trained to spread health information and awareness while fulfilling their daily duties,” he said. The programme is funded by the Presidential Social Employment Fund and is set to transform the local landscape of employment opportunities while fostering social justice and environmental benefits for marginalised communities.
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Du Preez added that while this is a short term project, it is also an opportunity for the individuals in the team to gain much-needed work experience in the health sector that could assist them in their future job searches. “The aim is to first help clean up the public spaces that communities most frequently interact with and to share critical health care information with those communities in an effort to prevent future health issues.
The HlokoMiere should be seen as community healthcare volunteers; that is why we decided to dress them in scrubs instead of for example overalls. We want to send out a message that they are here to assist with health-related work and not just waste and sanitation.” The Citizen Connect project is a project connecting South Africans to their potential through meaningful work that is environmentally restorative, socially just, and economically inclusive.
