AN initiative to help uplift the Durban North police station has taken on a new dimension as stakeholders now hope to help install a jungle gym to help the children of police officers living at the station’s barracks on Norrie Avenue.

Last week the cleaning and greening project saw Enviro Fixers Durban North and several stakeholders tackle the flower beds at the station. 

That phase of the project was spearheaded by Ward 35 councillor, Nicole Bollman and backed by the Durban North/uMhlanga CPF and other sponsors.

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Now local resident and North Durban Victim Support Team member, Sadiyya Haffajee and Bollman are appealing to residents to help donate a jungle gym for the children living at the barracks.

“What spurred this part of the initiative on was Tracy Hartley (from Feral Cat Rescue) and I were feeding the feral cats at the station and I noticed some children playing in the parking lot of the station. I then discovered a lovely green space behind the barracks which was unkept and had the potential to house a jungle gym or a play facility. It isn’t safe where the children currently play and the green space is currently filled with items that have been dumped there. I approached the station spokesperson, Captain Raymond Deokaran, to see if we could perhaps put out an appeal to clean the space and look at making it child friendly with the addition of a possible jungle gym and he was only too happy to give his blessing,” Haffajee explained.

“This also brought Enviro Fixers Durban North into the fray who have been greening the previously barren flower beds. We are also working with them and perhaps looking at getting the community involved to do a clean-up of the green space so that we could potentially secure a safe child friendly space for the police personnel living at the station’s barracks.”

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Her comments were echoed by Bollman, who said this project was to uplift the area in and around the station before tackling some of the issues inside the station.

“Before we started planting the flower beds weren’t looked after and as such looked rather unsightly. For so many people who’ve had a traumatic experience because of crime to come through and see that sight doesn’t help. So we hoped to boost the morale of the officers. With this second phase of the initiative we now hope to potentially add a jungle gym to the existing space behind the barracks but we need the community’s involvement. Should someone be kind enough to donate one or offer a jungle gym to us at an affordable price we would look at that too. As Sadiyya has said, it’s not safe for the officers’ children to be playing in an unkempt space,” Bollman explained.

If you would like to be part of the project or help donate a jungle gym contact Haffejee on 083 555 2017 or the ward councillor on 082 460 6206.

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