Learners from Curro Aurora recently gave Aries Park a clean-up and makeover.

The community-focused project saw learners work together to remove litter and improve the appearance of the park, which local residents and families use. The initiative was led by Raedon Govender, Austin Schwann, Callum Labuschagne, AJ Peacock, Ethan Mason, Mallika Bhana and Thomas De Coenha. As part of the clean-up, the learners painted benches, giving the seating a fresh appearance. They also planted trees to create a greener environment for the community.

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Govender explained that, as Grade 11 learners at the school, they wanted to make a positive difference in their local community. “We noticed that the park had litter scattered across the grass and very few rubbish bins available. We saw it as an opportunity to improve the environment, encourage community pride, and show that young people can make a meaningful contribution to the community our school is part of. At school, we talk about blue pride, which is about living our values through leadership, responsibility, service, kindness and making a positive impact. This project gave us a chance to put those values into action and give back to the community that supports our school.”

He said they formed a student leadership team and allocated specific responsibilities, including project co-ordination, community engagement, logistics, volunteer management, and communications. They worked with the Sundowner Residents Association (SRA) and Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, obtained permissions, recruited volunteers, sourced donations, organised equipment, and planned the activities ahead of the event. A total of 31 student volunteers participated in the clean-up and park revitalisation project.

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Through donations and volunteer support, they added new rubbish bins to the park, painted the timber edging around the park perimeter, refurbished and repainted existing benches, installed a picnic bench set, and planted six indigenous trees. These improvements helped make the park cleaner, greener and more welcoming for residents.

“We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to the SRA, councillor Devon Steenkamp, who partnered with us from the very beginning and helped us engage with the community and key stakeholders,” said Govender. “We are also grateful to our teachers for their support and encouragement, and to the SRA and City Parks for their support and commitment to improving the park. Their partnership played an important role in the success and sustainability of the initiative.”

For the learners, the project was about more than simply cleaning up a public space; it was an opportunity to work as a team, take responsibility for their surroundings and make a positive contribution to the community.

After seeing the transformation, Mallika said they felt proud of what they had achieved. “The way we worked in groups, we got to learn how to garden and plant the new trees. We also helped the others plant their trees, so we got to bond with others. We got to help our community and realised that we can come back to the park and see the growth of the tree.”

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