Helping develop the community, strength by strength
NORWOOD – Lisa Lowenthal believes guiding people to find their true potential will lead to healthier communities.
Lisa Lowenthal continues to do great for the community. The Norwood resident has shown what it means to be selfless for years as she strives to develop the community, strength by strength.
Born and bred in Johannesburg, Lowenthal began her community development journey in the late 90s through the Feed SA initiative which she founded and stepped down in. Feed SA is an NGO that sets up feeding schemes and community development projects in vulnerable communities around South Africa. Its beneficiaries include creches, after-school programmes, early childhood development centres, homes for the mentally and physically challenged, hospice, as well as support for bedridden and elderly citizens.
She has had her hands full in multiple community enrichment projects, initiatives and charities such as the Dischem Foundation Food Garden at the start alongside Penny Steyn, the Inner City Community Action Network (CAN), the Twilight Innovation Hub, Skeem Saam Urban Miners and the Norwood Community Policing Forum (CPF).
“My speciality is working with community and developing projects bottom up. I left once the programme had the community members as well as the experts in place,” she said.
She describes her strength as developing projects that are later taken on by professionals or by people that can grow what she starts.
Lowenthal told the Rosebank Killarney Gazette that seeing and guiding people that previously felt alone and unsupported develop into strong community members keeps her motivated to do more.
“Becoming part of their journey rather than creating their journey. To see people develop their discipline, punctualities and strong values of our community. To witness people, reach their true potential. Finding opportunities that they weren’t born into.”.
For Lowenthal, community development is a wonderful way to discover her inner joy. She believes that by guiding people to find their true potential we will have a healthy society and hopes that more women young and old, will take the initiative toward making a change in their communities, big or small.
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