BigThink

Posted by Claire Bristow and Sarah Whitney, Fellows

We began our Fellowship by conducting community interviews throughout June and July 2009 with our youth partner, Forget Sithole. By reacquainting ourselves with the community and collecting information regarding the need for a safe and open space in Uta, we were able to base the development of the community centre entirely around local interests.

Conducting personal interviews with about 200 community members, we collected information for the
development of the project and identified interested community members to begin the formation of a project committee. It was vital to develop a committee that represented the whole community: men and women, youth and elders, empowered and marginalized. Approved at a community meeting on 23 July by the Community Development Forum (local political body) and the Induna (traditional headman), the Uta Community Centre Project Steering Committee (PSC) was finalized as a group of thirteen members dedicated to the development of the project.

The PSC voted on positions within the group and began to develop their vision of the community hall based on the data gathered in the interviews. Committee members visited community centres around the Manyeleti region to gain insight into the successes and challenges of similar initiatives. The PSC prepared a report for the Induna and the CDF detailing their plans for approval. The CDF and the Induna have agreed upon the location, size, and purpose of the building. The rights to the land are being secured through the Amashangana Tribal Authority.

For construction, the Project Steering Committee has chosen to work with a contractor from the area based on his experience in the community. The PSC is organising the purchase of materials available locally and the contractor has hired labour in coordination with local leaders. Seven of eight builders hired for construction are members of the Uta community, generating local income and a better sense of pride and ownership.

The planning and development of the community centre has been defined by the Project Steering Committee’s dedication to the needs and desires of the community. We have completed capacity-inventory and asset-mapping activities with the committee members based on the Asset-Based Community Development model. We want to ensure that the work we do is facilitating sustainable change in the community, rather than simply placing a band-aid on poverty.

The Uta Community Centre is not solely a physical resource, but a starting point for the growth and development of community programs in health, education, entrepreneurship, and empowerment. The Project Steering Committee has taken this vision and expanded upon it. As a group, they have based the plans for the community centre on the desire for space for community meetings, business and computer training, health and fitness education, gardening and feeding-schemes for poverty reduction, and drama and cultural performances. Committee members have begun to shape these ideas into plans for community groups and initiative to be incorporated into the centre once construction is completed. Some of their stories are described below.

Construction of the community centre began on 2 December. Currently, the foundation has been dug and cement is being poured. After the holidays, the brickwork will begin and the centre should be completed within four months. The centre will feature a large hall for community meetings, with a stage for group performances. Incorporated into the centre will be four smaller rooms: a business development facility, a space for health and fitness initiatives, a storeroom, and a kitchen. The stand on which the centre is being built encompasses space for a large community garden and the land will be enclosed with fencing. There are toilet facilities in place and the Project Steering Committee is researching options for a water source. All of these features will ensure that the centre is a safe and open space for the entire community. Each aspect of the centre will be utilised by different groups within the community, led by members of the Project Steering Committee and other local leaders.