Land and bricks….
Hello from South Africa! Things with the Uta Community Center are picking up speed. The Community Development Forum and the Induna (local representative of the chief) have held a meeting on Monday to approve the location that our committee had recommended for the center. On Saturday, 5 September, the CDF and the Induna will introduce the official site to the community. Next, our committee will work with the CDF to apply for land rights from the Tribal Authority. This has been a learning process for us in terms of South African and community politics and legal matters.
Our committee has been working hard to compare local builders in order to decide what is the best route to take for the construction of the center. Right now, the group is in the process of comparing estimates from two local builders and gathering information about the cost versus quality of a variety of building materials. The next step will be to organize a plan for local labor.
While attending a local government meeting we were told that November’s community meeting is planned to be held inside of the community hall, so this is further inspiration for us to keep moving and further proof that the community is eagerly awaiting completion of this project. We are looking forward to beginning construction by the end of the month and continue working on programs that will be held inside of the community center.
Shangaan phrase of the day: U nga vileli, u tsaka – Don’t worry, be happy.
