This article first appeared in the 27 June 2022 edition of the Cape Argus newspaper.
Cape Town - Tackling the water pollution crisis – particularly in urban areas – through raising awareness has motivated the Save Our Schools (SOS) non-profit organisation to recently host a community clean-up in Bloekombos, Kraaifontein.
SOS marketing and fundraising executive Amy Burrow said this was one of the numerous activities they hosted to highlight the challenges within the water, sanitation and hygiene space.
The event at Lofdal Park School in Bloekombos saw the SOS team, government officials, the community and brands, including Recycle 1ST, Essence and Mountain Falls, clean up an area that spanned roughly 1 000m2 and filled over 50 refuse bags with litter.
“As a non-profit focusing on the water, sanitation and hygiene (Wash) space, we understand the negative implications that poor waste disposal has on fresh water sources and community well-being.
“The clean-up marks one of the many community activations that SOS host in the Bloekombos community, an area we remain focused on and have worked within for over four years,” Burrow said.
Burrow said they focused on the Kraaifontein district because it severely lacked sanitary resources, infrastructures and government assistance, and appeared to be one of only a few NGOs supporting this district.
“The area we had identified in Bloekombos was in dire need of cleaning. SOS pinpointed the area as a hot spot due to dumping, and decided to take action to clean it,” Burrow said.
City representatives urban waste management mayoral committee member Grant Twigg and water and sanitation member Zahid Badroodien also participated in the clean-up,
Twigg said the City was faced with the huge challenge of illegal dumping and littering in communities – over R350 million was spent annually clearing up illegal dumping.
“Every year, the cleansing team clears approximately 2 900 large dumping hot spots across the city. I want to make a special plea to our residents to avoid dumping illegally and to please report those who participate in this act. We all have a role to play in keeping our areas clean,” Twigg said.
The activation focused on clearing the neighbourhood outskirts littered with rubbish located near Lofdal Park School, which gets blown or washed into nearby rivers and canals.
Mountain Falls Zero Pet head Jane Spickernell encouraged the public to make smart choices as consumers, because every purchase and its packaging had an environmental impact.