Act 3: Making Decisions

Cast of Characters

Working Team Members: Alfred, Amanda, Kholeka, Khungeka, Phumelisa, Siyanda, Trevor, Victoria, Zameka, Zodwa

CORC Representatives: Mwau Baraka, Olwethu Jack, Aditya “Adi” Kumar

Municipality Representatives: David “Dawie” Carolissen, Harold Lamberts, Johru “Joey” Robyn, Hendri Steenberg

WPI Project Team: Brittany, Caryn, Juan, Megan, Michaella, Ralle, Sarah, Tim

WPI Advisor Team: Robert Hersh, Scott Jiusto

For more information on these people, please view our Cast of Characters page.

Background

This act starts on Monday 12 November 2012. After three weeks of planning, the WPI team was eager to move forward. A major concern was determining who would fund the MPC. The Monday of week four, the WPI team met with David to find out for sure if the municipality would be able to provide funds. After receiving many mixed messages from multiple sources, David clarified for the team that his department would not be able to fund the MPC. Yet the partnership meeting on Tuesday discussed the possibly of CORC providing the funding if the community could also get involved. This act describes these funding issues, as well as the other projects the WPI team has taken on while waiting for funding details to be ironed out. In this act, the WPI team also moves forward with its planning of the WaSH facility.

Act Highlights

  • A meeting with David changed many of our views on the MPC and its importance. WPI team feels disheartened by the working team’s lack of effort for the project and by learning of the other communities in Stellenbosch suffering even more.
  • The WPI team really wants to help the community and implement something. The greywater project is something easy to fix with minimal money and can help the working group developing reporting skills.
  • Community contribution to the MPC remains a major issues that needs to be resolved
  • WaSH facility moves forwards

Scenes

12 November-13 November: Urgency with the MPC Project

 

Working Group Expresses Community Urgency

After a long struggle, the working group and community leaders were able to hold a community meeting to discuss the current plans for the MPC. From what the working group had to say today about the meeting, it did not go as well as hoped, as the community demanded they see progress on the ground for the MPC soon. The community threatened the working team, instilling a sense of urgency in the project. To read the full scene click here.

 

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Impromptu Meeting with Dawie

After learning about the threats to the working team at the community meeting the WPI team we found it imperative that we meet with David as soon as possible to discuss the matter at hand. We visited the Municipality Monday afternoon and waited until David was around to gain his perspective on the possibility of building the MPC within the given timeframe. In this meeting, the WPI team learned that the Municipality would not be able to fund the MPC within this fiscal year. To read the full scene click here.

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Meeting with Scott

After a disheartening day in Langrug and meeting with David, we met with our advisor Scott to debrief. We discussed how we felt about the current status of our project and how we wanted to move forward. At the next day’s partnership meeting we hoped to gain perspective from the partnership on how WPI should spend our next three weeks in Langrug. To read the full scene click here.

 

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Partnership Meeting 13 November

After learning that funding for the MPC from the Municipality would not be possible, the agenda for the partnership meeting to be held the following Tuesday drastically changed. It was critical that David be there to explain to the working team members the situation and realities of the MPC. The WPI team also was eager to determine their role in the project and how to move forward. This meeting included all of the major players in the Langrug partnership and gave way to some important decisions. To read the full scene, click here.

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Alfred’s Presence in Langrug

In the weeks that we’ve been in Langrug, it has become apparent that Alfred and Trevor are often not present in Langrug during the day unless they are needed for an important meeting. We’ve been getting a little frustrated with them since they are the leaders of the community, and we need their help and support with our projects. Trevor and Alfred were in Langrug on this particular morning for a meeting with the ward councilor. In this scene Alfred realises he has been missing a lot lately. To read the full scene, click here.

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15 November-16 November: The Greywater Project

Realising the Greywater Cleaning Problems

David has mentioned many times during the 13 November partnership meeting that the working team is not fulfilling their duties of cleaning the greywater channel. He suggested that if the working team did not start cleaning the channels more, he would suspend the Langrug program. Because the MPC project seems to be at all a standstill the communication team decided to tackle this project and inadvertently discussed the matter with the working team after the partnership meeting. This led way to a heated discussion between the working team members about why they have not been cleaning the greywater channels. To read the full scene, click here.

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Working Group’s Apparent Lack of Trust in the Municipality: Putting Together a Report

After a heated discussion regarding greywater channel cleaning, we collectively decided to compile a report for the municipality of these issues. We decided to work on providing the working group with protective clothing so they can safely do the job they’re being paid for and simultaneously teach them how to create reports on the computer for future use. This would allow us to be productive in hopefully fixing a really important issue while waiting for the MPC plans to be pushed forward by the other partners. This scene describes those efforts. To read the full scene, click here.

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Monday 19 November: Tensions Regarding Community Contributions and the MPC

Community Contribution Dispute

It was previously agreed upon during 13 November’s partnership meeting that CORC and WPI would split the cost of the MPC. CORC would use money from its CUFF (Community Upgrading Finance Facility) to contribute its portion. However, the use of the CUFF Fund is directly dependent on community contribution. This means that the community is the deciding factor when it comes to MPC implementation: without their 10% contribution, CORC will not contribute its portion, and without CORC’s contribution, WPI will also not financially support the project. This scene describes a heated discussion between the WPI teams and Langrug working team members over the issue. To read the full scene, click here.

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Deciding to Implement the WaSH facility

During the tense discussion that morning, it was decided that the conversation should be put on hold until Scott and possibly Adi came to Langrug to make sure that the information was correct. The heated discussion from part I was continued, still, important headway was made in deciding to implement the WaSH facility. To read the full scene, click here.