Scene 2: Tour of Maitland Garden Village

Backstory:

Through our meetings with last year’s MGV group and their written accounts of the village, we understand that MGV is a formal settlement that is home to a small, close-knit community. The four of us essentially had the same expectations of the village; it would have small shack-like houses in close proximity to each other and the people would be lively and friendly. 

Planning:

  • As a formal settlement, how does MGV differ from the informal settlements in the area?
  • MGV is much more developed than we anticipated. There aren’t as many backyard

    dwellers as we expected. In fact, many people own cars.

  • MGV is an extremely close and tight knit community. People all around the village were immersed in friendly conversation with one another.
  • The people in MGV are very welcoming. They will treat us like one of their own after being informed of our partnership with Ronell and Sheila and of our intentions with the Green Light Project.
  • Ronell and Sheila seem like key leaders of the community. They are very smart and well spoken and know almost everyone in MGV.
  • What specific characteristics of MGV contribute to its reputation of being so close-knit and supportive?

Key “Take Home” Observations:

  • MGV is much more developed than we anticipated. There aren’t as many backyard dwellers as we expected. In fact, many people own cars.
  • MGV is an extremely close and tight knit community. People all around the village were immersed in friendly conversation with one another.
  • The people in MGV are very welcoming. They will treat us like one of their own after being informed of our partnership with Ronell and Sheila and of our intentions with the Green Light Project.
  • Ronell and Sheila seem like key leaders of the community. They are very smart and well spoken and know almost everyone in MGV.

Action and Observations:

During our first two days on site, our team, along with the four members of the Pathway group, took a tour of Maitland Garden Village led by Ronell and Sheila. As we walked, we observed and took pictures of the scenery as well as made important connections with the two women.

While slowly walking up and down the roads of the village, we were all impressed with the beauty and maturity of the homes. Within the small perimeter of the settlement, all the houses are closely packed on both sides of the paved streets, tangibly resembling the close-knit nature of the community. They are all different sizes and are painted in a variety of bright colors not usually seen in the United States, including vivid purples, pale greens, and bold yellows. Frequently, a single house was painted in several different colors.

We expected the houses to be more like shacks, with a wood body and tin roof. However, the body of most houses looks just like that of the stucco homes commonly found in Florida, but the roofs were still made from grooved tin. Surprisingly, many of the houses and buildings were of good size and quality and there weren’t too many visible backyard dwellers. Many houses had either a flower or vegetable garden in a small front patio area enclosed by a fence made from wood or stone. It looked as if several residences owned cars, but hardly any cars passed on the streets, contributing to the peaceful environment of the village.

On the far side of MGV, the murky Black River runs between rows of tall grass and flowers. In the middle of the MGV, there is a large soccer field where several people were hanging out and playing soccer. Small groups of teenagers and young children were gathered in the streets, talking and laughing and sometimes smoking with one another. Several breeds of dogs were roaming around the village as well.

The architecture of MGV homes, as explained by Clive, is unique in that it is one of the best examples of post-World War I housing. Most houses still maintain the semi-detached style, which means that one house looks like it is split down the middle into two identical houses. This particular architecture is very rare to find nowadays in South Africa. Also in accordance with WWI, many street names in MGV are named after battleships that participated in the war.

Reflection and Learning:

Our overall first impression of the village was a very positive one. As expected, it seemed as if everyone knew each other in MGV. Usually in Afrikaans, Sheila and Ronell conversed with almost every single person who passed. All of the community members we ran into were friendly and seemed genuinely interested in our personal lives. Even though we had been in MGV for a short time, we felt very comfortable with Sheila and Ronell as our guides and with each new encounter we became more open and less reserved.

 

 

To go to the previous scene, click here!               To go on to the next scene, click here!

 

Act 1 Main Page

Cast of Characters

MGV Homepage