Scene 9: Meeting at MGV Community Centre
Backstory:
For this particular day we had scheduled a meeting with only Jennifer Stacey, who works in the City of Cape Town Department of Social Development. Before this scheduled meeting time, the Pathway group was holding a meeting in the Community Centre with several community members. We got to the Centre early, so we ended up having an improvised meeting with Jennifer Stacey plus the present members of the community who were interested in the idea of a Help Centre.
This small community meeting took place at the MGV Community Centre around a large table. The four community members included Germalowdean, a Rastafarian who is involved in both the Green Light Project sports committee and MGV soccer club. There were also three middle-aged women who are a part of the Resident Association. Also in attendance was Jennifer Stacey, an assistant professional officer of the City of Cape Town Department of Social Development.
Cast of characters: Germalowdean, three other community members, Jennifer Stacey, Ronell
Planning:
- What are some of the things the community members would like to see in a Help Centre?
- Who do we need to speak with on the City Council about obtaining a building for the Help Centre?
- These particular community members want the main purpose of the Help Centre to be to get kids off the streets. The Green Light Project should get more youth involved in the programs, and the Help Centre should be a place where children can go to have fun and learn new skills instead of getting into trouble.
- More community members need to be involved in the Green Light Project and in the effort to establish a Help Centre for it to be successful. Ronell and Sheila alone cannot maintain a community development program for it to make a big difference in MGV. Several other community members, along with other relevant stakeholders such as the city council and other community organizations, need to get involved for it to grow. The community members and Jennifer seemed very interested in staying on board, so they could potentially be important leaders in the Help Centre effort.
- The Help Centre could end up being more inclusive than expected. It could potentially be a place for all community members and organizations to hold events and programs, not just the Green Light Project. An executive board will be needed to oversee the Centre and to plan fundraising events.
- We will need to make a business plan/proposal. In order to eventually establish a venue for the Help Centre, we will need to hold several meetings with community members and other stakeholders to gather information to include in our business plan so that we can submit it to the city for approval.
Key “take home” observations:
- These particular community members want the main purpose of the Help Centre to be to get kids off the streets. The Green Light Project should get more youth involved in the programs, and the Help Centre should be a place where children can go to have fun and learn new skills instead of getting into trouble.
- More community members need to be involved in the Green Light Project and in the effort to establish a Help Centre for it to be successful. Ronell and Sheila alone cannot maintain a community development program for it to make a big difference in MGV. Several other community members, along with other relevant stakeholders such as the city council and other community organizations, need to get involved for it to grow. The community members and Jennifer seemed very interested in staying on board, so they could potentially be important leaders in the Help Centre effort.
- The Help Centre could end up being more inclusive than expected. It could potentially be a place for all community members and organizations to hold events and programs, not just the Green Light Project. An executive board will be needed to oversee the Centre and to plan fundraising events.
- We will need to make a business plan/proposal. In order to eventually establish a venue for the Help Centre, we will need to hold several meetings with community members and other stakeholders to gather information to include in our business plan so that we can submit it to the city for approval.
Action and Observation:
The meeting was very fast paced and full of jumbled conversation, so below we organized all the information by the relevant questions (not necessarily explicitly asked) that were answered during the meeting.
Q: Why is the existing MGV Community Centre not a viable venue for the Help Centre?
A: The Community Centre is owned and run by the city, so community members need to pay a fee (approximately R160 per hour) to use the centre. Since the Community Centre is open for all community members, it is hard to book the space, which is a big problem because for all the committees of the Green Light Project to be accommodated, they need a venue seven days a week. Moreover, the current Community Centre serves more as a place to hold meetings and events, so a separate Help Centre is needed to provide services to address more personal problems. Also, whenever anyone holds an event at the Community Centre, they need to bring their own equipment. The Help Centre would have storage space for equipment so people wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of transporting it.
Q: What current problems do you see in MGV?
A: Many parents do not take care of their children properly which contributes to the large amount of school dropouts. Children and teenagers roam the streets idly and are seen smoking and engaging in other destructive behavior. In addition to idle youth, some problems that community members have include drug problems, unemployment, and health related concerns. Currently, there is no place to go in MGV to find help with these types of personal problems.
Q: How do you think having a Help Centre will help solve these problems?
A: Having a Help Centre will provide children with a place to participate in many engaging and educational activities so they will develop a more positive outlook on their future and will be less apt to roam the streets and get into trouble. It will give community members of all ages a place to go to find help with any sort of problem they may have so they can live more comfortably and happily.
Q: What community programs do you currently have in MGV?
A: Other than the Green Light Project, the only other active organizations in MGV are the soccer club, and the Roaring Sixties, a group of senior citizens who fundraise and go on fun excursions together. In the past, MGV had a centre where community members could come together and participate in a variety of clubs, workshops, and training classes. This organization is responsible for a lot of the talent among MGV community members today.
Q: What specific programs or services would you like to be provided by a Help Centre?
A: The Help Centre should serve as a twenty-four hour service for community members to go to get help with personal problems. Training or information sessions should be organized in order to help with people who are unemployed or are planning to start a business. The Centre should also provide special programs for those who have mental disabilities. Basic supplies should be provided, such as condoms. There should be a big field that could be used for a variety of sports, especially those besides soccer because there is already a soccer field in the village. A mobile clinic should also be set up through the Centre. It could also be a place where tourists come to learn more about the unique history and community dynamic of MGV.
Q: Do you think community members will be committed to helping with keeping a Help Centre up and running?
A: If a venue is established for the Help Centre, the community will definitely help with the maintenance and other expenses of the building. As an example of this community dedication, the crèche is a place that was made for the community and is successfully run by the community; several people help out by donating money and supplies and by gardening and painting. Because there is so much need for a Help Centre in the village, the people are confident that the community will step up to support the organization.
Towards the end of the meeting, Jennifer gave us some suggestions regarding our plan to improve the structure of the Green Light Project and to up our chances of establishing a venue for the Help Centre. Since many parties both inside and outside of MGV are interested in the abandoned driving range building, she suggested that instead of using the venue exclusively for Green Light Project events, involve all interested community organizations in one forum all centered around one executive council, which consists of one leader from each organization. This model is consistent with the umbrella organization we researched where one group oversees the various subgroups in one big organization.
We also agreed on constructing an extensive business plan that could eventually be submitted to the city for an abandoned building or in the meantime, a temporary building or container. The business plan would include sections such as current initiatives of the Green Light Project, why it needs a venue, stakeholders in the effort, short and long-term goals, and a management and funding plan.
To go to the previous scene, click here! Reflection and moving forward, click here!