Chapter 4: What is the best way to show gratitude and initiate community driven action?

The crèche within MGV is an important asset which represents what the community can achieve when they work as one. The crèche was created and is sustained by the community. It also served as our work space for the duration of our project. To show our gratitude for allowing us to use this space and the facilities, our group decided to help restore the outside play area. When we first examined the playground at the crèche, it was clear work needed to be done; the swing sets were in disarray, broken glass and garbage covered the playground and the paint was faded. We took measurements and made a prioritized list of what was needed.

In reflection, these small projects had a wonderful impact on the community, and taught the group a great deal about staying motivated and the importance of completing small tasks. There were many talented residents who came out of the woodwork to make this effort successful. Residents expressed that the changes in one section of the community made everyone involved think more proactively, and the community was more interested in the collaborative work being done.

Doing these small projects served a number of purposes. It established our group as being genuinely invested in the community. The community has also seen how determined we are to follow through on the project, which has encouraged them to be excited about possible future changes. There is one final reason for doing these small projects: because we can.  There’s no reason not to.