Acts and Scenes

This section documents our experiences from working with the community members of K2, an informal settlement in site B of Khayelitsha. Throughout our time in K2, we documented our experiences and project progress by way of Acts and Scenes. These scenes serve as a record and process for thinking through complex situations while they unfold before us. They offer more personal and journal-like insights into our project, and describe certain moments with more detail. Documenting our setting, background, cast of characters, scene, and reflection, these scenes capture the moments we spent with the community and our sponsors as we struggled, learned, taught and grew together.

The different Acts of our work outline the three distinct shifts of the K2 project from beginning to end. Each Act represents a different movement in the project, starting with connecting and researching with the community to planning and preparing the project and finally to implementing project objectives and preparation for future community plans.

Act I: A Place of Challenge and Opportunity 

Act I Scene I New Beginnings:

The first meeting between all major stakeholders (K2, CORC, and WPI) to discuss the project ideas, plans and expectations left everyone uncertain about where the project would go.

Act I Scene II: Getting Lost in the K2 Maze

 The team goes on a guided tour of K2 from the community leaders and CORC representatives, observing and discussing different features of the community.

 Act I Scene III: The Outsiders

K2 community members and WPI students gather together for the first time to form a team, work is done and introductions are made, but language and interpersonal challenges cause confusion and disarray between the two groups. 

Act II: The Pendulum of Productivity 

Act II Scene I: Touring Tuesday

WPI and K2 Community members go to Khayelitsha settlements, TT Section and Monwabisi Park, to view their different community halls and learn about building possibilities, processes and expectations.

Act II Scene II: Trouble in K2

The team enters K2 with a plan and goals, and promptly finds out that an internal community conflict has halted our work for the day and left us frustrated.

 Act III: The Road to Upgrading in K2

Act III Scene I: Adding Colour The team splits to tackle the task of painting the tire structure and ends the day with an unexpected outcome.

Act III Scene II: Luncheon: A Change of Scenery   The team hits the road and spends an afternoon conversing in a park.

Act III Scene III: Babawethu The community financial contribution is deposited! K2 community members move from the community to working in the CORC office. Planning for gaining financial contribution momentum ensues.

Actt III Scene IV: Financial Contribution: One Step at a Time The team discusses how far we’ve come. The community gains another significant financial contribution and the shipping container is finally ordered.