Shark Dwellers Movement on call for Covid19

Abahlali baseMjondolo (ABM) is a Shack dwellers movement that acts against evictions, and their mission is to improve the lives and living conditions of shack dwellers and the poor, they focus on Land, housing, and dignity.

Glory of the last days community organisation (GOLDCO) is a community organisation that enhances Governance, Ownership and Leadership in order to drive Development.

Both GOLDCO and ABM advocates for the introduction and promotion in communities, of multiple initiatives that enhance leadership and governance capabilities, thus creating deeper levels of ownership of community problems and their solution, thereby, supporting communities in contributing to their own sustainable development. All this to be done in a way that assist community members in meeting their daily challenges and becoming better-informed about their rights and responsibilities within a democratic society.

Their aim is to support the residents of Bhambayi Informal Settlement, and ultimately neighboring and similarly disadvantaged communities, in tackling the multiple social challenges they confront as a result of unequal development. These are the challenges residents confront in relation to poor housing and service delivery as well as those confronting young people, such as drug and alcohol abuse, gang related activity and pre-marital sexual activity leading to unwanted teenage pregnancy and the spread of sexually- transmitted diseases.

Contribution by these organizations in the fight against the pandemic

To date these organisations have provided food parcels to more than 100 families in the following communities in the Durban metro; Bhambayi, Amawoti, uMzinyathi and surrounding areas. They have also provided medical attention/ care  to 15 families as well as assisted pupils with mathematics literacy during the lockdown.

“We identified the poor of the poorest as we have most families those who are living in the shack perhaps going to bed without even a slice of bread in their stomach.

We have managed to organise communities due to the Covid19 outbreak in our communities. Our people are suffering, and this has resulted to hunger and frustration of being failed by the government officials through public service dispensation”, said Blessing Nyuswa, DDP Associate facilitator and member of GOLDCO and ABM.

She said that they have taken an initiative to come out in trying to reach those who are willing to offer support, or any sort of an assistance like food parcel or hot meals. Working with local businesses, they have managed to collect food parcels that were evenly distributed to communities in need.

She added that Covd19 is a global concern and that solidarity is our strength at all levels of human life. Adding that activists are out there taking risks with their lives, while being fully aware of the regulations and precautions of preventing the spread of the virus and the rules of lockdown, trying to find food and necessities for the needy.