Concert to raise funds for community centre
Ubuntu Charity E.v wants to build a community hall for recreational activities in Imizamo Yethu and will start with a fundraising concert on Valentine's Day.
Image: Supplied
A Hout Bay organisation is hoping to make a new community centre in Imizamo Yethu a reality, with a fundraising concert, called Ubuntu Unite Live, set for Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
Ubuntu Charity, a German non-profit that has supported Imizamo Yethu residents—mainly children—for nearly seven years, plans to use funds from the Ubuntu Unite Live concert to build a hall that will house its programmes, including a soup kitchen, library, and social services.
The organisation was founded by Silke Rylands, a German national who has been living in Cape Town. She started Ubuntu Charity after seeing the daily challenges faced by children in Imizamo Yethu. The soup kitchen launched in 2018, providing nearly 150 healthy meals every Friday.
Ms Rylands said the new centre is needed because current facilities are inadequate. "Classrooms that are leaking, have no outside space, are too small, a tavern right next door, we have to move regularly."
She said a community hall will give all the programmes a home and provide a safe space for children.
Plans also include a training room for computer skills and other qualifications; a new library, soup kitchen and a safe space for highly confidential conversations for the organisation's social auxiliary worker.
"We have the piece of vacant land, now we need the money to build the house."
Silke Rylands is behind the Ubuntu Chairty E.v organisation that wants to raise funds through a concert for a community centre in Imizamo Yethu.
Image: Supplied
Resident Norma Mfamanandi has two daughters and a grandchild who regularly visits programmes at the organisation, and said she noticed a major difference in their attitudes.
"Especially towards their school work, they used to hate doing school work, but ever since they started visiting this programme, they have started liking it," she said.
Ms Mfamanandi said adding a new community hall for the kids would create further opportunities and excitement.
"We do have a hall in the community, but there is so much politics around this hall, and it keeps people away from there. Some even get chased away there, and that is why it's hard to see that as a community centre," she added.
Community leader Kenny Tokwe said the news about a community centre is "exciting".
"Our community needs more of this kind of initiative to give our youth better opportunities, and this organisation has always been going above and beyond for the youth," he said.
Mr Tokwe said the community hall will benefit IY with more community programmes and should also encourage more children to partake in after-care and recycling programs within the community.
The Ubuntu Unite Live fundraising concert will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, with several local artists lined up to take to the stage, including Mujahid George, Nik Rabinowitz, Mbalo Makhoba and the children from Ubuntu.
"We are asking everyone to spread the word and support this great cause - let's make this dream become a reality," Ms Rylands said.
If you wish to find out more about the Ubuntu Unite Live fundraising concert, visit the Webtickets site.
A detailed sketch of the proposed community hall for Imizamo Yethu.
Image: Supplied