Hillbrow Residents in Johannesburg Volunteer to Adopt Their Streets to Keep Them Clean

BY BRENT LINDEQUE

The CleanCitySA Adopt a Street Volunteers Network is a community-based initiative that unites the residents of Johannesburg, in working towards a common goal of restoring the inner city to its former glory.

Johannesburg, South Africa (10 September 2020) – In an effort to restore the inner city of Johannesburg back to its former glory, the residents of Hillbrow have partnered with Clean City South Africa (CleanCitySA) to coordinate their efforts to remove litter from two streets and a park they selected in the area where they live. Their efforts coincide with the launch of the CleanCitySA Adopt a Street™ Volunteers Network.

The Adopt a Street™ Volunteers Network is a community-based initiative that unites the residents of Johannesburg, in working towards a common goal of restoring the inner city to its former glory.

The theme for the launch is – By taking care of your street, you take care of the environment. 

The volunteers have adopted 400 meters of Hadfield Road, 300 meters of Catherine Avenue and the lower part of Pullinger Kop Park in Hillbrow. The volunteer network launch paves the way for other streets and open spaces of the inner city of Johannesburg to be adopted by residents, with a goal to make the inner city clean and healthy place to dwell in.

A network of volunteers conducts weekly cleaning up events of the streets and open spaces where they live, every Saturday morning from 9 am to 11 am. Each Adopt a Street™ is run by a volunteer management team consisting of the Network Director, Network Timekeeper, Network Logistics and the Network Health and Safety.

The CEO of CleanCitySA, Dalu Cele said: “it is encouraging to witness the residents of the inner city of Johannesburg participating and owning this initiative, of taking back the streets and open spaces of the inner city, to free it from the litter that is damaging the environment and the economy of the city.”

To participate in the Adopt a Street™ Volunteers Network, a minimum of 25 volunteers are required to register with CleanCitySA for a particular street or open space they wish to adopt and keep it clean. Each volunteer earns 10 points after participating at each Saturday cleaning up event. After every 120 points earned by a volunteer, following their participation in 12 cleaning up events, they can redeem their points for either a R300 Shoprite Checkers food voucher, R300 data voucher or R300 airtime voucher from a service provider of their choice.

“We take pride in ensuring that volunteers that participate in the Adopt a Street™ Volunteers Network are able to participate under strict Covid-19 hygiene protocols and safety standards that we follow at CleanCitySA”, said Mr Cele.

At each Saturday morning cleaning up event, all the volunteers and visitors get sanitised, their temperature is taken, and have to answer COVID-19 related screening questions before they can record their time to participate. CleanCitySA issues volunteers with t-shirts, caps, masks, and gloves for the streets and open spaces under the Adopt a Street™ Volunteers Network. Without a mask and gloves or facing a COVID-19 related risk from screening, a volunteer is not allowed to participate in the cleaning up event.

CleanCitySA is looking forward to gradually introduce more streets and open spaces to the Adopt a Street™ Volunteers Network. This is in anticipation that the campaign will grow to many streets in the inner city of Johannesburg, as more and more residents adopt the streets and open spaces where they live.

Originally Published: https://www.goodthingsguy.com/environment/hillbrow-residents-volunteer-to-adopt-their-streets-to-keep-them-clean/