Upcycling, Johannesburg

With at least 3.8 million inhabitants, Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa. The inequality that prevails throughout the country is particularly evident here. Especially in the Victoria Yards this contrast can be seen. The Victoria Yards are an up-and-coming area where artists and creative people from all over Africa have settled. Surrounded are they by townships where unemployment and crime prevail. In the townships, there are hardly any recreational activities or play opportunities for young people. The Playgrounds are taken over by drug addicts and gangs. Most parents cannot afford after-school care for their children. Many people in the area, often from other African countries and without proper papers, live from hand to mouth. The project brings hope to these children and their families by offering creative recreational activities and encouraging them to learn together.

Currently, the project offers a regular drop-in center with various activities for around 25 children and young people. In the coming years, the project is to be expanded so that around 40 children and young people and 40 adults can participate in the future.

Learning together in a sustainable way and getting the children and young people off the streets is the declared aim of the project. In various workshops, the participants learn important life skills, a careful approach to nature and are encouraged in their creativity. Weekly clean-up campaigns and regular upcycling workshops help reduce waste in the townships.

The children also learn how to repair old bicycles, as this is a promising and realistic career option in the long term. At joint cooking events, the children are taught about healthy eating. The goal: To show them that a healthy nutrient-rich diet is often no more expensive than white bread, corn porridge or chips. This is because many of the fruits and vegetables can be purchased inexpensively locally at the markets. In addition, the children learn to grow their own fruit and vegetables in the project’s own garden. In the long term, the parents are also to be more closely integrated into the project and supported in their job search, for example through further training opportunities. In addition, cooperation with local daycare centers is currently being pursued to ensure care for younger siblings.

The project has already had some positive side effects, which will be strengthened in the future. For example, it is helping to diversify the demographics within Victoria Yards, meaning that both management and tenants, who often come from more affluent backgrounds, are learning through the children what life is like outside the gates and learning about lifestyles that would otherwise be quite foreign to their own. And the children and young people in turn benefit from the knowledge and skills of the various artists working in the area. Another very positive side effect of integrating parents into the project and finding jobs through the existing network is the perspective reduction of unemployment in the neighborhood.

The goal is to expand the project’s offerings so that even more children can participate in the various activities and events. In addition, support opportunities are to be established, especially for the mothers, so that they have a better chance of finding a job through special training.