Villagers gathered for the launch of a multipurpose community centre in Matibidi last month as jam-packed tourist buses whizzed past the rural village to upmarket resorts in Graskop, Mpumalanga.
Spirits were high and drum majorettes raised puffs of dust as they executed their steps with military precision. This was the function of a lifetime for many of the village’s elderly residents.
They had been waiting since 8am and broke into a song-and-dance routine when government delegates arrived to launch the centre three hours later.
For the 400-strong crowd the community centre represented hope for empowerment and an end to poverty and unemployment. More than 120 of the residents have already benefited. They were employed to build the centre — and learned construction skills in the process. Another 77 villagers have also received training in pottery, plumbing and farming.
The centre is part of the national Department of Public Works’s poverty alleviation initiative and this is the 69th project of its kind in Mpumalanga.
The provincial public works department allocated R1,9-million to build the centre, but spent R1,4-million only because of enthusiastic cooperation by the community, their chiefs and councillors. The department is also building a road linking the tourist-dense regions of Graskop and the Blyde River Canyon to Matibidi.
Officials hope that tourists will be enticed to the village to buy crafts and traditional wares, contributing to the well-being of the area.
For Enkie Mashego, the centre’s liaison officer, the project is the start of a new life. She is a single mother of seven who previously earned her living running a spaza shop.
“It was difficult because sometimes the shop made money, sometimes it didn’t,” she said.
Mashego’s involvement in building the centre led to her appointment as the project coordinator.
“The R1 100 I earn as liaison officer helps me to support my family and keep the spaza shop running.”
Her joy increased when she was handed a certificate for her achievement by the provincial public works and transport acting deputy director general Auswel Mashaba.
“This is the first certificate I’ve received in my life. I don’t even have a birth certificate,” said Mashego. — African Eye News Service