A group of youngsters are rolling up their sleeves and getting down and dirty as they work hard to clean up public spaces in Parkwood.
On Saturday morning the group, who has joined the Parkwood Clean Neighbourhood Campaign, set out to clean a children’s play park in Blackbird Avenue, removing dumped waste and broken glass so laaities could enjoy the park.
The initiative led by 23-year-old student, Lance Newman, is aimed at improving Parkwood and instilling a sense of pride for those living in the Cape Flats community.
The ambitious young man, who is a third-year student at False Bay College, received help from Dr. Taj Hargey, the president of the Open Mosque in Wynberg.
Hargey, who has undertaken to mentor Lance, says he met Lance at the Wynberg pool, when the young man crashed into him while he was swimming laps.
“This young man comes along and swims straight into me because he swims like a taxi driver, so I was in the moer in en toe skel ek hom uit.
“To his credit he later apologised and I thought no, this is a young man who has a future.
“I gave him my number and I told him I would take him for coffee.”
Lance told him about his vision and together they came up with the Parkwood Clean Neighbourhood Campaign.
The mosque donated brooms, bags, gloves and masks and Lance gathered support from family and friends to help him clean the park.
“Our hope is that one day we can erect a fence around the park and lock it up at night.
“Currently it's a battleground for rival gangs and we want to restore it to a place where children can come and feel safe,” says Lance.
Anyone who would like to join or assist Lance can call him on 074 931 3578.