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A vacant piece of land in Claim Street has been turned into
an inviting park with a safe play area for Hillbrow's children.
FOR the past few years, Hillbrow has been known for high
levels of population density, crime, grime and deterioration; but that is
slowly changing.
Having fun on the round-about
The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), the eKhaya
Neighbourhood Improvement Programme and residents of Hillbrow have joined
forces to create the new eKhaya Park. The once unsightly vacant land on Claim Street
has been transformed into a beautiful park.
The City officially opened the park on
Saturday, 5 December, with a football match between Cresthill and Midhill
Gardens forming part of the celebration of a milestone reached in the heart of
Hillbrow. "This is a nice thing for Hillbrow because now we can be safe and
have fun at eKhaya Park," said Simphiwe Nxumalo, one of the children who came
to play soccer.
Community members were excited about
the park, and an award ceremony was held to honour those who had lent a hand in
its development. Security guards and members of the community all received certificates
for their efforts. "It goes to show that we are being recognised for the work that
we do around here. eKhaya is home to all of us," said poet Boitumelo Masedi, a
resident of the inner city suburb.
Security
The park got its name from the eKhaya Neighbourhood Improvement Programme,
which aims to create a sense of security in the area, as well as provide a
clean and safe environment in which to live, work and play.
Josie Adler, the person behind this project, has been part
of inner city growth since 2004. "I am happy that this day has finally arrived.
The city is our house and eKhaya Park is part of that
house, so we need to take care of it, value it, protect it and love it," she
said.
Officially opening the park: JDA's CEO Lael Bethlehem with Josie Adler and Renier Erasmus, the chairperson of the eKhaya CID
eKhaya Park has new paving,
landscaping, lighting and secure fencing. A synthetic soccer field, a children's
play area with safety surface, gaming tables and bins have been installed.
Management of the park will be the
responsibility of the eKhaya community, which will ensure that it is well
maintained for the benefit of everybody.
The JDA is committed to environmental
sustainability and hopes to continue its involvement in such projects. "Projects
like these make a difference in people's lives and we as the JDA always seek to
reduce environmental risk and change people's lives positively," said the
agency's chief executive, Lael Bethlehem.
The improvement programme was instrumental in the creation
of eKhaya Park, which will provide a safe play area for children, as well as a
recreation facility for the community of eKhaya Neighbourhood. Through the
programme, there is now 24-hour visible security and frequent cleaning
campaigns, which discourage crime and grime.
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