ISULabaNtu Dissemination Event in Havelock (Day 2)
On day 2 (Nov 28th), the community researchers from Havelock informal settlement, with the support of the UKZN team and uTshani Fund, organised an event to discuss the ISULabaNtu progress with the wider community and brought together different stakeholders who have been a part of it, particularly UKZN, NGOs, and local partners. The ISULabaNtu team also showed the recently shot video documentary on Havelock, the production of which was facilitated and supported by the UKZN team and the community researchers. A draft practical guide for communities was shared with the wider community to gather further feedback to ensure most important aspects of ISU are captured. A key objective was to transfer the ownership of the guide to the community itself and to stimulate its use and share with other settlements. In fact, the Havelock settlement is currently under incremental upgrading and represents a good reference for the numerous informal settlements that have not started the process yet.
The residents opened up the event with a prayer, uniting everyone in contemplation. Grace was given through short speeches and through songs. It turned out to be a day filled with residents’ performances and discussions around the needs of the settlement, as well as the progress that has been made since the start of the project. Key challenges faced by the community were also highlighted. They include, among others, lack of hot water provision in CABs, lack of lighting around the CABs, intermittent electricity provision and no efficient strategy on SWM which contributes to the challenges associated with poor housing conditions and difficulties of moving around on narrow, uneven foot paths.
The event closed with a shared meal prepared by the community and was followed by a closing prayer.
The dissemination events at UKZN and in Havelock will be followed by the final dissemination event in London in January 2020. For more information and to register, please visit our Eventbrite page.
