The closing of a deal in business after months of design and negotiations is satisfying. But this is nothing in comparison to the fulfilment achieved when people give their time and resources selflessly to the upliftment of those who live in dire consequences, all with the belief that hope equals opportunity and opportunity nurtured equals exponential growth of people, communities, societies and nations.
The Sherpa leadership were humbled to experience this first-hand during our recent inaugural visit to the Philippi Village (PV) Hub in midst of the Cape Flats – an epitome of a brighter future. This was especially emotional for me as I was born in the Cape Flats and did most of my schooling there.
Philippi Village is about a ten minute drive from Cape Town International
This vibrant hub exuberated energy, creativity, innovation, passion, unification and most of all hope from the minute you first get a glimpse of the humongous remnants of the old cement factory, spruced up in a modern center which will be the envy of many corporate offices, all nestled in 8 hectares of land surrounded by shacks and dwellings synonymous with many of South Africa’s townships and our very unequal society.
The cold wet Cape Town winter weather did little to dampen our excitement as we stared at awe at the magnificent paintings covering bare cement structures. We wondered how much these paintings would be worth if transposed onto a canvass displayed at a Christie’s Auction. We were warmed up properly by the passionate Angela Teffo and her team as she ushered us in to witness what really happens at the PV Hub under the stewardship of the remarkable CEO Bushra Razack, whom we had the privilege of engaging. Angela and Bushra felt like lifelong friends after a few short minutes.
It saddened me driving through the streets of Philippi that people's dignity and circumstances seems to have gone backwards. I remembered by days as a young teenager fighting for our Freedom, and my eyes watered, not because I remembered the tear gas that was fired often upon us in those dark years but because it felt like our efforts were in vain almost 30 years later.
But my hope was restored and we all had goosebumps from the time we entered the Philippi Village. The PV Hub aims to uplift communities on the Cape Flats through a focus on education, entrepreneurship, small business support, sports and culture. From the vibrant reception, followed by the energetic kids going through a specially designed ECD programme, strolling through the brightly coloured “container walk” lined with retrofitted containers to house businesses, then through the suspenseful structures which served as sets for movies such as Resident Evil imagining young South African artists here unleashing their potential. We heard the story of the beautifully painted boundary wall symbolising the prerequisite for community engagement necessary for upliftment projects. We continued along a fitness track surrounded by lush greenery serving as the basis for the sustainable agricultural initiatives, adjacent to a soccer field, on to the purpose built recreational environment where kids were skating and a squad of teenagers were doing a fun workout to booming music. The wonderful aroma of Phunga Coffee founded by women from the community who have become trained barristers enticed us. We could also see the Spinach King container, a business also supported by the PV Hub who now supplies products to big brands. We rushed to get a glimpse of the recording studios aimed at broadcasting and podcasting events for the communities while also supporting up and coming DJs, particularly women, and other artists.
With our jaws still wide open, it was time to leave. But none of us from Sherpa really wanted to leave. We had founded Sherpa specifically with a view to being impactful in everything we do. We established our Not-for-Profit Company @AiMM to drive and support initiatives such as the PV Hub. The divide between what happens inside the PV Hub and outside the boundary walls is glaring, yet there are no barb wires and electric fences and the infusion of community-based hubs yielding positive results is visible. We need the PV Hub and other similar initiatives to become blue-prints for real cohesive sustainable development, bringing together private sector resources and commitment in a meaningful way. This should be our new common purpose. I personally want to see many of the girls on the Cape Flats being supported, as I was, and for them to thrive in success so that together we make South Africa great. We at Sherpa and AiMM have begun our journey together with our like-minded partners such as @Stadio, @Cycles2Ride and @Resolute, so contact us if you want to come along for the adventure.
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