|
|
| Prochorus brings hope to the people of Kayamandi |
The name Kayamandi means "sweet home”, alluding to the bitter irony that 65% of the population of 20 000 lives in shacks. An average family consists of eight people, often three generations are forced to share a two-bedroom house.
Having to make ends meet on a salary of R1 000 per month or the pension of one senior family member, contribute to the hardships that most families endure. The community’s greatest needs are in the areas of youth and health care. There is only one doctor visiting the clinic once a week. Some of the youth get involved in crime, drugs, and alcohol abuse. Many of them remain unemployed because they cannot speak English or because of their crime record.
How can you get involved?
Some background on the history of Kayamandi
Around 1918 an informal settlement near Stellenbosch was started by black people who came to Cape Town looking for jobs. This settlement was called "Kafferland" and was just opposite Stellenbosch Farmers Wineries. Many farmers were unhappy about these blacks that came and stayed on this potential farm land so close to the wine estate, so they put a lot of pressure on the Municipality to remove the so called "Kaffers" from this land.
In 1921 discussions began in the Stellenbosch Municipality Council about moving the blacks to a new area and also to move the ones that were staying in the Coloured Township. In 1936 the Municipality decided to establish a location for black people in Stellenbosch. So 1941 Kayamandi was formally recognised as a 'location' and by the end of that year approximately 55 houses were built.
In 1942 the Municipality then started to move African people living in the so-called Coloured areas like Idas Valley, Du Toit and Jamestown to Kayamandi. By 1971 there were 116 houses; 37 of the houses were for married family people and 79 of them were hostels for migrant labourers. Most of these migrant labourers came from so-called Homelands especially from the former Transkei and Ciskei. This is the reason why up to today most of the people who settled in Kayamandi are "Xhosas". The word "Kayamandi" itself is a Xhosa word with "Kaya" meaning home and "Mandi" meaning sweet/nice.
This location represents the apartheid type social engineering, with the so-called Coloured' community of Cloetesville, across the road, acting as a buffer to the White centrally located population group of Stellenbosch. The abolition of the Influx Control saw a rise in urbanisation, which affected Kayamandi tremendously. The population rocketed within a short space of time. Not only did this create a shortage of space but also a nightmare of logistical problems as far as infrastructure is concerned.
Currently Kayamandi has a population of about 33.000 people on 75.06 hectare and 10% of the population are children under the age of 10 years and more than 50% of these children are from single mothers. More than 70% of the population in Kayamandi live in squatter camps with out a proper infrastructure. In these camps there is a very high rate of malnutrition, poverty and HIV and Aids and also crime. The literacy-rate is also very low. On the other hand Kayamandi is still rich with Xhosa culture which is based on "UBUNTU" that is HUMANITY. |
|
| |
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
