Download PDFCommunities have consistently come together to create systems to challenge capitalism and solve the issues they are facing. This initiative shows how communities can work together to solve their own problems. These projects are a great example of how communities can find solutions without waiting for outside help. They are proof that people can take action on their own to improve their lives. For many years, working class communities have organised each other by bringing different skills and knowledge to become the help they needed. One example is stokvels, which are savings clubs where members put in money regularly and take turns getting a lump sum.
This money can be used for things like starting a business or paying for emergencies. Another example is burial societies, where people put money to help pay for funerals. This way, families don’t have to bear the cost alone. The city of Cape Town is a hotspot for crime. Now, in Cape Town, the walking bus is another way communities are helping each other. The community of Cape Town has organise a Walking Bus to ensure the safety of children to and from school, volunteers from the communities and parents supervise safe trips to and from school to protect kids from violence and drugs.
These projects show that people can organise themselves to meet challenges without waiting for the “Messiah” or outside help. By working together, community members are making their neighbourhood safer and stronger. They are not dictated on ways to run these projects by funders who may want to be treated special. The mutual aid projects are an eye opener, if we work together in our communities a lot of things can change for the better.
The effort of solidarity shows the power of communities coming together in a country where capitalism wants to manipulate and use the people for their own gains. When people unite for a common goal, they can take care of their own needs and improve their lives through solidarity and mutual support. The walking bus is proof, it is more than just a way to keep children safe it’s a sign of the community’s strength and unity.
This article was submitted as part of the Imbila Yesu publication produced daily for the duration of the Winter School in 2024 (14-20 July 2024). It appeared in Edition 1, released on 17 July 2024. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the author and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
