Toilets and drains in the township will be upgraded

This year more than 40 students from 15 countries spent time in Diepsloot and elsewhere to gain an understanding of the communities and their needs, and to share their expertise.

Diepsloot, in the northern reaches of Johannesburg, is one of the more impoverished townships, with a high rate of unemployment.

The students' intentions were to focus on how best to help the community help itself, through holding workshops on arts and culture, looking at research proposals and evaluations, and coming up with designs and how best to implement them.

These meetings - hosted by the City of Johannesburg's department of development planning and urban management and the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) - were held under the umbrella of Global Studio, an international community-based organisation that focuses on uplifting poorer communities.

The group began working in Joburg in 2007 in Alexandra and Diepsloot. According to Global Studio convenor, Anna Rubbo, "Participatory planning and design is a key principle for Global Studio."

The organisation has been working closely with the JDA to ensure that plans are developed and rolled out with the community's participation. This also assists in job creation, as those who have worked as volunteers over the past two years will then be employed in the various projects.

The work of the organisation involves "educating and assisting the poor in order for positive change to occur", she adds.

Expertise
Students from Africa, America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East spent time in South Africa in June and July this year. Each participant brought a particular expertise - architecture, planning, landscape architecture, industrial design, engineering, graphics, film, art and business.

Diepsloot is home to some 150 000 people, and despite the lack of jobs and the high rate of poverty, it has an elevated level of creativity and innovation, says Rubbo. Facilities include a youth centre, library, community hall, skills training centre and childcare centre.

Among the plans under consideration are the upgrading of drainage areas, the repair of ablution facilities, the building of houses with recycled materials, and an investigation into ways to insulate houses.

On the arts and cultural front, aspects dealt with during the June and July meetings include recording the oral history of those in the community, the holding of arts festivals, creating arts and crafts, and producing dance and music performances.

The oral history project will help to build a sense of community identity, pride and employment, Rubbo believes. One project being mooted is the building of a new home for a community radio station.

"One of the objectives this year has been to investigate the possibility of universities in Joburg and Pretoria working with the Diepsloot community on a more regular basis and across a number of disciplines."

Global Studio envisions the possibility of on-going academic engagements, building locally and educating students in various fields, said Rubbo.

Drainage
The June/July meetings picked up the work begun in previous years: drainage upgrades were identified as an issue in previous meetings. Over the next year, and working with the JDA, toilets and drains in the township will be upgraded. Use will be made of global information systems (GIS), to map and site the location of public toilets.

Over the past two years environmental development included rehabilitating the wetland and finding solutions to drainage problems and refuse collection. "The team has continued its work in this central area to help transform it from a polluted barrier into a healthy ecological and community spine," says Rubbo.

Following an assessment of previous work done by Global Studio, on the insulation of shacks in Alexandra and Diepsloot, a new project using recycled materials to heat water and insulate houses was set up.

Temperature readings will be taken over the next six months, she adds, to measure in-door comfort during winter and summer.

Recycled materials were given to a local school and the learners will continue to carry out experiments regarding solar heating, in the hopes that their families will carry out these methods of heating water.

Communications
Improving local communication networks was also tackled, working with the non-profit Diepsloot Community News in disseminating information. Community chalkboards were installed and a resource guide of research into developing a local radio station and communal cellphone text-messaging technology was produced.

Other development plans include: erecting a new building for Diepsloot Arts and Culture Network and community radio Diep FM; a bathhouse; and a bridge.

The bridge will allow the community to access both sides of the river, addressing the urgent issue of children crossing the flood plain during periods of heavy rainfall, and the safety of workers moving from extension one to the taxi rank in the dark. It will also create stronger bonds between the people on either side of the flood plain.

A vacant building in extension two, formerly used as a local ward council, has been identified as an available location for a contemporary building for the Arts and Culture Network and the proposed community radio station, Diep FM.

The design of the building takes into account the broadcasting facilities' offices and rehearsal spaces. Plans also introduce construction methods and materials that are affordable and include local labour.

In addition, work was done on drawing up a business plan for Diep FM and lodging a registration submission. "Community radio has the potential to transform the cultural life of Diepsloot," says Rubbo.

Working with local arts practitioners, Global Studio helped form the Arts and Culture Network and assisted in the network's Arts in Action Festival held on 18 July, themed "Nelson Mandela, the father of the rainbow nation". The festival celebrated Madiba's 91st birthday, showcasing the vibrant diversity of art forms and cultural groups in Diepsloot.

Theatre, dance, music, hip-hop, arts and crafts, face-painting workshops and toy-making training all featured in the festival.