Final Proposal Text

BJA BANALODI

The voice of South African, especially the South African woman, has been dampened and muted over the loaded history that befell the Republic over the past century. This lack of voice amongst other things has brought forth a lack of direction in a high number of the populace and therefore opened the avenue for both domestic and large-scale bondage both physically and psychologically. This bondage is and lack of progression as small communities is a root to many of the problems the West hears about plaguing countries like South Africa.

The project that I am proposing is structured specifically for and of this bound populace, specifically the neighborhood of Pumaloy in the Township of Mamelodi in East Tshwane. What I am proposing is beginning to structure and plant the grass roots for what will become an organic “Incubation Community Center”. This environment will act much as a womb, working to free people from places of physical and psychological bondage, and providing them a place to nourish for as long as desired. This will lead means of healthy self-sustenance, cultural re-emergence, and routes to achieve University, but most importantly it will be a family unit, a place of strong laced community and family in a town ravished with a lack of this structure.

This summer will be dedicated to the physical establishment of the center, the building into leaders to take ownership of the center, and a small series of works programs such as a Murals program, an agriculture program, and a space in which art can be sold. This will most likely be achieved through the obtainment of an already established building in association with the Bohlen Hospice and School, and Charity and Faith, both in the Township. This center will be totally self-sustained from within its surrounding environment in both materiality and in work force. I propose this project because that dampened voice of the populace is not mute, it just needs the means of amplification to cause the inevitable paradigm shifts at hand. Mamelodi means the Mother of Melodies; we are her children, Bja Banalodi!

This summer is meant to be the path laying for something that will foster into a full self-sustaining organism over time. It will just be the humble beginnings though. Just in the nature of the project there is a large trajectory of possible outcomes though I can list a few that seem very feasible. The first very tangible and feasible outcome of just the summer is a large network of murals across the township that begins to foster a cultural re-emergence by accessing the local history of the Ndebele murals. These murals will showcase a large girth of talent that is currently in bondage, and will both provide wages for the artist, ideas of work ethic, but more importantly a very physical mark of their voice upon the community. Another outcome within the agricultural segment, is the notion of ending up with full sized community gardens that provide a long sustaining food, but also mirror the good work of the women who grew them, and foster their pride and heritage, much as to the likings of the Green Belt Movement. These have very tangible impacts of the immediacy, but what is amazing is what they can do long term, especially if this manages to become self-sustaining as an entity. These simple acts may combat AIDS, rape, crime, and domestic bondage before it takes root, and allow an avenue out if it already has. This is where the paradigm shift happens, this is where a young neglected boy can find his way back into his culture, obtain education, and change it from within. This will be long suffering, but it will be radical.






Budget:

Airline Tickets - $600.00
- Delta Buddy Pass
Food over 2.5 Months - $450.00
- Housing will be provided
Supplies for Murals ((All from local sources & preferable sustainable) - $500.00
- Paint
- Brushes
- Trays, plates, medium platforms
Supplies for Gardening - $400.00
- Actual seed
- Pick Axes
- Shovels
- Chicken Wire
(If site needs to be erected - $700.00)
- Wood
- Tent cloth
- Hammer and Nails
- Cinder block
Transportation - $250.00
Community Food for Center - $425.00
Misc. - $800.00
Wages - $5,000

(Sustainability Post-Budget is key though, so means of creating a self sustaining income from within the center, along with making full use of local resources will be hugely important.)



Contacts:

Crossroads Community Church Cincinnati
- Rob Sedona, Missions Head – rseddon@crossroads.net
- Amanda Kuderer, Friend who taught at Bophelong for a Year; - akuderer@gmail.com

Charity & Faith Missions Church South Africa
- Titus Sithole, Executive & Pastor; - tituss@lantic.com
- Katlego Matlawa, Secretarial – kmatlawa@yahoo.com
- Rachel Moseyed, Secretarial – rmosupye@yahoo.com

Bophelong School & Hospice
- Patricia, Head Nurse – patriciag@bophelong.net
- Jason Songh, head doctor; jsongh@bophelong.net
- George Makhubele, teacher;