ITS BEAUTY WITHIN THE CAPE FLATS
The morning of the 3 February 2020 as the bright sun began to shine we turned and scrambled with excited as we awaited the buses to arrive at the Princess vlei Wetland, to the sound of chatting and laughter Zeekovlei High School and Lotus River High School learners lined up excited to celebrate World Wetlands day with us.
The day was set out to be a fun-filled yet educational day allowing the learners to interact with the environment in a way they often don't and furthermore participate in activities that thought them something new not only about wetlands but the environment at large.
These activities included Mini SASS Monitoring, Bird watching, water purification, Environmental education and the one thing i could not get enough of was the canoeing.
Taken by the sound of their laughter and captivated by their engagement and eagerness I was reminded that our children on the Cape Flats should not be forgotten. In a world where the association or reference to the Cape Flats is mostly violence, gangsterism and endless cycles of poverty, alcohol and drug abuse and just a life of between somewhere and nowhere we have forgotten the lack of attention and affection towards them, we say "disadvantaged" we speak of rectifying the past but does this include the Cape Flats?
If I want to change the world and fight for Africa surely I must fight for every child inspite their religious beliefs, race, sexual preferences or social economic status.
surely I must believe in the fight for every child whether in a Government school or private school, whether its a school in the location or the Cape Flats and even in the suburbs.
Radical Inclusion, do we even really invest enough of ourselves in living a life of radical inclusion because the times keep changing but society keeps remaining, I mean do we still teach our children not to date someone with different religious beliefs? do we still reference someone by the colour of their skin? do we pull up our shoulders when passing a couple of the same sex or even inter racial? do we still classify it as the rich area and the poor? do we still use the phrase "skollies comes from the Cape Flats"? Do we greet the CEO and walk pass the person sweeping infront of the Building? Times keeps changing and moving on but society keeps remaining.
Every child deserves to be nurtured, loved, protected and groomed. Every child deserves someone looking out for them and teaching them the rights and the wrongs. Every child deserves someone's affection and time. Every child deserves someone fighting to change their world for the better. Every child deserves someone to cheer them on, wish them well, congratulate them for the little and the big things. Every child deserves someone to tell them the worthy, the enough, they beautiful. every child deserves someone that looks at them and truly sees them. Every child deserves a safe world for them to grow up in. Every child deserves to inherit goodness and kindness. Every child deserves a safe world, a place they can call their own.
Green Greetings
Capetonian Environmental Activist