Projects that were run by the PCC
Since the PCC was set up in 1989, various skills training programmes were run which were aimed at building capacity amongst civil society organizations. Members of the Phoenix Working Committee, Phoenix Child Welfare Society, United Women’s Organisation, Youth, Sports and Cultural organizations attended various skills development programmes. Some of the training programmes included computer literacy training, running effective organizations, public speaking, fundraising and financial management and democratic local government.
Building Programe
In 1995, the PCC started a building programme, which was aimed at providing facilities that various community groups could benefit from. Once the land was purchased from the Council, the first phase (community office block) was constructed to provide office space for civic, welfare and sports organizations. Today this facility provided office space for the SAFA Phoenix, Offices for the local councillor and office space for several SMME’s.
In 1997, the second phase of the building programme (community crèche) was developed and accommodated about 80 children from Phoenix and some children from Kwa Mashu and Inanda. The crèche provided an excellent early learning centre for children whose parents were unemployed or low-income earners. In 2003, the crèche was converted into a training centre for early childhood education. Each year some 50 women were trained to run crèches from their homes. In the year 2000, the PCC embarked on a programme to build an indoor sports centre. With financial contributions from the eThekwini Municipality, the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund and various other donors, the sports centre was built and opened to the public in 2003. Today the indoor sports centre caters for indoor soccer, darts, pool and bridge.
Early Childhood Educare
In 2003, the crèche was converted into a training centre for early childhood education. Each year some 50 women are trained to run crèches from their homes. The women received training on teaching skills, nutrition, immunization, first aid, how to register as NPO’s, fundraising and financial management. The eThekwini Municipality’s health dept., the dept. of education and the department of welfare also assisted in the development of the curriculum for the training programme. About 400 home-based teachers were trained over a period of four years.
Community Advice Office
As part of its service to the community, the PCC runs a part time advice office, which is open to the Phoenix and surrounding community. Many of the problems that are addressed by the advice office relates to issues around arrear rates, disconnection of electricity and water, unemployment, poverty, need for housing and other social issues.
All social problems are referred to the welfare departments with a referral letters and the bulk of the other matters are taken up with the local office of the eThekwini Municipality. In many instances we negotiate with Council to reconnect the electricity and water providing that residents make arrangements to pay off their arrears.
Resource Centre
As part of the service to community organizations, the PCC run a small resource centre. As part of our resource, we provide meeting venues for community groups, typing, faxing, scanning and facilities for desktop publishing. We also make available a digital camera to assist organizations to capture photos of their projects, meeting etc.
Sports Development
As part of our overall programme, we run an extensive sports development programme for the local community. In addition to a training programme for sports administrators, we currently run a development programme for in door soccer, darts and pool in our indoor sports facility.
Poverty Alleviation Programme
As part of the eThekwini Municipality’s programme to address the problem of poverty, a soup kitchen was opened in Phoenix to assist the poor and the needy. The Council provides the ingredients and members of the Phoenix community prepare and serve meals to hundreds of people each day. Over the last year over 6 000 meals were served to unemployed and poor people.
The PCC provides the venue, electricity and water so that the poverty programme could operate effectively.
The Youth Centre
As part of our on going development programme, the PCC undertook to build a Youth Centre which would cater primarily for the youth in the Phoenix and surrounding communities. This will be the last Phase of the Building Programme that was started in 1996.
Need for the Youth Centre
Phoenix is a large township that was established by the then Durban City Council in the 1970’s to provide homes for Indians and part of the government’s plan of separate development. The first residents moved into Phoenix in 1976 and over the period of 30 years, Phoenix has grown rapidly and today, the township accommodates approximately 400 000 people.
Statistics reveal that about 50% of the population are the youth in our community, and therefore it must be assumed that the number of youth living in our community is approximately 200 000. Besides the shopping centres, a few libraries and sports-fields, there are no other major facility that engages the youth in positive activity.
In the absence of any major youth activities/facility, our youth of today are fast being drawn into activities like crime, drugs and other anti-social behavior.
Community Consultation
As part of the last phase of the building programme, the Board of the Phoenix Community Centre engaged in a process of consultation with local community organizations, welfare and women’s groups and leaders of civil society organizations.
As part of the consultation process, we received total support for the building of the youth centre. Organisations also pledged to participate fully in all projects organized for the youth and some organizations also sought to use the youth centre for their own projects eg. Love life in KZN would run joint venture programme with the PCC around youth leadership programmes.
