Xylem Africa has partnered with SOS NPO to help clean and reinvigorate a park in the Bloekombos informal community.

Natural and green spaces are essential to our well-being, particularly among modern society's pressures and demands. The Japanese even have a phrase for this, shinrin-yoku or 'forest bathing', speaking to the psychological benefits of getting out from among four walls and into nature. Yet you don't need a forest to get this effect. Even a visit to a nearby park can soothe the soul and destress our minds. Parks are also crucial spaces for communities to congregate and mix. They serve as valuable links that bind a community together. 

This is why the non-profit organisation SOS worked with community members from the Bloekombos informal settlement to reclaim and rejuvenate their parks. With the support of Xylem's social investment group, Xylem Watermark, they already rehabilitated one park and unveiled it during an event held right after UN World Water Day. 

"SOS traditionally focused on supporting WASH resources in schools, but we've expanded our mission to include infrastructure that assist with sanitation to combat the COVID-19 pandemic," says Shelley Humphreys, executive director at SOSNPO. "We initially placed hand-washing sanitisation stations at schools, but then realised we need to reach more community hotspots. This park is such a place - it's near several informal ministries and a congregation point for the community. But like many parks in the area, it's fallen into neglect and most are targeted by informal land reclamation or used as rubbish dumps. Working with the Bloekombos community and volunteers from Xylem, we could reclaim the park for everyone to use."

A revitalised park for WC's fastest-growing settlement

Supported by funding from Xylem Watermark as well as volunteers recruited among its staff, SOS refurbished the park, collecting rubbish, cleaning and painting equipment, and installing a new wooden jungle-gym for children of the community. Numerous volunteers from Bloekombos led the effort, receiving a gift bag for their efforts, whilst the nearby creches joined with the children. Several leaders from the City of Cape Town, including the Water Resilience Advisory Committee chairperson Xanthea Limberg and local councillors, also participated in the activation.

SOS focused this effort on the Bloekombos informal settlement for several reasons. Located roughly 2 kilometres from Kraaifontein in the Oostenberg municipality, Bloekombos is home to 70,000 people, eight schools, two clinics and innumerable small and micro-businesses. It is the fastest-growing informal settlement in the Western Cape yet lacks severely in basic infrastructure. SOS has engaged with the community and its leaders for several years, building trust and mutual interests. This relationship is why the hand-washing stations, park reclamation and other projects are collaborative projects with the Bloekombos community. 

An impact made to last

Sustainability and local ownership are key for the long-term success of the park. SOS employs people to take care of the park and hand-washing stations, such as to report on equipment conditions. There is an emphasis on employing women for these jobs, and the projects use local services where possible. For example, a local workshop constructed the metal frames supporting the liquid hand-wash tanks that SOS installed near the park.

Xylem's contributions in money and volunteers help make such projects possible, resonating with Xylem's mission to improve the world through access to water. Water is one part of a vibrant community, and supporting SOS' efforts to revitalise parks and other areas in Bloekombos speaks to that purpose.

"What really stands out about SOS is how they take the long view and work with communities. They don't just drop down a quick fix and leave," says Chetan Mistry, Xylem SA's strategy and marketing manager. "It's this focus on longevity and sustainability that makes the difference. At Xylem, we want to solve water for a long-term impact, which we can achieve with partners such as SOS."

Everyone needs a break from the pressures of daily living. People living in informal settlements are not immune to these stresses. Thanks to the efforts of SOS, the Bloekombos community, and Xylem, the people of this community can enjoy their own slice of shinrin-yoku.