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GOLDEN PASSAGES is inspired by the true mythological meaning of the city of Eldorado “city of gold”. Gold is synonymous with South Africa on many levels and conveys a high sense of value, aspiration and excellence.
These are also the qualities that our initiative seeks to instil and rekindle amongst the community members. And in the eyes of those observing and interacting with present-day, Eldorado Park.
The situation:
Currently today within our community we find many passages and walkways to be dilapidated. These passages are used by members of the community of all ages on a daily bases, to get access to public transport, schools, homes, workplaces, stores, churches, sporting facilities, friends and family homes. Even though they are used daily, nothing seems to be done to maintain, improve and upgrade them. During the rainy season, they are basically impossible to walk through, due to the fact that they are on natural ground surfaces that when they get wet, they become muddy and hold up the water due to poor design and lack of adequate draining facilities. During summer, weeds and wild grass grow’s rapidly making these passages uncomfortable and difficult to walk on. This also attracts illegal dumping; making these spaces unclean, smelly and dirty. Above all of this, many members of the community use public transport, during the mornings and evenings to get to work and school, often doing so during the early hours of the morning and after sunset during the evenings. With a lack of lighting in the passages, these passages also attract criminal acts such as mugging and robberies.
Over the past 36 years (2018), this situation has not changed. We believe it’s time we do something about it.
Our proposed solution:
We Believe in Africa in collaboration with EnvironMentorz, Spaces for Youth and Charcoal Ink would like to revitalize 20 passages within the community of Eldorado Park over the next 5 years. We want to make use of support and skills from the community, to clean up and upgrade these passages to be safer and more beautiful, and a true reflection of the community and its members. We will be installing lighting that will make the passages more visible and lit during the evenings and early mornings thus making them safer. We will be paving each walkway making walking on them more secure and safer on your feet. We will beautify the entire passage with murals, installations and design, creating an overall message and theme for each passage, thus giving them an identity and purpose. We believe with all of these steps, we will make these passages safer and more beautiful and therefore improving the safety of the community, building its identity and increasing its vibrancy. Above all of this, we will also start to give the community an identity and a reference point to be proud of. The reason why this project is going to be an effective solution for the community of Eldorado Park and its surrounding areas is that it has been started and led by community members who are working with and involving the entire community to be part of it.
The Conclusion
With all that has been mentioned above, the members of the organizations that are behind Golden Passage are passionate and committed individuals who have been engaging in positive activities and programs within the community for over a combined 100 years of joint experience. We are all professional individuals who are leading and part of professional companies and organizations that have effectively run and executed projects like these before. So we have the passion, skills and experience to execute our “Golden Passages” idea and concept for the betterment of our community and country.
You have clearly read this page because we believe that you also care about the people and the community of Eldorado Park. We would like to invite you to be part of this vision and program to make the community safer and more beautiful and fundamentally unite and inspire our community. Contact us and see how you can get involved, by either donating, volunteering your time and skills, sharing this information with other like-mind people or any other way you think would be uplifting and value-based.
Contact details:
goldenpassages@spaces4youth.com
Objectives
Primary Objective
To create a permanent clean-up solution for each passage.
Each will consist of paving as a permanent solution
Secondary Objective
Increase the safety of each passageway.
Each passage will have a lighting feature to light up the passage to increase visibility
Other Objectives
To beautify each passage
With the use of design principles and theories, we would make each passage an artwork with one theme and message. Creating an identity for each passage and adding to the overall identity of the community.
Tourism: We envision creating a body of work that will add value to the community and grow it into a tourism hotspot.
Steps Involved:
- Start to build awareness and trust in our vision
- Recruit partners and sponsors to assist
- Partner up with a school near each passageway to engage the learner and enrol them on to the Golden Passage mural design class. The mural design classes will be held two–three weeks before the work on each passage starts. We will use these classes to get everyone involved in the process, the design and the execution
- Host mural design class
- Design an entertainment, supporter and general agenda for the art classes and execution day. Design the final artwork of the passage
- Raise support and responses to execute each passageway effectively
- Execute
- The document, report and repeat
Benefits:
- Safer and more beautiful community
- Community participation
- Increase in community trust and support
Potential Obstacles:
- Lack of awareness
- Lack of implementation team
- Resources
List of 20 Golden Passages targeted in Eldorado Park (2018 – 2023)
(In no particular order)
1. Tennis Court – Ext 2
2. Phillipi Road
3. On Buckingham Road, after Missouri High
4. Pimville Zone 9, Juda’s Kliptown
5. Kliptown Community Centre
6. Behind Jamila Centre
7. Ext 6, behind Crystal Mall
8. Behind Eldomaine Primary School
9. Kremetart Ave
10. Elandsberg Flats
11. The Dip Klipstruit, Ext 2
12. Boeing Road (leading to Boekenhout Primary School)
13. Heinkel Road, passage next to Lancea Vale Secondary School
14. Dartmoor Ave & Alabama Ave (St Catherine’s Catholic Church)
15. Passage from Boekenhout Crescent to Main Road
16. Turk Ave (Green Mile)
17. John Ascot street opposite Nancefield Primary
18. Boundary road next to Nazarene Church Passageway that leads to the park
Golden Passages Partners
Spaces for Youth is a youth lead and focused organization whose purpose is to unite and inspire youth and communities. We currently host sporting, art and leadership events to execute our purpose. Over the past 20 years, the Spaces for Youth team has been hosting various sporting events, art classes, fundraising programs and excursions across South Africa. Spaces for Youth has an exclusive and permanent partnership with the organization,
We Believe in Africa.
EnvironMentorz is a non-profit Environmental Development and Conservation organisation based in Eldorado Park, South of Johannesburg, South Africa. The organisation was established in 2016 after a community assessment confirmed an environmental deterioration within the area. Since its inception the organisation has worked to ensure sustainable environmental development within the community.
EnvironMentorz has been responsible for leading the adoption of new concepts in combining environmental development with community development, youth and kid’s development, skills development, economic development and social development.
