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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu – [email protected]

EVERY Tuesday members of Vukuzenzele Health Club in Ward 6 in Gwanda Town take to the streets and clean their surroundings as part of fulfilling their duty of ensuring their ward is clean.

During the National Clean-Up Day which is held every first Friday of the month they also take the lead in cleaning their ward together with residents.

Their determination and hard work in promoting cleanliness has led them to be selected to pilot the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and Gwanda Municipality-led waste sorting programme in Gwanda.

Under the pilot project Vukuzenzele Club members have been training residents from Ward 6 on waste sorting to promote recycling and proper waste management.

Once successful, the project will be implemented in other wards.

EMA working with the Gwanda Municipality introduced health clubs in the mining town to promote hygiene through adoption of best practices in waste management.

All 10 wards in Gwanda Town have health clubs.

Working on a voluntary basis, health clubs play a crucial role in providing health education and maintaining clean environs.

Vukuzenzele Health Club which has 20 members was established in 2015.

The club’s chairperson, Ms Alice Masawi said they also deliver some of the waste which they collect to a local recycling centre for recycling.

She said a health club member is supposed to lead by example by adopting best hygienic and waste management practices.

“Our main concern as a club is to ensure that our town is kept clean and in particular our ward. We move around cleaning our ward as a club and sometimes we invite members of the community to join us. We also facilitate health education within our community,” she said.

“During outbreak of diseases such as cholera we play a crucial role in educating the people. During the Covid-19 outbreak we were providing health education and we also produced sanitisers which we sold to the people. We don’t only collect waste but we send it for recycling at the Phakama Recycling Centre. This helps us to get cash.”

Ms Masawi said during their health education sessions they educate the community on how waste is sorted according to categories. She said perishable waste should be properly managed by being disposed in pits.

Ms Masawi said some people store perishable waste in their backyards and leave it exposed which is a health hazard. She said a lot of work still needs to be done as people continue to litter the streets and dispose waste improperly.

Ms Masawi said through health education they are empowering residents to know that there is money in waste. She said instead of people sending all their waste to the dumpsite, they can take the recyclable waste to recycling centres and get income while at the same time maintaining a clean environment.

The club’s vice chairperson, Ms Siphathisiwe Maphala said being a health club member means one does voluntary work. She said the desire to keep their community clean has motivated them to continue with their work.

“When we first started the health club we just took it lightly not knowing that we would later on play a critical role in maintaining cleanliness in the town. The presence of health clubs has generally helped to improve hygiene and cleanliness in the town although there is still a lot of work to do.

“At first we got a lot of resistance and grumbling from community members but we stood firm on our cause and agenda and gradually the response has improved,” she said.

Ms Maphala said health education does not only cover waste collection but also involves hygiene practices in households such as storing of water, washing of hands, storing of food, maintaining hygiene in the toilet and keeping a bin in the yard among other issues. She said in terms of waste sorting they have educated members of the community on how to categorise waste and how to store each category.

Ms Maphala said this can help to ensure that less waste goes to landfills.

Vukuzenzele Health Club vice-secretary, Mr Thokozani Moyo said being part of the health club has also helped members to embark on various livelihood projects such as savings and lendings. He said members have also received training in various income-generating projects such as poultry, dish washing liquid making, baking among others.

“As members of the club we are continuously trained on health issues, recycling waste management so that we remain relevant as we train residents and go about various activities. Being members of the club has helped us as some partners have come in and assisted us with training in various livelihood skills that are helping members to get income,” he said.

Mr Moyo said they were also allocated land by the Gwanda Municipality where members of the club are going to construct shops. — @DubeMatutu