established 01/04/00 Sustaining the principles of love in action : ubuntu /sharing PORTFOLIO OF CULTURAL JOURNALISM : the doors of culture and learning shall be opened struhuru@gmail.com

Sometimes I see beyond what people give me credit for. I need use no mans name to survive for my life is fully controlled by the God of Africa and by miracles I survive everyday. I wish the govern-ment would take care of people like Sibonelo; giving them ways of maintaining their lives with things like education, skills training and suitable accom-modation.
It is pathetic that people like Sibonelo have to live like sardines. To get to your bed you have to walk sideways because the beds are so close. We decided to get Sibonelo a house. Some of these houses were cracked so you could see right through the walls. He could not even enter through the door. Going to the toilet was impossible. When it is raining the pensioners and disabled people are battling with buckets to save their belongings. So I went to Archbishop Hurley and said that I would get supplies from companies to close these patches on the roofs. I went to the children and said that if they helped me do this job, at Christmas I would take them all to the beach. I went to the NPA and got two busses. I took all those kids to the beach. But at the same time I tried to bring the children of that community and the police together because young girls were being raped and they weren’t reporting it. I got over two hundred toys and rapping paper. I went to the police and said you rap these toys and give them to the children. I completed that project and took those children to the beach. I had to get extra women to look after those children because they were wild. They live in such primitive
conditions. There are no pavements. There are no parks. There is absolutely nothing. That area is still today as the apartheid government left it.
Sibonelo and I connected on the housing problem of the Disabled (Physically Challenged) people. Together we drafted the constitution for Disabled. There was an organization called IDABA linked to DPSA.

Rebecca was at a private school in London. At Lyceum school in central London she really lived and breathed education and invested in helping children grow to their full capacity. Rebecca started collecting money from over seas. They raised money through a readathon and they sold my teddy bear sketches. They put up a fence for safety and bought tables and chairs, put a phone in and bought lots of food. This crèche in Umlazi is called UTHINGO (Rainbow). The children weren’t paying attention. They were always looking on the street. Rebecca put a security fence around the house. And we installed a telephone for Mrs. Mlaba. Rebecca bought four months groceries. Education is the key. The more aware you are the more non judge-mental you are.

Paddy Kearney was having a peace march with Archbishop Hurley through town. Paddy asked me to invite some Disabled people from Umlazi to support this march. I went with all good intentions. I discussed this with the Disabled people of Umlazi. They said: “hang on a moment Mr. Strydom, Paddy Kearney of Diakona sends you to us to come and join a march! You go back to Paddy Kearny and tell him if he organizes a march along Mangosutho Buthulezi highway with the Whites to see how we are living, then we will join that march in the thousands.”
That’s when I discovered the population of Umlazi is about 2.4 million. It is the second biggest town-ship in the Southern Hemisphere. When I went back to Paddy and gave him the message he was very angry with me. He said: “Dennis, you are always fighting.” I said: “yes I am fighting for human rights. You must get your priorities in order.” I gave him a small little bible and said that is how man looks at the bible today. It has become so small. Man would rather worship cricket, rugby than the supreme power that controls the universe.