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Opportunity with Purpose.
Community Awareness · South Africa
Our communities have changed and life has advanced in different directions. But while the world around us has changed, our humanity remains the same.
As communities, many things have changed and life has advanced in different directions.
We have moved from the 1990s, through the millennium, and into a new world where technology, business and the way we live have changed greatly.
But while the world around us has changed, our humanity remains the same.
We are still people living together. We still need opportunities. We still need jobs. We still need to support our families and create better lives for the next generation.
That means we also need to think of new ideas and new projects that can benefit our communities.
When we think about starting a community project, one of the first questions we ask is: who is going to fund us?
We may have to go through a lot of paperwork, long queues and applications, only to face rejection or wait for a long time.
Government funding and other forms of outside support can help communities. But what happens when we cannot get that funding immediately? How do we overcome that first stage?
Maybe we should start by looking at what we already have. We have each other.
Imagine a community with 10,000 households. If every household contributed only R20 towards a properly organised community project, that would create:
10,000 households × R20 = R200,000
That is not enough to solve every problem, but it could be enough to take the first step towards a small project.
It could be a small farm. It could be a bakery. It could be another business that provides something our own community already needs.
Instead of waiting for someone from outside to come and start something for us, we could use a small contribution from many people to create something ourselves.
If we are going to do something like this, transparency must be at the centre of it. We cannot create a community-funded business and then allow a few individuals to treat it like their private company.
The people contributing to the project need to understand how it operates.
• Money coming in should be recorded.
• Money going out should be recorded.
• Sales should be transparent.
• Expenses should be transparent.
• Important decisions should be communicated to the community.
Anyone serving as a CEO, manager or leader must understand that they are working for the community and are accountable to the people who built and funded the project.
The purpose should be to create a community-funded business that creates value for the community — not another closed corporation where only a few people benefit.
A successful community project can also create employment.
A farm needs people to work. A bakery needs people to produce, package and sell products. A growing business needs administrators, drivers, cleaners, technicians, managers and many other workers.
This gives our young people and older people opportunities to participate.
Instead of only asking where the next job advertisement is, we can also start asking: what can we build that creates jobs?
We are not saying that communities should never receive government support. Government investment still has an important place.
But imagine approaching investors or potential partners with a project that already exists, already has customers, already employs people and already has a working system. That is different from approaching someone with only an idea.
When something is already operating and producing results, it can be easier to show people that the project is real. It can also create opportunities to attract investors, sponsors or business partners who can help the project grow.
We do not have to stop after the first successful project. If a community starts one project and it becomes sustainable, part of the money generated could potentially help create another project.
One project could lead to another. A farm could supply a local bakery. A bakery could employ local people. A growing business could create training opportunities. Training could help young people gain skills. Those skills could lead to more businesses and more employment.
Over time, a community can build an ecosystem where different projects support one another.
Our communities have people with different levels of education and different skills.
Some have university qualifications. Some have technical qualifications. Some did not have the opportunity to continue their education.
But everyone deserves a chance to contribute and improve their lives.
Community projects can create different types of opportunities instead of making people feel that they have nothing to offer because they do not have a particular qualification. We should create opportunities where people can learn, work, gain experience and develop their abilities.
Our young people especially need to see that there are possibilities for their future.
When people have meaningful opportunities, it can change the way they see themselves and their community.
A person who has a stable job can support their family. A young person who learns a skill can start thinking about their future differently.
A community that creates legitimate economic opportunities can give people alternatives to crime and other destructive activities.
We cannot solve every social problem with one business, but creating opportunities is one way of strengthening a community.
We should not wait for the perfect conditions before we begin.
We may not have millions. We may not have investors. We may not have a large organisation behind us. But we have people. We have ideas. We have skills. We have communities.
And sometimes the first step does not have to be big. It just has to be organised, transparent and meaningful.
Small steps can take us far. If we can build one project that works, we can learn from it. If we can learn from it, we can improve it. If we can improve it, we can build another.
And if communities across our country begin thinking this way, we may discover that we are capable of much more than we thought.
We should continue asking government and other institutions to invest in our communities. But at the same time, we should also ask ourselves: what can we do with what we already have?
Because we are not outside our communities waiting for someone to save them. We are the community.
And if we want a better future, we have a role in building it.