An organisation in South Africa might not be hogging the limelight in the press, but it is making a huge difference relative to its resources, through initiatives aimed at making the world “greener” and “cleaner”.
Bophelo JV Primary Cooperative epitomises that, with determination, focus and vision, climate change can be managed. The organisation’s forte is waste management and cleaning. It waste management mainly involves recycling.
Bophelo JV Primary Cooperative’s Director and secretary, Takalani Siphuma, tells Transform SA Online that the organisation is “essentially in its formative stage” having been active for less than a year.
Bophelo’s 20 stakeholders, who are also its employees, devote their resources and time to see to it that Bophelo JV meets its mandate of provision of sound waste management and sanitation services.
Siphuma says, through Bophelo’s services, they alleviate the effects of pollution on the environment. “Pollution is a not just a health hazard, but also the main cause of climate change, which is characterised by extreme weather conditions. One of its telling effects is drought.”
The cooperative members, then employed, had been waiting for government to provide them with jobs, but as time wore on, it dawned on them that they were the “masters of their own destinies”, heeding the message of the late Nelson Mandela. Then, they decided to turnaround their lives by forming an organisation that would contribute to a worthy cause and at the same time generate income for their sustenance. And the rest, say the say, is history. “Our reputation is growing progressively and we are encouraged by what we see,” says Takalani.
Bophelo JV Cooperative might be growing, but it can do “much better” with more resources, Takalani feels. Based in Kliptown, Soweto, the organisation does not have its office and has to make do with rented space at a local community hall. “We use the community hall used for marketing our business, the members organise meetings to inform the community about their services,” he says.
There are no airs in amongst Bophelo JV Cooperative members. Every member is actively involved in cleaning regardless of position, reveals Siphuma. “When called to action we put our overalls and work.”
It’s proving difficult to find projects for a new business, Siphuma laments. With time, the organisation hopes it will have built a respectable profile to secure more projects. “We are hopeful. We had to take huge sacrifices to come this far.”
Information submitted by Joy Kunene, adapted for Transform SA Online by Transform SA Online Editor
