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Children of Fire Ukuvuka

Children of Fire maintains regular links with Ukuvuka ("wake-up!" in Xhosa) in Cape Town. Both organisations carry out some similar work in fire prevention initiatives, but Ukuvuka has funding running into millions of rands and Children of Fire works with mere thousands of rands instead.

Ukuvuka however only uses a small part of its funding for squatter camps and a larger part for work on clearing alien vegetation and reducing the fire risk to the more scenic countryside around Cape Town. It is not within its brief to assist burned children in hospital. There is just one Ukuvuka employee focusing on squatter camp work; Stephen Lamb.

At end October 2001, Ukuvuka was working in 7 areas within the boundary of its campaign area - Masiphumelele near Kommetjie, Redhill, Imizamo Yethu (Hout Bay), Hout Bay Fishing Village, Ocean View outside boundary - Joe Slovo (Langa), and Siver City/Tafelsig near Mitchells Plain.

Sandra Fowkes, head of Ukuvuka, reports that the Joe Slovo (Cape Town) integrated service delivery and fire mitigation plan for the massive squatter camp has worked well and there has been a dramatic drop in the incidence of fires and loss of dwellings there. Ukuvuka is duplicating the approach in two other squatter camps and expects to start a fire prevention kit project in Redhill settlement in November 2001.

Ukuvuka has funded one fire-fighting water tank for Children of Fire. This will be installed shortly. Following intimidation of Children of Fire volunteers in the Joe Slovo squatter camp, Johannesburg, some one dozen "Peace Notices" (under Section 384 (1) of Act 56 of 1955) were served by court officials on a variety of political figures, which it is hoped will help bring stability to the situation. Elsewhere in Greater Johannesburg a large number of shacks were razed in late October in xenophobic attacks on a long-established Zimbabwean immigrant community and Children of Fire is determined not to let the intimidation lead to similar incidents in the areas where it works.

Ukuvuka contact details:
Santam/Cape Argus Ukuvuka: Operation Firestop
Goldfields Education Centre
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Cape Town
Tel: +27 21 762-7474
Fax: +27 21 762-8337
email: info@ukuvuka.org.za
Website: www.ukuvuka.org.za


This material is Copyright © The Dorah Mokoena Charitable Trust and/or Children of Fire , 1998-2024.
Distribution or re-transmission of this material, excluding the Schools' Guide, is expressly forbidden without prior permission of the Trust.
For further information, email firechildren@icon.co.za