today we went on a walk

through one of the neighborhoods in Zandspruit.

I was invited along to document the rubbish situation - as our city ward council member (Maureen, if you read our printed newsletter last November, you'll remember her) and some officals from the local garbage company (Piki Tup... cute, isnt' it?) walked through intentionally to assess the troubles and prepare a case to present at an upcoming meeting of the minds. Hopefully to start to piece together some real life solutions.

I have a ton of pictures, but the images that will stay in my mind are ones of women raking through the pile that has been dumped in the middle of the street - trying to put the garbage into black bags for the refuse company to come collect. They said they have problems with their lungs after a little while. They said that no matter how hard they work, the trash is still there the next day. There is simply no other place to put it.

A child, playing with a rubber tire tubing - little bare feet splashing through the small river that has seeped through the garbage pile and is trickling down the hill.

We need some solutions... this just about 10 shades of not okay.

Especially not in a city like Johannesburg.