Tunatazama - Community Monitors

EmalahleniMpumalangaSouth AfricaUncategorizedWitbank

Community Map as a Monitoring tool

The Mpumnalanga second session took place on the 17th and 18th August 2012 in Middleburg.The content of this session was to review dairy wrtiting,  continue with free writing. We also did an mapping exercise.  It is important for commuhities to have a overview of their areas.

The mapping exercise is whereby communities zoom into areas and draw the important places such as schools, clinics and other places that may  have potential threat in the communities.

Mapping exercise also helps communitires to be able to identify hotspot areas such dumps site, bad road, cracked houses,  pollution,  water and Sanitation and mining project that are not sustainable for the communities. TB hospital that is being  build next to the mines and many other things that are happening in the communities..

Monitors were happy to be introduce to community mapping exercise just like Time – line, the map helps them to think deep about the communities, observe and analyse the situation. “As monitoers in the communities we need to know what is good for us and what is affecting us but what is more important is to understand what are the concern and where are they coming from before we can take action” says Lucky Maisanye from Witbank.

After the mapping exercise, monitors did an exercise on how to write short article. Monitors were very exicted and looking forward to submitting aricle in the next session. The easiest way for community groups to raise awareness is by getting their voice out there, writing about their issues is very important.