The backyard dwellers of Cape Town rise up
The backyard dwellers of Cape Town rise up, By louise.cobbett
Something extraordinary is happening in the backyard shacks of Cape Town. Backyarders — people who live in back yards — are not only organizing themselves but are working together with shack dweller or informal settlement dweller organizations to gather information and propose joint citywide solutions to the city authorities. Here is a sneak-preview of the findings and the social political implications of the self-surveying exercise currently underway in the quintessential Cape Flats neighbourhood of Manenberg.
It is commonly acknowledged that those living in informal settlements are socially excluded and are in need of more interventions from Government, but the plight of the Backyard Dwellers in Cape Town is often forgotten entirely. They are neither heard nor seen by the broader Cape Town citizenry or even by the powers that be. Hidden behind vibo-crete walls and formal houses the shocking conditions that they have to endure remain virtually invisible. There are often as many as 3 families squeezed into a single backyard – with each family of about 4 members living in a shack that is no bigger than 3×6m. This is considerably smaller than the average shack in an informal settlement.. It is common to find much larger families in those same dimensions; in one case there were 11 individuals in one house, or Wendy house as they are often called.
These families are often female-headed households who find employment in the casual labour sector; specifically the factories that tend to surround these areas. This specific family would take turns sleeping through the night because there is not enough physical space for them all to sleep at the same time.
Problems facing the communities
When asked what the biggest problem facing the Backyarders, the response most commonly given was that of landlord-tenant relations. The landlords are the legal tenants of the housing provided by the local councils. It is common for the landlords to charge each family around R400 per month but there are instances of landlords charging as much as R700 per month. On top of this the Backyarders have to pay for electricity which amounts to an additional R160 per month. The landlords themselves are only required to pay R250 to the council for their houses, and a reoccurring problem is that they do not pay their rent. The council is often reluctant to evict for lack of payment, but are well aware of the business of the Backyard Dwellers. The council can only deal with the legal tenant, which therefore means the Backyarders have no voice in the council.
In addition to charging extortionate rent, the landlords also control the access between the street and the backyard. This means that should the tenant and the landlord have a disagreement over rent or access to the toilet which is normally in the main house, the landlord can stop people coming to see the tenant or refuse to allow the tenant to leave the property. Children are often forced to climb over fences to get out in order to go to school.
As the government builds new houses for the urban poor, the Backyarders are sidelined in favour of those in the informal settlements. This is mostly because the informal settlements are so visible both in terms of where they are and the numbers of dwellers. The Backyarders are hidden behind houses, and are not seen by the general public. Driving down the N2 from Cape Town’s international airport, which is lined by informal settlements, it becomes clear why politician’s efforts are focus on that rather on the far less visible Backyarders. Therefore there is no surprise that this causes feelings of resentment and animosity between the Backyarders and those from the informal settlements. The Backyarders tend to be native to the Western Cape and have been waiting longer than most for new housing. As they see it, they have been waiting patiently on the government’s waiting list, but those who start informal settlements are housed first.
So why stay as a Backyarder instead of moving to an informal settlement? One of the main reasons for staying is community. Many of these Backyard communities have been around for more than 20 years and have developed strong communal. Families tend to move within the community rather than away from it, and there is a sense of pride attached to their areas. Moving into the informal settlements would break these well-maintained bonds.
Other reasons for staying as a Backyarder include health and security. Although they do not have direct access to toilets, the Backyarders are in a better position in comparison with those people who live in the informal settlements. The housing set-up amongst the Backyarders provides a level of safety that cannot be replicated by the informal settlements. Because there is limited access to the Wendy houses, it means the families are a little safer. However, the crime rate in these areas cannot be understated.
The Western Cape areas where Backyarder houses are found such Mitchell’s Plain and Manenberg are rife with serious crime problems. There are significant problems with gang culture and the gangs are commonly thought of as the main perpetrators of the murders, rapes, assault and robbery in the areas. The communities feel that there is a direct and irrefutable link between the lack of houses and the crime rates. Adolescent youth, particularly boys, are drawn into the life of drug dealing and violent crime because of poor schooling and the lack of opportunities available to them. The final push can often come in the form of their living conditions, when the landlords refuse to allow families access to toilets or water. In contrast the council houses that have been taken over by the gangs become an attractive and seemingly viable alternative.
The creation of more housing would curb the crime rate because as the developments expand, with it comes increased infrastructure. As it currently stands, the majority of crimes happen in the open fields surrounding the communities, where it is dark and provides cover for the gangs. Members of the community are forced to move across these open plains in order to go to work and reach the main streets to reach public transport. By decreasing the amount of dark open plains with an increase of housing and infrastructure, not only will there be more housing opportunities but there will be less chance for gang culture to operate. Whilst this is not a silver bullet in terms of crime prevention, it does offer a way in which people could make themselves less vulnerable to crime.
An Organised Community
The problems facing the communities are undeniably complex and cannot be belittled, however they are not insurmountable. In the past the Backyarders have not really had an organization that champions their cause. Whatever voice they might have had was weakened by the utter lack of support from the ward councilors. Any member of the community can run for the position of ward councilor. Of course when they contest the position the candidates always highlight the problems of the community and promise solutions. This assurance that there will be material improvement is short lived, as it is all too common for the ward councilors to fail to deliver any real changes. Once they get absorbed into the system, they rarely come back to their roots. In short, the current ‘bottom-up’ system isn’t working. As soon as they are elected, the ties to the community are severed. With the governmental position comes the governmental paycheck, so ward councilors actually leave the area they are meant to be fighting for. As a result the community has been forced to fill the supportive role, and there are well-established members who are doing more for their community than their ward councilors.
In Manenberg, there is a group of women who work tirelessly to try better the situation of the community as a whole. They have now undertaken a community enumeration so they will have detailed information about the communities in which they live. It is also an opportunity for them to mobilize their neighbours. The enumerations allow the communities to own their information. It also means the community becomes aware of what their rights are, what services are available to them, and how to access them. A natural byproduct of the enumerations is increased participation and interest in the community by it’s members, and this significantly increases the possibilities for real delivery to happen.
This unified voice is vital when entering into negotiations with the City of Cape Town. The community of Manenberg has a good relationship with the City because of all the contact that they have had over the years – since they have been doing the job of the ward councilors.
In August of this year, there was a housing policy review that was undertaken without consulting the Backyarder communities. The change in policy has changed the criteria for those who qualify for houses. If an individual makes under R3500 per month, they then qualify for housing. This has meant that younger adults are being housed before the elders. When the older generation started their jobs, they joined the waiting lists, and as time continued, their wages went up. The policy does not take this into consideration, so the older members, who have families and therefore more dependents on their wages are technically making more money than the younger 20 year olds who tend to be the sole recipient of their wages who are being housed first. This also makes a mockery of the waiting lists. The older families have been on the waiting list for up to 20 plus years are not being housed in light of this shift.
All of this highlights the importance of the organization of the community. But one community on its own can never be as effective as networks or agglomerations of communities sharing the same or similar interests. As the community organizations in Manenberg arm themselves with the enumeration they will be looking for outside organizations to provide support.
Organisations supporting the Backyarders
The communities of these areas are coming together to work with the Community Organization Resource Centre (CORC) and the Federation of the Urban Poor (FEDUP), which is an affiliate of Slum/Shack Dwellers International. FEDUP mobilizes urban poor communities through savings. It has over 700 affiliates in informal settlements and urban poor neighbourhoods in cities and towns in all nine provinces. FEDUP has been able to secure tenure for more than 25,000 families and has facilitated the creation of grassroots housing associations that have constructed over 15,000 formal houses.
FEDUP seeks to engage state and private institutions in order to find people-centred solutions to challenges of land tenure, infrastructure and housing. This strategy has paid dividends with the National Department of Housing having pledged an annual allocation of 9000 capital subsidies to the Federation. FEDUP also partners the National Ministry in a Joint Working Group that meets regularly to monitor the progress of this agreement.
These alliances with different organizations allow the communities to learn from one another and see what is possible through organization and a unified voice. Once the communities have confidence in what they are doing, they are able to address the local government with their concerns and challenge the government to meet them half way.
Source – http://www.thecommentfactory.com/the-backyard-dwellers-of-cape-town-rise-up-2401
Threshold Conditions for the Persistence of Plague Transmission in Urban Rats.
Risk Anal. 2009 Oct 29
Threshold Conditions for the Persistence of Plague Transmission in Urban Rats.
Durham DP, Casman EA. Department of Engineering & Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA.
In this article we derive a mathematical expression characterizing the tendency for Yersinia pestis, the etiologic agent of plague, to become established in an urban rat population upon introduction, and evaluate this risk for several cities. The expression gives a threshold condition for the persistence of Y. pestis transmission in terms of measurable attributes of a local urban rat population: the average flea density and the rat colony size. If the local rat and flea populations exceed this threshold, plague circulation is predicted to continue; if not, it will burn out of its own accord. This expression may be used to evaluate both the vulnerability of a specific neighborhood and the effect of pest control strategies upon that vulnerability.
IFH – Mud and ash for handwashing
Use of ash and mud for handwashing in low income communities. 2009. (pdf, 480KB) Professor Sally F. Bloomfield; Professor Kumar Jyoti Nath. International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene (IFH).
Epidemiological and microbiological data show that, in low income communities, as elsewhere, handwashing is particularly important in reducing the burden of infectious and parasitic diseases. These data also suggest that the efficacy of the handwashing process itself has a significant impact on the risk of disease transmission. A key factor is the extent to which pathogens are detached from the skin surface, by rubbing with appropriate materials prior to rinsing. In low income communities in developing countries, soil, mud or ash are still frequently used as an alternative to soap.
In using mud, soil or ash as an alternative to soap, it is important to weigh the potential benefits, against the fact that these materials can become contaminated with pathogens and helminths, and can themselves act as a vehicle and source of gastrointestinal, parasitic and other infections. These materials can also contain potential toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, lead and chromium, as well as pesticides.
The objective of this review is to bring together the available scientific data on the benefits and potential risks of using mud, soil and ash, as against soap, as against water only, for handwashing, and evaluate the factors which inform choice of the most appropriate agent in relation to the needs and constraints in different communities. The review was prepared by Professor Sally Bloomfield and Professor KJ Nath. The report was peer reviewed by Dr Stephen Luby (International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh) and Dr Bilqis Hoque (Environment and Population Research Centre, Bangladesh).
Urban Reproductive Health Initiative – New website
The Measurement, Learning & Evaluation (MLE) Project for the Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (URHI) is pleased to announce the launch of its website: www.urbanreproductivehealth.org. Through a rigorous evaluation study design, the MLE project will identify approaches that increase contraceptive prevalence rates in rapidly growing cities in India, Nigeria, Kenya, and Senegal.
The MLE project serves as the technical resource for local efforts to monitor and evaluate URHI programs in these countries and documents evidence-based best practices for health services that target the urban poor. Through the website and other dissemination events, the MLE project plans to share promising approaches with policy makers, program managers, and researchers globally and build local capacity to undertake rigorous measurement and evaluation of population, family planning, and integrated reproductive health activities targeting vulnerable urban populations.
To receive the MLE quarterly e-newsletter, please register at: http://www.cpc.unc.edu/urbanreproductivehealth/registration.
PRB Online – Does Climate Change Threaten Our Cities?
Join the PRB Discuss Online – “Does Climate Change Threaten Our Cities?”
When: Friday, Oct. 30, 2009, 1 – 2 p.m.
Who: Mark Montgomery, professor, Stony Brook University; and senior associate, Population Council’s Poverty, Gender, and Youth Program
Where: Go to http://discuss.prb.org. You may submit questions in advance and during the discussion. A full transcript of the questions and answers will be posted after the discussion.
The cities and towns of developing countries are projected to absorb at least 2.5 billion additional people by 2050. At the same time, these areas will experience global climate change likely to bring floods, droughts, food insecurity, and loss of livelihoods. These converging trends pose mounting health risks for people living in urban areas in developing countries, especially for the poorest residents. Where are the greatest health risks and what can be done to manage them?
Join Mark Montgomery as he answers your questions about urban growth, health, and climate change. He studies the implications of global climate change on urban areas of developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Mark Montgomery is a professor of economics at Stony Brook University, New York, and a senior associate with the Population Council’s Poverty, Gender, and Youth Program. His current research interests include the links between poverty and demographic behavior in the cities of developing countries; measuring poverty and poverty dynamics; and the implications of climate change for the urban areas of developing countries. As co-chair of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences Panel on Urban Population Dynamics, he co-edited the panel’s report, Cities Transformed: Demographic Change and Its Implications in the Developing World. He is the author of the recent PRB Population Bulletin “Urban Poverty and Health in Developing Countries.”
Population Reference Bureau
www.prb.
Oct. 23 update from the International Conference on Urban Health, Nairobi
As the 8th International Conference on Urban Health draws to a close, delegates are reminded of the commitment they have made in the Nairobi Statement on Urbanization and Health.
The first of its kind to be held in Africa the conference did draw from the challenges that urbanization brings to countries in the south. Making the statement the delegates acknowledged the fact that urbanization is a reality facing all countries and that between now and 2050, 3 billion people will settle primarily in cities a fact that needs planning and action now.
When the conference began, delegates took a tour of some of the slums that are in Nairobi and witnessed for themselves the fact that majority of urban residents are living in informal settlements where they lack proper housing, water, sanitation, garbage disposal, security, schooling and health services.
The statement adds that if well managed, cities can be engines of development for national economies and centers of positive sociopolitical transformation. The conference has also noted that countries that fail to plan for increasing urbanization place themselves and their citizens’ health, economic, and security risk. Countries that fail to plan for increasing urbanization place themselves and their citizens at serious health, economic and security risk.
The health of slum dwellers is typically well below that in other urban and rural areas, even when stratified by poverty level. These inequities are also observed in other critical development indicators like schooling and affect the health of the entire city.
Settlements without legal status and services can become focal points for social tensions, conflict and illicit economic activity as was witnessed in Kenya during the post election violence.
Owing to the above challenges the participants especially the urban champions who are mainly drawn from local governments committed themselves to give effective, transparent, accountable and proactive governance that is broadly inclusive as a critical factor in the growth of healthy cities.
The first day of the conference demonstrated what this particular commitment was all about. For the first time, communities spoke of solutions for issues like, water and sanitation; waste management; security, health services among others. Residents of Kibera, Korogocho,Viwandani and Mathare (some of the informal settlements from Kenya’s capital, Nairobi) showcased projects that offer solutions to the ever challenging problems of urbanization like; health insurance, HIV/AIDs, Sustainable Livelihoods, Security and Peace initiatives, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Disabilities and Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
The conference closes with acknowledging that solutions to urbanization should be developed within a framework that is intersectoral where governments work effectively in partnership with the public, organizations of civil society and the business community.
To echo Kenya’s Assistant Minister for Nairobi Metropolitan Mrs Elizabeth Ongoro, ‘governments need to create people-centred solutions’. This means that donor agencies and governments must include urban concerns in their strategies as adapted to country circumstances. A point that was emphasized by Darren Walker, the Vice President of the Rockefeller Foundation Initiative. “We need to bridge policy and practice as well as find out how we can break from the old ways of thinking to be able to move away from the grave challenges of infrastructure and housing.”
Interventions and programs to improve the functioning of urban areas and cities should be designed with equity consciousness to ensure that the most vulnerable urban dwellers have input to and benefit from the programs.
As the meeting closes what is urgent is the development of effective strategies that create incentives to health to address the challenges of slum settlements to ensure they are places where human needs are met , and people can live decent lives.
No malaria in Nairobi say experts – presentation at ICUH conference, Nairobi
There is no malaria in Nairobi, say experts – City residents may have been taking expensive malaria drugs for years when the disease is negligible, if not non-existent, in Nairobi.
Research carried out in 2008 by reputable organisations indicates there is no malaria in the city. The firms that conducted the study include the Kenya Medical Research Institute, the UK’s Oxford and Southampton universities, London School of Tropical Medicine and the African Population and Health Research Centre in Nairobi.
Despite evidence that there could be no malaria in Nairobi, patients especially children with fever were treated for the disease and with the wrong drugs in most instances, says the study, which was prepared for an international conference on health.
Some 983 people in Korogocho, Nairobi were tested and only three indicated they could be having the parasite. Further testing, however, found them to be negative.
“Microscopic examination showed zero prevalence,” says the study titled Malaria Infection in an Urban Informal Settlement in Nairobi: A myth or reality.
Of the group, 170 had run a fever in the last 14 days with more than half being treated for malaria with drugs that are not recommended by the government.
“Only four cases were treated using the recommended first-line treatment,” says the study. The findings contradict the perception of a rising incidence of malaria in Nairobi attributed to warm climate that is more habitable for mosquitoes that carry the disease.
If the findings are validated, malaria may be one problem less to worry about for people in Nairobi. However a more emerging and potent threat will be outlined at the conference on Thursday.
Mr J. O. Ogendo of Maseno University says the biggest danger to city residents, after muggers and robbers, are road accidents targeting pedestrians and cyclists. The researcher recommends that city planners consider pedestrian-friendly policies for Nairobi.
Youth fear stigma of buying condoms – presentation at ICUH, Nairobi
The youth are engaging in unprotected sex because of the stigma and embarrassment associated with buying condoms, a research has revealed.
Religion was also used by young people aged between 15 and 35 as a reason for not using condoms. The study showed that the group had a strong desire to show love, trust and commitment to their partners but shunned protecting themselves from sexually transmitted infections.
The research was carried out by Dr Gwendolyn Morgan and is being exhibited at the urban health conference in Nairobi. It sampled unmarried people. The global health conference has drawn participants from over 40 countries to address challenges facing the urban population.
The research carried out by a local non-governmental organisation says that persons in steady relationships opt not to use condoms because their partners may suspect them of unfaithfulness.
However, older age and a higher level of education and good negotiation skills are among the reasons that prompted young men to consistently use protection.
Behaviour change
Experience and a sexual debut at an earlier age than the average female youth also highly contributed to consistent condom use. The findings support another research done by I Choose Life – Africa, a behaviour change programme in institutions of higher learning on the impact of peer education in such institutions.
The study carried out at Maseno and Kenyatta University in 2007 indicated that 69.5 per cent say they could say “no” to sex without a condom and 76.3 per cent of the respondents agreed that using a condom “shows they care about themselves and their partner”.
Ms Michelle Hassan, an ICL project officer attributed the high incidence of unprotected sex to peer pressure especially amongst university students.
Curiosity and exploration also featured as one of the excuses the youth gave for risky sexual activity. “The most common reason for the sexually active students not using a condom was that they trusted their partner,” Ms Hassan added.
Gates Foundation funding for urban health in India, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal
NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 21- The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is now partnering with the government to help Kenya improve reproductive health services among its urban poor.
Speaking during the 8th International Conference on Urban Health on Wednesday, Senior Programme Officer Monica Kerrigan said the foundation had dedicated itself towards improving reproductive health care among the urban poor in Kenya.
“The foundation is committed to serving the needs of mothers and children and we are launching the urban health initiative in Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Uttar Pradesh in India to improve maternal and new born health services in the urban slum,” she said.
Ms Kerrigan stated that the foundation would work with government, stakeholders, donors and the private sector to assist poor women and children access cheap quality health care.
“We should never turn them away because of financial constraints. We should instead empower them so that they know where to take their children for vaccinations and where to get good medical care,” she explained.
She added that the urban poor had many needs that were not being met by the government and donors saying that the foundation would come in to sort this out through research.
“At the foundation we feel like we have an opportunity to really begin to build robust, evidence-based initiatives to help providers and communities better meet the needs of the urban poor,” she held.
Ms Kerrigan added that it was important for the urban poor to be involved in reproductive health programmes.
“This way we will find out what their needs are and how to best serve them especially in the areas of family planning, maternal and new born survival,” she noted.
She also challenged the government to provide quality family planning services to the urban poor in order to develop a vibrant economy.
“One of the most empowering things for women and men is to identify how many children they want to have and when they want to have them. Family planning will help not only meet their own needs but also educate the children that they have. By helping them have the quality families they want, they can also have a quality community and quality life,” she said.
Ms Kerrigan explained that the foundation would capitalise on the advantages of working in the urban areas and that it would also harness the private sector to activate demand in order to better serve the population.
“We are also interested in advocacy. How can we best work with civil society organisations to allow them the opportunity to monitor and be watch dogs to the urban poor so that they are offered the best services everyday?” she posed.
The Foundation was established by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda with the primary goals of enhancing healthcare and reduce extreme poverty globally.
Summary of Day 2 – International Conference on Urban Health, Nairobi
Day two round up – http://www.icuh2009.org
Mayors and local government leaders met on day two of the conference at the urban champions forum looking at the best practices within cities that can make a difference in urban health.
Four council leaders from different countries in Africa have expressed their satisfaction that despite various challenges, there is evidence of development as far as housing and primary healthcare for slum dwellers is concerned.
During a group discussion at the 8th International Conference on Urban Health in Nairobi, council leaders from the City of Johannesburg in South Africa, the City of Banjul in Gambia, City of Windhoek in Namibia, and the City of Abuja in Nigeria articulated some development aspects in their various towns, despite the myriad challenges.
“We are in the process of formalising all our towns in South Africa,” said Bengeza Mthombeni, a Member of the Mayoral Committee, responsible for health in Johannesburg said.
“By this, I mean that we are in the process of eradicating all the informal settlements in South Africa, in a project projected to be through by the year 2014,” he said.
Mthombeni has responsibilities to ensure that a world class primary health services are delivered all over Johannesburg, and overseeing a service which has won a number of prizes in the health sector.
He said that South Africa has ensured that all the slum dwellers have access to primary healthcare free of charge, and that there are mobile clinics provided by the government specifically to serve informal settlements.
“We are in the process of numbering all the streets within all the informal settlements. This will make it easy for one to describe where he or she is when calling for services such as ambulance in case of emergency, fire brigade among others,” said Mthombeni.
In Gambia, His Worship Mayor Samba Faal of the Banjul City said that the government has taken charge of the city, and is buying idle properties left in dilapidated conditions by the city residents, to manage them, and return to the rightful owners when they need them.
“Our economy is dependent on tourism, which includes travelling out and into the country, due to our country’s proximity to the western countries. Several residents find it easy to travel abroad and live there for several years, leaving their properties at home without proper management,” said Mayor Faal.
He added, “The government is now managing the sewage system and solid waste disposal, in a project aimed at reducing diseases that would arise from such.”
So far, the Gambian president Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh has made a commitment to fix the city drainage system that has been ineffective for several years.
However, the most impressive step to development can be witnessed in the City of Windhoek in Namibia. This is one of the rarest places in Africa where the government has developed a water banking system.
“We save up to 90 per cent of all the rain water. And after it is treated, it becomes very handy for the city dwellers as they pump it up for domestic and industrial use,” said His Warship Mayor Matheus Shikongo of the Windhoek City.
He added, “Waste management is excellent. From the airport, to the doorsteps even within the informal settlements, you cannot see a piece of paper.”
He disclosed that the country leadership has made city dwellers believe that the country belongs to them. “We do not force anybody to conserve the environment. Everyone understands that it is their responsibility to do so,” he said.
And according to Bernard Mbogoh, a Public Health Officer in the ministry of Public Health and Sanitation in Kenya, the country has implemented several projects to better housing and ensure availability of primary healthcare especially for the low income earners.
“The government provides funding to every constituency, known as the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Through this, communities identify projects of their priority, of which they are later funded to implement,” said Mbogoh.
Through CDF, communities especially within informal settlement areas have been able to put up health centres, school laboratories, toilets among several other projects that they feel are positive for them.
“We also have an initiative to clean the Nairobi River, which has been in a sorrow state for decades. And this is definitely a positive step towards the city development,” Added Mbogoh.
So far, the government of Kenya is in the process of constructing decent houses for slum dwellers, in an effort to formalise the city.
However, all the council leaders identified a few challenges which are common in nearly all the African countries. They included rural urban migration, leading to the upsurge in population pressure within urban areas, provision of affordable primary healthcare to the poor, waste management, decent housing among others.
Delegates will take a break on day two 20th October which is Kenyatta Day and resume on Wednesday 21st with the scientific part of the conference.
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