Durbanites supporting one another through WhatsApp
What a beautiful, yet simple initiative that encourages the concept of reduce, reuse and recycle in a more personal way in Umhlanga.
An initiative started by a resident from Sunningdale, Umhlanga, has not only spread a sense of togetherness, but has also started a revolution in living sustainably.
Kyle van Reenen started a WhatsApp group in his community that promotes reuse rather than discarding unwanted items.
Van Reenen's hope in starting the WhatsApp group is to grow and build the community spirit of supporting one another. The Sunningdale Buy Nothing WhatsApp group allows community members to help one another by donating items that would otherwise be discarded to someone in need.
You know the saying, one man's trash is another man's treasure.
The idea reminded us of a challenging time in KwaZulu-Natal, when looting and unrest had left many families short of essentials. People in the community got on WhatsApp and bartered and shared what they had, making light of a dark time.
The success of Van Reenen's Sunningdale group has led him to start Buy Nothing WhatsApp groups in Glen Hills, Umhlanga, and Durban North.
Van Reenen told The North Glen News: "I actually got the idea from a show called Chicago Fire, one of the characters was adopting a baby, and they found what they needed through a Buy Nothing group, a reuse group. I put the feelers out in the area I live in and people were quite keen on the idea. We’ve had a number of success stories, including our first one where a resident was looking for a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine."
He said their only rule is that community members respect that it is not a group for selling items. Also, there is close moderation to ensure that all the items are not being taken by one person and also checking that no one is selling the donated items on Facebook Marketplace.
The ethos we hope to instil is to take what you need and give what you don’t need. You can even request what you need, and there might be a person in the group who has that very item they are not using anymore. I have been asked why aren’t we giving to charity. I feel there is enough people giving to charity, but there isn’t enough people looking after our own community. It can be difficult asking for help, but with the Buy Nothing concept, we are strengthening our community.
If you live in one of the abovementioned areas and would like to be a part of the community initiative, then you can contact Kyle van Reenen on [email protected].
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