Spinach and onions are growing on land once used for dumping rubbish.

Through the Soulbent Project, cleared dumping sites become vegetable gardens. The produce helps feed vulnerable residents, while sales help pay for equipment such as wheelbarrows and refuse bags.

In March, GroundUp reported that more than two dozen volunteers, including teenagers and pensioners, were cleaning Soweto’s streets during the week.

Their work continues beyond filling a rubbish bag. They are giving neglected ground a use that benefits the people living around it.

People keeping at it

Soulbent began as a family initiative in Atteridgeville in 2008 and expanded into other parts of Gauteng.

The practical needs remain straightforward. Chief executive Mashudu Makhado told GroundUp the organisation needed gardening tools, gloves, refuse bags, litter pickers, masks and sun hats. These are the everyday supplies that make regular work possible.

Along the Jukskei River, the Alexandra Water Warriors are also combining clean-ups with longer-term care. Their work includes recycling, greening and river patrols that speak to residents about dumping, according to a September feature by Good Things Guy drawing on Mandy Wiener’s The Hope Dealers.

Volunteers need reliable backup

Keeping these spaces clean takes more than another volunteer day.

Makhado has pointed to inconsistent refuse collection and poor coordination with municipal teams. Those problems can leave community groups carrying work that needs dependable public services.

There are examples of cooperation. On 5 August, Alexandra Water Warriors joined Pikitup, Johannesburg Water, the roads agency, JMPD and other participants in a joint clean-up. The City also acknowledged that restoring reliable waste collection remained a priority.

How you can help

• Support a group already working nearby. Ask whether it needs volunteers, tools, gloves or refuse bags.
• Arrange removal before a clean-up. Confirm who will collect the filled bags and when.
• Use the right disposal facility. Check Pikitup’s facility finder and confirm what the site accepts before travelling.
• Report illegal dumping. Pikitup lists 0860 562 874 and WhatsApp 082 779 1361. Give the location clearly and keep any reference number provided.

The Bottom Line

The gardens show what sustained care can achieve: food growing on ground people had written off. Supporting the people doing that work, and making sure their rubbish is collected, helps those gains last.