Land of the Living | June 2022

An update from Scott Worley

Mosaic in the making

Collective impact. A beautiful concept conveying the spirit of diverse community stakeholders coming together, each offering their own inherent strengths, to collectively and organically build something not possible in isolation. It is much like the above mosaic of the tree of life – which could be a mere colourful yet chaotic mess if each tile was to do its own thing in any given place & direction, yet which instead unveils a deeply compelling image & story when working together inter-dependently.

One of the most crucial things we have learned over the past several years of seeking to grow in size, reach & impact as a green enterprise is the foundational importance of creative collaboration in ways which actively involve & benefit the collective whole. This turns the traditional dynamics of “benefactor” and “beneficiary”, of “donor” and “recipient”, on their heads and creates a mutually beneficial ecosystem where all involved both generously invest what they have and simultaneously reap the blessing of an encouraging return.

What are some ways this has taken practical shape in pursuit of a transformed East London, South Africa?

The above map illustrates through colour-coded shading the areas of the city which through various projects we are able to clean and regularly maintain, through monthly partnerships with generous & visionary local businesses (currently nearing 50 in total). Each contributes financially to collectively cover the cost, and a few even send volunteer teams to regularly participate alongside us. In the process they enable us to create livelihood-providing and skills-development opportunities for previously unemployed youth, as an in-road into the organisation with potential for eventual permanent employment.

At the same time, individual residents also proactively participate in the shared vision, through utilisation of our weekly recyclable waste collection service. The above map shows the areas of the city covered, and we are currently blessed to serve more than 280 households & small businesses. This actively involves the public in environmental conservation & awareness, gives people something they can easily and tangibly do in their own homes, and likewise contributes toward youth employment and organisational sustainability.

And the efforts toward a clean city go far beyond our own programming! In January, after heavy rainfall and flash flooding, a mass of hyacinth washed down the Nahoon River and ended up covering the entirety of Nahoon Beach – carrying with it overwhelming amounts of plastic and other litter which was being carried out to sea.

In response, through the appeal of Jonginenge Eco-adventure (another local organisation), scores of city residents showed up on the beach to help wade through the heavy mass of hyacinth and pick out such litter. While the job seemed staggering in size and complexity, the turnout was even more staggering in terms of inspiration and encouragement! This beautifully highlighted the power of collective effort toward a common goal of nurturing and maintaining a clean & pristine environment.

Finally, such collective impact recently extended its reach internationally when some dear friends in the USA made a hugely generous donation toward helping us purchase a desperately needed additional truck – as we had been relying heavily on the usage of a very old one prone to constant breakdowns resulting in expensive repairs and services disruption. And this donation was matched by our long-time local business partner Car Connexion, who found us a used truck in good condition (shown above) and funded the remaining balance, enabling us to purchase it. As a result of this mutual investment by international friends and a local business partner, we now are able to conduct operations (especially the recyclables collection service) more efficiently, with lower vehicle maintenance costs.

Collective impact is only possible when bringing people together, each with their own unique God-given strengths, gifts, passions and resources, toward a common vision of holistic transformation. This necessitates a long-term commitment to a gradually unfolding organic process – a mosaic in the making – and it is what Land of the Living and One Collective are all about.

You continue to play an essential role in this process - through your prayers, financial support, networking assistance, collaborative partnerships, services utilisation, and endless encouragement. Thank you for joining us in this evolving journey!