(Mark Liptrot – Afripack’s Group Sustainability Manager; Philip Sithole – Head of Business Support, Tourism and Markets Dept / Head of Durban Tourism; Jackie Sewpersad – Umcebo Design, and Kathryn Kure – Director: eThekwini Community Foundation) In front: Siyanda Shange (12) Silwane Primary School, Inanda wearing a self designed Tshirt; Nothemba Khumalo (12) Silwane Primary School, Inanda wearing a self designed Tshirt, and Eric Apelgren – Head: International and Governance Relations. Disco Sheep made from Tshirt offcuts (Donna and Summer) – made at HIVAN Imzimela Project / uKhamba / Umcebo Design Workshop. Bling garments from recycled metalised plastic packaging film by Umcebo Design)The recently invigorated eThekwini Community Foundation (eCF) is a proactive, results-driven, forward-thinking, not-for-profit public benefit organisation established by eThekwini Municipality whose mission is interfacing people – projects – planet.
The brief of eThekwini Community Foundation is to act as a conduit and strategist between NPOs; independent initiatives; the business community; service providers; the city; the public; the province and the market-place to support, develop and create sustainable projects.
Those projects which have a strong environmental ethos, or which support recycling and up-cycling are favoured, as are projects which work within the creative industries and which provide employment, or income streams, for fledgling, marginalised entrepreneurs and NPOs.
The eThekwini Community Foundation is strategically aligned to, fully embedded within and supported by eThekwini Municipality. The eCF is housed within the municipal department of International and Governance Relations, so is strategically well-poised to work at the interface between Municipal and Provincial mandates, as well as at an international level, particularly through the city’s Sister Cities network.
The eCF has been operational for a while, but has been given a new lease on life under the direction of Kathryn Kure who works closely with International and Governace Relations’ Eric Apelgren and his team.
“Strategically, the eCF is at the heart of strategy and networking. It is mandated to leverage resources to enable community development,” explains Kathryn Kure: Director of the eCF. “It is envisioned that projects incubated within the eCF will be able to go to scale, and those that do not we will be able to learn from and enable success long-term. It shall be an honest broker in terms of interacting with the non-profit community, municipality and business entities. Durban is like the ‘middle child’ in a family; it does not have the size of Johannesburg or the perceived ‘x’ factor of Cape Town.”
“All too often, sadly, it is overlooked, which is not just a problem of image; it’s a problem for our economy,” continues Kure. eCF aims to harness the national and international interest in Durban created by the FIFA World Cup Soccer, Cop17 and Top Gear: “It would be smart to leverage this awareness and build upon it” she adds.
“Our story is not merely that we are caring but also smart and therefore sustainable. Apart from anything else, we also have to breathe new life into our Arts and Culture Precinct, but that is as much about creating products as it is about re-imagining spaces, as much about marketing and tourism as it is about design.”
Kure and her team have made huge strides into living their mission, and have fast-tracked their networking mandate. eCF is currently working on an impressive array of astonishing initiatives. She has identified key stakeholders and is working on initiating partnerships with large, medium and small businesses, non-profits, crafters, advertisers and waste management throughout the Municipality.
Already she is harnessed the creative energies of Umcebo Design; uKhamba and Ubunye Crafters; Refugee Social Services; Room 13 (the foundation supported world-wide by TBWA); Afripack; Vega; DUT; Wildlands Conservation Trust; Crushed Lemon (who reuse advertising billboard material and make them into products) and independent emerging designers. The eCF is being guided and supported by internationally-respected strategists including Dr Thomas Oosthuizen: international brand specialist and Dr Andrew Venter: CEO, Wildlands Conservation Trust.
For more information, contact Kathryn Kure at 083 252 0992 or email kureks@durban.gov.za
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