Izwi - Cato Manor Community Newspaper

Seliyabuya Launches Home Ownership Education
The Cato Manor-based housing advisors co-operative known as Seliyabuya has signed a major contract with the CMDA to undertake the running of workshops and embark on a mass home ownership education programme The education programmes are intended for new homeowners who have taken occupation of recently developed houses in projects such as Nsimbini, Booth Road and the Cato Crest Greenfields. Seliyabuya will also liaise with the community and with Metro service departments on issues such as water services, sewerage, electricity, road maintenance etc. "Our desire is to educate and inform our communities who are acquiring houses for the first time, and to encourage a culture of self-reliance and economic development," said Judy Mulqueeny who is a mentor of the co-operative. "Someday institutions like the CMDA and the European Union will not be here. It is proper that when they leave the development should be able to sustain itself. Signing this contract with Seliyabuya is a step in the right direction to make the future brighter for Cato Manor residents," said Judy.
CMDA CEO Clive Forster signs a contract with Seliyabuya Co-operative members. The co-operative will embark on a mass education programme for new home owners.
Farming project takes off
Cato Manor residents proudly display some of the flowers they have grown since their training began.	A retired businessman is convinced that community farming is the solution to alleviate joblessness and promote entrepreneurship. Les Hutton has secured funding from the British Government and Umgeni Water to provide agricultural training to residents of Cato Manor. Residents will be trained on how to grow plants organically.
Les Hutton has developed a system of farming known as the shade cloth plastic protection system. Plants are protected under a huge shade cloth and are constantly nurtured as they grow. The market is ready for organically grown produce. The demand is growing at an alarming rate. We have been approached by Hyperama and Pick 'n Pay to supply them with flowers. Funding has been secured and we will be putting three new systems around the Cato Manor Technical College. Land has been made available for the project, said Les. Each system will be assigned 20 trainees. According to Les, 200 people will have been trained in six months. We aim to train people to grow one crop which already has a market, so that we are able to grow in volume, provide excellent quality and be able to deliver reliably.
Savings Clubs enter housing market
Two Cato Crest savings clubs have been offered an opportunity to build houses for their members at the Greenfields Housing Project. Although requests for sites have come from 15 savings clubs, the CMDA has agreed to set aside sites for two clubs as a pilot project.	Two of the houses that are being onstructed by the Cato Crest Savings Club at the Greenfields Housing Project.
These are clubs whose members are affected by the infrastructural work within the main settlement. "This is a pilot project to gauge what the clubs can do. If they are successful we can work together with them in the next phase of the development. For now all the sites in the Greenfields are for people who have to relocate as a result of the infrastructural programme in the main settlement. We think the idea of people wanting to build their own houses is great," said Heather Maxwell of the CMDA. However some clubs say they cannot build houses from scratch because of the financial implications, but would rather use their savings to extend houses built out of the PHDB subsidies. Vukuzithathe is a South African Homeless Peoples Federation affiliate which has a large following within the boundaries of Cato Crest. According to spokesperson, Monica Mabaso, some 200 families have joined the savings club. "Many poor people have joined our Savings Club because it is easy and very affordable to become a member. To join people have to contribute R3 and receive a book. Thereafter members have to contribute whatever they can afford on a daily basis. It can be as little as R1," she said. This is how the club works. The money is deposited in a bank and receipts for every member are carefully documented. Should members decide they do not want to be part of the savings club their money is returned and no interest is charged. When a member is ready to build or when a site becomes available, a bank is approached for a loan. Members repay the loan on rates agreed to between them and the bank. The savings that are contributed by each member are forwarded as a deposit.

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