We were recently introduced to the Indwe community in the Eastern Cape by the Khulumani Support Group, a growing social movement in South Africa with deep roots in many of the country’s poorest communities.
Two HIPPO MOBILE SPAZA rollers were included in this handover. “Spaza” is a term that is used in South Africa to refer to an informal trading post.
We provided training to several small business owners in setting up the Hippo Mobile Spaza as a display unit and using it for transporting goods and products.
Reports from Sada Township at Whittlesea indicate that the Mobile Spaza roller is drawing a huge amount of attention. It is being operated in Whittlesea apparently on the main road through the town and is selling pop corn and vetkoek (fat cakes) that the local Khulumani group is making.
The group has also been asked to transport water for a small fee to homes where funerals are taking place and where there is a need for water for all the people. Apparently demonstrations of the water roller are being held to introduce it to more people in the local communities.
An anonymous donor from the USA financed the purchase and delivery of 50 rollers to Indwe on 29 April 2012. Khulumani groups from the region around Indwe helped us to meet with 6 local communities.
The Khulumani facilitators did a superb job to introduce the Hippo roller to the community in their local language and to put mechanisms in place that are designed to maximise community ownership and benefit.
