When is a River a River?

“If you were born in Grahamstown/Makhanda less than 25 years ago, and have never been out of the town, you have never seen a river.”

So said the (now retired) school-teacher, Ntombomzi Monakali (pictured here) from Fikizolo Primary School who worked with me right at the start of River Rescue, and is now a member of our Governing Body.

“So what do they see?” I asked.

“A ditch. A ditch where rubbish can be thrown.”

And that explained why what I called ‘rivers’ looked the way they did. Heart-breaking.

What we see around us as we’re growing up we assume is ‘normal’, that it’s always been like that, and so there’s no need to change it. It’s only once you’ve seen something different, experienced clean open spaces, the sight of crystal clear water running over rocks, between grassy banks, shaded with trees … heard the sound of river ripples, the croaking of frogs, seen fish in the water … it’s only then that you begin to ask why your space doesn’t look like that.

And – that’s what the watercourses of Grahamstown/Makhanda used to offer. It’s what the old people still recall. 

How to change the world view of those who have never seen a river? Not by talking, or lecturing, or scolding; not by piling on the guilt and shame. We believe you change that view by SHOWING people who live along the rivers that it CAN be better, that it CAN be done, that it’s possible with their help. And that means getting into the muck and taking it out – again, and again, and again.

It also means NOT paying people to clean up! River Rescue relies entirely on the help of volunteers. Why? I’ve seen so very many worthy causes shut down and fail once the money dries up – if you’re only doing something for the money, it’s not sustainable. For example, if teachers teach only for the money, they’re not going to be really committed teachers; if nurses work only for the cash, they’re going to give up when the going gets tough … it’s passion, courage and steadfast determination that drive change and excellence.

A friend’s very good advice was, “Work with the willing”. I look for people who ‘Look to see what must be done and do it’.