“sisonke singenza amalukho - together we can make a difference”
We took a drive out the other day along the stunning coastal road from Muizenberg to Monwabisi Park in Khayelitsha, to visit the remarkable and unique Makazi’s Guesthouse. This little hidden gem is located in one of Cape Town’s sprawling informal settlements, and just a few hundred metres from the False Bay coast (in fact, you can see the ocean from the second story bedroom windows). Makazi’s forms part of the Indlovu Project, a community development initiative of the Shaster Foundation. The project was started in 2005 by Di Womersley and Buyiswa Tonono in order to offer care and empowerment opportunities to the residents of Monwabisi Park, and in the long run establish a sustainable eco-village in the township. The community centre consists of a clinic, a youth centre, an education centre, a skills development workshop, a large community hall that also doubles as a cinema, a small shop and a creche. In order to make the project self-sustainable, a volunteer organisation and Makazi’s Guesthouse was established to bring not only income, but also skilled volunteers into the community.
