AFTER they became suspicious that a notorious dumpsite was the reason for an increase in bronchitis and asthma among their children, the Red Location community in Nelson Mandela Bay sought help in cleaning it up.
And that came in the form of a group of Red Cross Youth volunteers. Coralie Peo-Swartz, of the Port Elizabeth branch, said the volunteers and members of the community managed to clean up open veld next to the Red Location Museum where anything from dead animals, broken baths and geysers were dumped.
"Previously disadvantaged communities often have little or no infrastructure and they become the victims of illegal waste disposal which has serious health risks for the people living in and around these areas," Peo-Swartz said.
The local councillor donated gloves and rubbish bags.
"More than 50 waste bags were filled with rubbish at the end of the day," she said.
"Everyone should know and understand the risk of illegal dumping in communities.
"Essential infrastructure designed to deal with natural occurrences such as floodwaters are rendered useless if they are blocked by unwanted waste materials.
"Blocked drains can also lead to the flooding of homes," Peo-Swartz said.
"More importantly, the risk of bacterial infections and diseases such as cholera increase the vulnerability of the people living close to these dump sites." - Estelle Ellis