Empowering Tafelsig youth through water and sanitation workshops
03 September 2025
The Ummati Community Upliftment Project, a non-profit organisation based in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain, is one of the City of Cape Town’s grant recipients working to improve the quality of waterways in communities across Cape Town.
The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate provides grant funding to Ummati and 10 other community-based organisations as part of its effort to build meaningful partnerships that inspire a change in how residents interact with sewerage infrastructure, as well as stimulate activities led by residents to protect urban rivers and the natural environment.
As part of its project plan, Ummati is focusing on education, awareness, and job creation initiatives. This includes hosting a series of six Keep it flowing: water, sanitation and you workshops aimed at young people aged between 18 and 24. The sessions tackle responsible water use, common causes of sewer blockages and overflows, and the importance of good sanitation practices. Each workshop concludes with a clean-up activity in local parks and public spaces.
‘The City cannot tackle the vast challenges in the water and sanitation sector alone. By forming meaningful partnerships like the one with Ummati, we are able to amplify our collective reach and impact. It’s a great opportunity for the City to support passionate, local residents who promote wise water use to others and seek solutions to address challenges with sewage incidents from the community’s perspective,’ said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
‘Through these initiatives we aim to empower our community to take ownership of how we interact with the environment. By receing support from the City to do this work as volunteers, we feel that we really are working together towards a common goal - restoring dignity in sanitation and safeguarding our shared water resources. Partnering not only helps to address our immediate concerns such as water pollution and sewer overflows, but also helps us to instill changes in everyday habits among the youth. The clean-ups are also a great activity for all of us to get involved in taking care of our shared community spaces like parks, especially for children and families to safely enjoy,’ said Ilhaam Herbst from the Ummati Community Upliftment Project.
Caption 1: Ilhaam Herbst from Ummati Community Upliftment Project addressing attendees from Tafelsig at the Keep it flowing: water, sanitation and you workshop.
Caption 2: Carol Swarts, a teacher from Paramount High School and facilitator from Ummati Community Upliftment Project, demonstrating how flushing wet wipes, pads and tampons can block sewer systems and cause costly overflows.
Caption 3: Ummati Community Upliftment Project hosting one of its youth-focused water and sanitation workshops at the Tafelsig Hall.
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
