Our Cookouts
On the 31st of May the ‘Langa youth organisation Umbon’ Omhle held it’s second cookout session in Zone 8, Langa. As the name suggests a cookout is basically an event which involves either cooking food outside or (depending on weather conditions) at least dishing it in outside in a designated space and serving it to the public there. The idea behind the cookout event is to get people in the neighbourhood to reacquaint themselves with one another, and from there begin a conversation about how they can work together as a team to improve their community. The idea is to move away from the notion that you need policing action to get systems of development off the ground. There is a high percentage of alcohol, drug and sexual abuse in the area and the only real way to eradicate these is to create alternative ways and conditions for people to relate to one another.So for the cookouts have mainly entailed Thulani Nxumalo, the director of Umbon’ Omhle, talking at (or to use a more undesirable term ‘preaching’ to) the residents of the area about values and the many actions that contribute to condition of disrespect, disharmony, insecurity, and basic lack of trust in a community. The youth have also contributed through poetry, hip hop performances, singing and basic commentary about how they see a new world emerging within their midst. Residents are invited to come and express themselves about their take on pressing issues as well.
The formation of a group of elderly ladies who got together regularly to watch a DVD of the event was the boldest sign of the success of the first cookout (05/04/09). During discussions led by Mrs. Grace Mnyateli, also at her house in Zone 8 they would about their feelings of the cookout and what contribution they could make to the development of the concept. When we realised that this team had been formed we felt brave enough to call a meeting with all the residents who had signed their names in our register on the day of the cookout. It was at this meeting that three parents /residents were elected to the Umbon’ Omhle ‘Cookout and Events’ planning team.
Our feeling is that we probably had about 60 people at the first cookout. This event ended on a quiet note with interviews being conducted by youth with youth whilst some
DJ’s had some of the organisation’s stalwarts dancing happily away into the evening. This last cookout had over 150 people present and ended in a kind of street festival with the feeling between people being one of camaraderie and friendship. Messages for a need to step outside of the ethnic cultural biases, and to instead begin to develop new cultural practice which take on more humane forms, seemed have been heeded as adults played with the youth in the streets, kicking and running after soccer balls together. The feeling was electric right up to the point where everyone assisted with taking down the tent and returning all kinds of items that had come out of people homes.
In retrospect the one learning we’ve made is that as a result of entry of the elderly in the cooking and logistics fold, we have emerged with what seems to be a ‘battle of cooking’ skills event. The food menus prepared for both cookouts were different. The first cookout’s menu was mainly a braai and salad meal, with the second’s being a soup and stew meal. The difference in the menus makes it difficult to compare these but one must say that Sunday’s soup was out of this world and the following song and dance that followed the main courses’ stew said it all. The real miracle for the day was how we managed to cater for all the people that were there.
In short it is obvious that given the right ingredients, we have established that we have great caterers and chefs in our midst, and therefore the potential of a beautiful local shop which could periodically rotate the local skill in relation to the different seasonal needs.