The Blue Bus Community Ministries (BBCM) is a registered Trust (IT 3529/2012) and Public Benefit Organisation (930042404) that focuses on the impoverished community of Delft and has been working with children, youth and families for over 13 years in promoting the unlocking of the full life potential of the people.
Dr Izanette van Schalkwyk developed the programme “Resilient Youth” as part of her PhD research. She wanted to implement the programme within the following guidelines:
- a community who can benefit the most from this programme and where the need was great
- a community who does not necessarily have the support of wealthy parents (i.e., low resources)
- a community that has many challenges like poverty, low learning culture, discouraged to pursue further education, pregnancy, etc.
- a diverse community that has more than one ethnic group (Coloured & Black), and more than one language compilation (Afrikaans & isiXhosa)
If the programme can be successful in an environment like this, the programme can be implemented anywhere in South Africa. An environment as listed above turned out to be a “high risk” community. Within this timeframe of searching for a community like mentioned above, pastor Charles George of Delft invited Dr Izanette to implement this programme in Delft. He will introduce her to a specific school that recently opened to the community and he will act as gatekeeper to the community.
Why Delft?
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Delft was established in 1989, as a project of the previous House of Representatives during the Apartheid era. It was established as an Integrated Service Land Project for “coloured” and “black” people in the urban areas of the Western Cape, with low or no income. Delft is located within the eastern district of the City of Tygerberg Local Authority.
- Delft is known as an area with poor socioeconomic conditions, high development needs, cultural diversity, an ever-growing, population, high levels of unemployment, high levels of crime, and a range of social and health problems. In the communities of Delft 64% earn less than R1601 per month. This group is followed by 27.4% earning in the range of R1 601-R3 200; and only 5.3 % earning more than R 3 200 per month.
- Delft is an area with high gang activity and violent crime rates. Between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020, Delft was the top police station in the nation with the most recorded murders of 256 cases.
A message from Dr Izanette
I consider my academic qualifications and experience as a lecturer as essential equipment for my involvement in this high-risk community. Also, I believe that all persons are” created masterfully” (see Ps. 139); and, we have the capacity to live meaningful lives. Since 2009 I have had the privilege to act as the director of the various projects of the Blue Bus Trust –mainly in Delft. The continuous driver of more than ten productive years’ active community work is my deep compassion for the children and families of our beloved South Africa. In this sense it is imperative to illustrate in ordinary daily events the dynamics of positive functioning and healthy interacting. Therefore, the issue of being trustworthy is a great achievement. This means that the valued input of learners, families and school communities is contributing to the expanding of increasingly more projects at more schools. It is our point of departure to work with community members, for the community.
The enabling and continuous training of our voluntary workers is in alignment with our vision to equip, for example, mothers, to act as project leaders for our reading clubs as various Delft schools. The positive impact of the various projects of the Blue Bus Trust offers potent possibilities toward the breaking of “poverty traps” (Burger et al., 2014), and societal ill-being, such as domestic violence and substance abuse. For example, versus the incidence of high drop-out in Delft, in 2019 we had 11 students from Delft, who were part of our projects since school, studying at Higher Education Institutions of South Africa (Stellenbosch University; University of the Western Cape; Free State University; and North-West University).
Briefly put, to be part of the process to strengthen children, families and school communities toward higher levels of functionality, is truly an overwhelming experience. Ultimately, this work – and, especially the sustainability of the projects of the Blue Bus Trust – will not be possible without the committed support of my beloved husband, Johan van Schalkwyk. Apart from his non-stop encouragement and financial assistance, Johan is a living example for the Delft youngsters and families of a loving husband; a great father and grandfather; and, a person of integrity who is “walking the talk”.
