Grand-Pa helps communities through recycling

There are extraordinary people in our communities who do astonishing things for those around them and don't expect anything in return. Johannes Ramaisa of Katlehong is one such person and the company was lucky enough enlist his help with its Regeneration Project.

Empowering communities

The project empowers communities to work together towards regenerating areas in the community and enabling individuals to earn a living through recycling.

Activation manager for Nota Bene, which manages the project for Grand-Pa, says he found out about Ramaisa from a principal at a school in Katlehong. “The principal introduced me to Johannes, who is a thought leader and a man with tremendous sway in his community. In addition, he has helped many kids to get their lives back on track over the years,” he said.

In the two weeks leading up to the launch of the project in each area, Ramaisa helps the company train participants about the different recyclable materials (plastic, paper and cans) and what they can expect to be paid for the various items.

Life path changed

Ramaisa changed his life path when he discovered a passion for the arts, particularly visual arts. With the help of a number of people who recognised Ramaisa's compassion for his fellow human beings, he got an art educator's qualification and started the Tsebo Visual Arts School in 1995 to provide visual-arts therapy for young people traumatised by poverty and violence.

“My main aim is to motivate these young people to take care of themselves, to understand they have a place on this planet, to turn their problems into challenges and to get them to do something that allows them to value themselves,” said Ramaisa.

Likely candidates for Ramaisa's school are identified by schools in all nine provinces. Ramaisa currently has about 30 young people under his wing. With permission from the parents and schools they spend every Monday to Friday from 9am to 2pm at the school.

In addition, Ramaisa has established relationships with a number of tertiary education institutions to place young people at once they have been through a bridging programme with him.

Learning and growing

Always learning and growing himself, Ramaisa is currently learning sign language so that he can tutor hearing-disabled children at his school twice a week.

His message to South Africa's youth is: “We need to go out there and revisit ourselves, put aside all the negativity and start to regain our first smile of the future. We need to believe nothing is impossible and that we are moving ahead to a better life.”