Viola - Queen of the Bay, so named by fans via Bay Harbour Market's Facebook page, has a very important job to do at Bay Harbour Market; this being to raise funds for community-based project HOUT BAY CARES, making her the most important piggy bank in Hout Bay.
CARES stands for Community Awareness Rehabilitation Education Service and is a sustainable community project working with people in areas of Hout Bay struck by poverty and drug-abuse. Hangberg and Imizamo Yethu are the two townships in Hout Bay that benefit from the project. CARES is managed by non-profit organisation, FavorSA.
"Hangberg and Imizamo Yethu are two townships in Hout Bay experiencing extreme levels of poverty, crime, violence, as well as alcohol and drug-related harms," says Sophia Osburn of CARES. "CARES is a sustainable community development project providing a wide-range of programmes to improve the social well-being of Hangberg and Imizamo Yethu residents. A satellite office in Imizamo Yethu is soon to be launched."
The sustainability of the project, and with it the ability to work with the influx of people needing to find a new way of life, relies on the kindness and support of donors.
Anthony Stroebel, co-founder of Bay Harbour Market, says this is their first initiative with Viola. "Our market is community based and many of our traders are local. Viola will do us proud so please seek her out and make sure she CARES. After the two months collecting for CARES, we shall select another community-based project for her to raise funds."
