By her own admission, Gonubie’s Post Office manager may not be much of a gardener, but she pitched in with gusto when community activists, who call themselves “Nubians”, and Rotary members arrived to spruce up the building’s neglected front garden.
“The Nubians and other residents took the Post Office into their own hands and I really appreciate what they have done,” said Thami Lugayeni, who has headed up the suburb’s post office for 17 years.
“I don’t know much about flowers, but I grow herbs at home, so I will bring some of my lavender and rosemary and plant it here. It was so overgrown before and now customers are saying how pretty it looks.”
Gonubie residents and its business community are becoming known for beautifying and repairing its public spaces, and the post office garden is their latest feel-good project.
At the forefront of the facelift campaign is the Rotary Club of Gonubie and the Nubians, who have wielded their paint brushes, spades and welders to give public areas a spit and a polish.
Together with Spar supermarket tycoon Gotz von Westernhagen, who bank-rolled operations, the community activists pitched in to repair the boardwalk and the Deary Drive’s log fence earlier this year.
At the Gonubie Post Office the scruffy, overgrown flower beds were replaced with colourful begonias and marigolds and the back garden was cleared of bush on two recent Saturday mornings.
Lugayeni has since been seen weeding and watering the flower beds.
The Nubian group morphed from a Facebook page started by Gonubie biker Louw Myburgh, who is a firm believer in the power of good neighbourliness.
“I am the Nubian president and started the Nubians Unlimited page in August last year and it already has more than 1000 members. We notify each other if we need help of any kind or recommendations for services or businesses.
“For instance we have a local avocado thief called Eric and members warn each other when he’s around,” he laughed.
“We just love Gonubie and want it to be a beautiful place to live.”
Rotary Club Gonubie past president John Jansen said members had enjoyed working with the Nubians to revamp the post office garden. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Residents in ‘feel good’ initiative
“The Nubians and other residents took the Post Office into their own hands and I really appreciate what they have done,” said Thami Lugayeni, who has headed up the suburb’s post office for 17 years.
“I don’t know much about flowers, but I grow herbs at home, so I will bring some of my lavender and rosemary and plant it here. It was so overgrown before and now customers are saying how pretty it looks.”
Gonubie residents and its business community are becoming known for beautifying and repairing its public spaces, and the post office garden is their latest feel-good project.
At the forefront of the facelift campaign is the Rotary Club of Gonubie and the Nubians, who have wielded their paint brushes, spades and welders to give public areas a spit and a polish.
Together with Spar supermarket tycoon Gotz von Westernhagen, who bank-rolled operations, the community activists pitched in to repair the boardwalk and the Deary Drive’s log fence earlier this year.
At the Gonubie Post Office the scruffy, overgrown flower beds were replaced with colourful begonias and marigolds and the back garden was cleared of bush on two recent Saturday mornings.
Lugayeni has since been seen weeding and watering the flower beds.
The Nubian group morphed from a Facebook page started by Gonubie biker Louw Myburgh, who is a firm believer in the power of good neighbourliness.
“I am the Nubian president and started the Nubians Unlimited page in August last year and it already has more than 1000 members. We notify each other if we need help of any kind or recommendations for services or businesses.
“For instance we have a local avocado thief called Eric and members warn each other when he’s around,” he laughed.
“We just love Gonubie and want it to be a beautiful place to live.”
Rotary Club Gonubie past president John Jansen said members had enjoyed working with the Nubians to revamp the post office garden. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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