Ngu: Crystal Ross O'Hara
Okwaqala kwiminyaka eli-13 eyadlulayo njengeprojekthi yeklasi iye yaba ngumbutho wemithi ohlumayo kwisixeko saseOrange. Ngo-1994, uDan Slater—owathi kamva wanyulwa kwibhunga lesixeko saseOrange—wathabatha inxaxheba kwiklasi yobunkokeli. Kwiprojekthi yeklasi yakhe ukhethe ukugxila ekuphuculeni imeko yemithi yasesitalatweni ewohlokayo.
USlater ukhumbula oku: “Ngelo xesha, imeko yezoqoqosho yayimbi yaye isixeko sasingenayo imali yokutyala imithi eyayifile neyayifuna ukutshintshwa. Abanye bazimanya ne-Slater kwaye iqela, iOrange for Trees, yaqala ukufuna inkxaso-mali kwaye yaqokelela amavolontiya.
“Injongo yethu ibikwizitrato zokuhlala ezinemithi embalwa okanye engenazo kwaye sizamile ukufumana abahlali abaninzi kangangoko ukuba bakhwele bancedise ukutyala nokunkcenkceshela,” utshilo.
Amavolontiya atyala imithi eOrange, CA.
Imithi njengeZikhuthazi
Zange kube kudala emva kokuba uSlater ethathe izintambo apho iBhunga lesiXeko saseOrange lajongana nomba owawuza kuqaqambisa ubudlelwane obunzulu beemvakalelo abanabo abantu emithini. Ifumaneka malunga neekhilomitha ezingama-30 kumzantsi-mpuma weLos
I-Angeles, i-Orenji sesinye sezixeko ezimbalwa kuMazantsi eCalifornia ezakhiwe malunga neplaza. I-Plaza isebenza njengendawo ekugxilwe kuyo kwisithili sembali esikhethekileyo sesixeko kwaye ingumthombo wokuzingca kuluntu.
Ngowe-1994 kwafumaneka imali yokuphucula iplaza. Abaphuhlisi bafuna ukususa i-16 ekhoyo ye-Canary Island pines kwaye endaweni yazo nge-Queen Palms, i-icon yase-Southern California. “Imithi yompayina ibisempilweni kwaye imihle kakhulu kwaye imide kakhulu,” utsho uBea Herbst, ilungu eliseka iOrange for Trees nosekela mongameli ngoku walo mbutho. “Enye yezinto malunga nale mipayini kukuba inyamezela umhlaba ombi kakhulu. Yimithi eyomeleleyo.”
Kodwa abaphuhlisi babeqinile. Babenexhala lokuba iipayina ziya kuphazamisana nezicwangciso zabo zokubandakanya ukutya kwangaphandle kwiplaza. Lo mbandela waphelela kwibhunga lesixeko. Njengoko uHerbst ekhumbulayo, “kwakukho abantu abangaphezu kwama-300 kuloo ntlanganiso yaye abamalunga nama-90 ekhulwini kubo babengabalandeli bompayini.”
USlater, osasebenza eOrange for Trees, uthe waqala wayixhasa imbono kaQueen Palms eplaza, kodwa waphenjelelwa nguHerbst nabanye. “Ndicinga ukuba yayilixesha kuphela kwibhunga lesixeko apho ndaye ndatshintsha ivoti yam,” utsho. Ipayina yahlala, kwaye ekugqibeleni, uSlater uthi uyavuya kuba etshintshe ingqondo yakhe. Ukongeza ekuboneleleni ngobuhle kunye nomthunzi weplaza, imithi ibe yinkxaso yemali kwisixeko.
Ngezakhiwo zayo zembali kunye namakhaya, iplaza enomtsalane kunye nokuba kufutshane kwayo eHollywood, iOrange isebenze njengendawo yokufowunela imiboniso bhanyabhanya emininzi kamabonwakude kunye neemuvi, kubandakanya Laa Nto Uyenzayo noTom Hanks kunye neCrimson Tide kunye noDenzel Washington kunye noGene Hackman. “Inencasa yedolophu encinci kuyo kwaye ngenxa yepayina awucingi ukuba uMzantsi California,” utshilo uHerbst.
Umlo wokusindisa iplaza pines uncede ukuqinisa inkxaso yokugcina imithi yesixeko kunye neOrange yeMithi, iHerbst kunye neSlater zithi. Lo mbutho, owaba ngumbutho ongenzi nzuzo ngokusemthethweni ngo-Okthobha ka-1995, ngoku unamalungu amalunga neshumi elinesibini kunye nebhodi enamalungu amahlanu.
Iinzame eziqhubekayo
Injongo yeOrenji yeMithi “kukulima, ukukhusela nokulondoloza imithi yeOrenji, kawonke-wonke neyabucala.” Eli qela liqokelela amavolontiya ukuze kutyalwe ukusuka ngo-Oktobha ukuya kuMeyi. Iba malunga nesixhenxe sokutyala ngexesha lonyaka, utshilo uHerbst. Uqikelela ukuba kuyo yonke iOrange yeMithi ityale malunga ne-1,200 yemithi kule minyaka ili-13 idlulileyo.
IOrange for Trees ikwasebenzisana nabaninimzi ukubafundisa ngokubaluleka kwemithi nendlela yokunyamekela. UHerbst uchithe iminyaka emibini efunda ihorticulture kwikholeji yabancinci kwaye uya kuphuma aye ezindlini ukuya kunika abahlali iingcebiso ngemithi simahla. Eli qela likwaphembelela isixeko egameni labahlali ukuze kugcinwe imithi kunye nokutyalwa.
Ulutsha lwasekuhlaleni lutyala imithi eneOrenji yeMithi.
USlater uthi ukufumana inkxaso evela kwisixeko nabahlali baso yeyona nto iphambili kwimpumelelo yombutho. “Inxalenye yempumelelo ivela ekuthengeni ngabahlali,” utshilo. “Asityala imithi apho abantu bangayifuniyo kwaye singayikhathalelanga.”
USlater uthi izicwangciso zekamva leOrange leMithi ziquka ukuphucula umsebenzi osele usenziwa ngumbutho. “Ndingathanda ukusibona singcono kule nto siyenzayo, sikhulisa amalungu ethu, kwaye sandise inkxaso-mali yethu nokusebenza kwethu,” utshilo. Kwaye ngokuqinisekileyo iya kuba ziindaba ezimnandi kwimithi yeOrenji.