ngu: Crystal Ross O'Hara
Ngenkathi u-Kemba Shakur eqala ukushiya umsebenzi wakhe njengesikhulu sokuqondiswa kwezigwegwe eJele Lesifunda Sase-Soledad eminyakeni engu-15 edlule futhi wathuthela e-Oakland wabona lokho abantu abaningi abasanda kufika kanye nezivakashi emphakathini wasemadolobheni abakubonayo: indawo yedolobha ewugwadule engenakho kokubili izihlahla namathuba.
Kodwa uShakur naye wabona enye into - amathuba.
“Ngiyayithanda i-Oakland. Inamandla amaningi futhi abantu abaningi abahlala lapha bazizwa ngaleyo ndlela, ”kusho uShakur.
Ngo-1999, u-Shakur wasungula i-Oakland Releaf, inhlangano ezinikele ekuhlinzekeni ukuqeqeshwa komsebenzi entsheni esengozini kanye nabantu abadala okunzima ukubaqasha ngokuthuthukisa ihlathi lasemadolobheni e-Oakland. Ngo-2005, leli qembu lajoyina i-Richmond Releaf eseduze ukwakha i-Urban Releaf.
Isidingo senhlangano enjalo sasisikhulu, ikakhulukazi “emafulethini” ase-Oakland, lapho inhlangano kaShakur izinze khona. Indawo yasemadolobheni ephambana nemigwaqo enguthelawayeka futhi iyikhaya lezindawo eziningi zezimboni, okuhlanganisa iPort of Oakland, ikhwalithi yomoya yaseWest Oakland ithintwa amaloli amaningi kadizili ahambahamba endaweni. Le ndawo iyisiqhingi sokushisa sasemadolobheni, esihlala sibhalisa amadigri amaningana ukuphakama kunomakhelwane waso ogcwele izihlahla, iBerkeley. Isidingo senhlangano eqeqeshelwa umsebenzi naso sasibalulekile. Amazinga okungasebenzi e-Oakland nase-Richmond aphakeme futhi ubugebengu obunodlame buyiphinda kabili noma kathathu kunesilinganiso sikazwelonke.
Brown vs. Brown
Ukukhahlela okukhulu kwe-Urban Releaf kwenzeka ngentwasahlobo yango-1999 ngesikhathi se-"Great Green Sweep," inselelo phakathi kwangaleso sikhathi ababeyiMeya uJerry Brown wase-Oakland kanye noWillie Brown waseSan Francisco. Ebizwa ngokuthi “Brown vs. Brown,” lo mcimbi wabiza idolobha ngalinye ukuthi lihlele amavolontiya ukuze libone ukuthi ubani ongatshala izihlahla eziningi ngosuku olulodwa. Umbango phakathi kombusi wangaphambili uJerry kanye no-Willie ogqamile futhi okhuluma ngokungagwegwesi kuvele kwadonsa kanzima.
“Ngashaqeka ngezinga lokulindela nesasasa elalilethwa,” kukhumbula uShakur. “Sibe namavolontiya alinganiselwa ku-300 futhi satshala izihlahla ezingu-100 ngamahora amabili noma amathathu. Kwahamba ngokushesha. Ngaqalaza emva kwalokho ngathi hhawu izihlahla azanele. Sizodinga okwengeziwe.”
U-Oakland uphumelele emncintiswaneni futhi uShakur wayeqiniseka ukuthi kusengenzeka.
Imisebenzi Eluhlaza Yentsha Yase-Oakland
Ngeminikelo kanye nezibonelelo zikahulumeni kanye nezifundazwe, i-Urban Releaf manje itshala izihlahla ezingaba ngu-600 ngonyaka futhi isiqeqeshe izinkulungwane zentsha. Amakhono izingane eziwafundayo ahlanganisa okungaphezu kokutshala nokunakekela izihlahla. Ngo-2004, i-Urban Releaf yahlangana no-UC Davis kuphrojekthi yocwaningo exhaswe yi-CalFed eklanyelwe ukutadisha imiphumela yezihlahla ekunciphiseni ukungcola komhlabathi, ukuvimbela ukuguguleka nokuthuthukisa izinga lamanzi nomoya. Lolu cwaningo lubize intsha yase-Urban Releaf ukuthi iqoqe idatha ye-GIS, ithathe izilinganiso zokuphuma kwamanzi futhi ihlaziye izibalo - amakhono ahumusheka kalula emakethe yemisebenzi.
Ukunikeza abantu abasha endaweni yangakubo ulwazi olubenza baqasheke kakhulu sekuya ngokuya kubaluleke kakhulu, kusho uShakur. Ezinyangeni ezedlule, iWest Oakland ike yanyakaziswa ngokushona kwezinsizwa ezimbalwa ngenxa yodlame, ezinye zazo uShakur ayezazi mathupha futhi wayesebenze ne-Urban Releaf.
UShakur unethemba lokuthi ngelinye ilanga uzovula “isikhungo sokusimama,” esizosebenza njengendawo emaphakathi yokuhlinzeka ngemisebenzi eluhlaza kubantu abasha e-Oakland, e-Richmond nase-Bay Area enkulu. UShakur ukholelwa ukuthi amathuba emisebenzi amaningi entsheni anganqanda igagasi lodlame.
“Okwamanje kugxilwa kakhulu emakethe ye-green jobs futhi ngiyayithokozela, ngoba igcizelela ukuhlinzeka ngemisebenzi kwabaswele,” usho kanje.
UShakur, umama wezingane ezinhlanu, ukhuluma ngothando ngabantu abasha abeza enhlanganweni bevela ezindaweni ezinzima zase-Oakland naseRichmond. Izwi lakhe ligcwala ukuziqhenya njengoba eveza ukuthi waqala ukuhlangana noRukeya Harris, umfundi wasekolishi ophendula ucingo e-Urban Releaf, eminyakeni eyisishiyagalombili edlule. U-Harris wabona iqembu lase-Urban Releaf litshala isihlahla eduze kwendlu yakhe e-West Oakland futhi wabuza ukuthi angajoyina yini uhlelo lomsebenzi. Wayeneminyaka engu-12 kuphela ngaleso sikhathi, esemncane kakhulu ukuba angajoyina, kodwa waqhubeka ebuza futhi eneminyaka engu-15 wabhalisa. Manje osengumfundi wesibili e-Clark Atlanta University, u-Harris uyaqhubeka nokusebenzela i-Urban Releaf lapho ebuya esikoleni.
Tshala Usuku Lwesihlahla
I-Urban Releaf ikwazile ukuchuma yize kunezikhathi ezinzima kwezomnotho ngenxa yokusekelwa yizinhlangano zikahulumeni kanye nezifundazwe kanye neminikelo yangasese, kusho uShakur. Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-April, amalungu eqembu lebhola lomnqakiswano le-Golden State Warriors kanye nabasebenzi nabaphathi be-Esurance bajoyina amavolontiya e-Urban Releaf "Ngosuku Lokutshala Isihlahla," exhaswe ngu-Esurance, i-ejensi yomshwalense eku-inthanethi. Izihlahla ezingamashumi amabili zatshalwa ezimpambanweni zomgwaqo uMartin Luther King Jr. Way kanye neWest MacArthur Boulevard e-Oakland.
“Lena indawo echithiwe ngempela ngenxa yokudliwa kwempahla,” kusho uNoe Noyola, omunye wamavolontiya “Osukwini Lokutshala Isihlahla.” “Kuyacaca. Kukhona ukhonkolo omningi. Ukwengeza izihlahla ezingu-20 kwenza umehluko ngempela.”
Amavolontiya e-Urban ReLeaf enza umehluko “Ngosuku Lokutshala Isihlahla”.
UNoyola uqale waxhumana ne-Urban Releaf ngesikhathi efuna uxhaso esikhungweni sokuthuthukisa indawo ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukwakheka kwezwe endaweni yangakubo. NjengoShakur, uNoyola waba nomuzwa wokuthi ukushintsha izitshalo ezisahliwe kanye nokhonkolo endaweni emaphakathi ngezihlahla ezihlelwe kahle, izimbali kanye nezihlahlana kuzothuthukisa indawo kanye nomuzwa womphakathi endaweni. Izikhulu zendawo, ezingakwazanga ukuphendula ngokushesha kulolu hlelo, zimnxuse ukuthi asebenzisane ne-Urban Releaf futhi kulobo budlelwano kwatshalwa izihlahla ezingu-20.
Isinyathelo sokuqala, uNoyola uthi, ukukholisa izakhamuzi zendawo ezimanqikanqika kanye nosomabhizinisi ukuthi izithembiso zokuthuthukisa indawo zizofezeka. Ezikhathini eziningi, uthi, izinhlangano ezivela ngaphakathi nangaphandle komphakathi zonke ziyakhuluma, akukho ukulandela. Kwakudingeka imvume kubanikazi bezindawo ngoba kwakudingeka kugawulwe imigwaqo ukuze kutshalwe izihlahla.
Wonke umsebenzi, uthi, wathatha isikhathi esingangenyanga nesigamu kuphela, kodwa umthelela ongokwengqondo waba ngokuphazima kweso futhi ujulile.
Uthi: “Kwaba nethonya elinamandla. “Izihlahla ziyithuluzi ngempela lokubumba kabusha umbono wendawo. Uma ubona izihlahla kanye nohlaza oluningi, umthelela uba ngokushesha.”
Ngaphandle nje kokuthi kuhle, ukutshalwa kwezihlahla kukhuthaze izakhamizi kanye nabanikazi bamabhizinisi ukuthi benze okwengeziwe, kusho uNoyola. Uphawula ukuthi umehluko owenziwe yile phrojekthi ukhuthaze ukutshala okufanayo endaweni elandelayo. Ezinye izakhamuzi ziye zahlela ngisho nemicimbi “yezingadi zabashokobezi,” ukutshalwa kwezihlahla kwamavolontiya okungagunyaziwe kanye nohlaza ezindaweni ezingasasebenzi noma ezonakalisiwe.
Kubo bobabili uNoyola noShakur, ukwaneliseka okukhulu kakhulu emsebenzini wabo kuvele kulokho abakuchaza njengokudala umnyakazo - ukubona abanye begqugquzelwa ukutshala izihlahla eziningi futhi banqobe lokho ababekubona ekuqaleni njengemingcele endaweni yabo.
“Ngesikhathi ngiqala lokhu eminyakeni engu-12 edlule, abantu bangibheka sengathi ngiyahlanya futhi manje bayangithokozela,” kusho uShakur. “Bathi, hhe, sinezindaba zejele nokudla kanye nokuntuleka kwemisebenzi kanti ukhuluma ngezihlahla. Kodwa manje sebeyayithola!”
UCrystal Ross O'Hara uyintatheli ezimele ezinze eDavis, eCalifornia.Isifinyezo Selungu
Unyaka osungulwe: 1999
Inethiwekhi ehlanganisiwe:
Amalungu ebhodi: 15
Abasebenzi: 2 ngokugcwele, 7 itoho
Amaphrojekthi ahlanganisa: Ukutshalwa kwezihlahla nokunakekelwa, ucwaningo lwe-watershed, ukuqeqeshwa kwemisebenzi entsheni esengozini kanye nabantu abadala okunzima ukubaqasha.
Thintana: Kemba Shakur, umqondisi omkhulu
835 57th Street
I-Oakland, CA 94608
510-601-9062 (p)
510-228-0391 (f)
oaklandreleaf@yahoo.com