Raleigh Station is located 40km south of Johannesburg. On this arid plateau, thousands of corrugated metal huts form a maze of dense dirt lanes. Today, young residents wearing fluorescent yellow vests are measuring the distance between the gates leading to residential blocks. Each meter is approximately two large steps. Lesego Maphike takes his smartphone and records the location of the entrance in an app connected to Google Maps. “This is a place of worship,” she explained. “We try to be as specific as possible so that people can find their way.” She said the NGO Planact recruited to map neighborhoods and assign addresses to each property. One of 30 volunteers.
Since 1985, Planact has been working to combat social exclusion in vulnerable communities. With support from Google, the non-profit organization launched a digital address program to map homes in informal settlements, giving each home a unique “Plus Code” (which works in Google Maps). simplified geographic coordinates). A blue plaque with the Plus Code will then be placed in each home.
Facilitate access to emergency services
Residents are looking forward to this innovation. “It’s very difficult to ask for help when something goes wrong. We have to meet emergency personnel at the police station or liquor store and direct them, but it’s a hassle and they’re always hesitant,” said Elizabeth, a local resident. Tsishonka said. Across from her home, the charred remains of a nearby cabin serve as a haunting reminder of a recent fire that claimed the life of a neighbor. “It happened in the middle of the night,” she recalled gloomily. “We heard them screaming for help. We called the emergency services, but they didn’t arrive until mid-morning. Some people died in the fire. We I couldn’t do anything.”
Most homes use wood or paraffin for cooking and heating, creating a high risk of fire, which is exacerbated by substandard infrastructure. Although South Africa’s constitution has guaranteed the right to adequate housing since 1996, an estimated one-quarter of the country’s urban population still lives in informal housing. Authorities have provided essential services such as electricity, water and communal toilets, but the issue of address remains unresolved.
restoration of dignity
Lack of a formal address deepens the marginalization of already underserved populations. “For example, you can’t open a bank account,” explains Mike Makwela, Principal Program Coordinator at Planact. “Their only option is to borrow someone else’s address.” For less stringent paperwork, residents can also fabricate addresses. “I just entered a random street name and number to enroll my son in school,” said Nonhlanhla Mabunga, a local resident. “However, a physical address is required for things like hospital transfers.”
A digital address may be the answer. Makwela said these new addresses were also registered with local authorities and were supported by local authorities, particularly Johannesburg. “This project will allow us to collect data on the number of housing units in these areas, allowing us to improve urban planning,” he said.
So far, the program has provided digital addresses to 8,000 households and financially supported 1,000 volunteers. Following the success of these pilot projects, the NGO is now looking to scale up this initiative, which will be the first of its kind in Southern Africa.
