The Schaumberg is a community of 6000 people, mostly refugee immigrants, who live in an informal settlement. They are faced with the daily challenges of no sanitation, no toilets and only one water point. There is a backlog of people who need housing, and the schools refuse entry to the children due to their lack of proper documents, which deprives them of their education. Local government is corrupt and not doing its duty to these people.
Vivien Laverge is a local vegetable farmer in the valley where Schaumberg is situated and was made aware of this through some of her farm workers. She has since become a force of nature, gathering together local faith leaders, political representatives, community reps and local farmers, businesses and schools alike—this was how Parliament of the People-Schaumberg was created. People, together, opened a volunteer school with caregivers and teachers from the local community. They extended water points with water deliveries from local farmers and challenged the provincial government regarding illegal mining, which is meant to restore the land and give a percentage to the Schaumberg community for its development. Interfaith cooperation has been a tool used by the leaders of this Cooperation Circle (CC) to invoke care and compassion and to find common ground in praying for and working in unity for the common good.
