Malika Saban

  I have been very privileged to grow up in a secure area. However, some of my neighbouring communities are not as lucky. Unfortunately, just over the field bordering my community, there is a lot of gang violence. We can hear the gunshots from our neighbourhood. When I was growing up, I was very much shielded to this violence and my family and community protected not only me, but all the kids. Our community is very much protected from the violence that occurs next door to us. I believe that to be privileged means to be directly unaffected and protected against something. Therefore, I believe that my community and I are very privileged to have this safety net of protection. However, we shouldn’t take it for granted. As crime increased and gang wars escalated, we should always be aware and not allow this safety net to blind us from the reality and our surroundings. Growing up protected and with a sense of security is great but it can also lead to you being naïve or having a lac...

  As I mentioned in my last post, the community I grew up in, and still live in today, is safe and intimate. When I was young, most of the kids in the neighbourhood were around the same age as me and we would always play in the park and ride our bikes. In Summer we would have water fights, or we would all go to one person’s house and swim. In Winter we would play cards or watch movies or play games that required us to use our imaginations. Growing up with the kids in my community was great because we bonded as children should – physically. We didn’t play on electronics or sit quietly in a room and not talk to each other. We played games and told stories and had proper childhoods with physical human interactions. As we all got older, went to different schools, and started making new friends with other kids outside of the community, we all started to outgrow each other which was okay because that is what happens. Watching the younger children growing up now, it is evident that de...

In my experience, a community is a group of people who live in the same area who understand each other and share some similarities.  For the past 22 years, I have lived in my little close-knit community in Ottery, Cape Town. There is only one way in and one way out to ensure safety in the area. When I was younger, the community held frequent fundraisers for security aids such as the neighbourhood watch groups and security guards to monitor the activity in the neighbourhood. Up until today, we still have security guards and patrol groups. There is a park at the centre of the area surrounded by houses so that kids can safely play and bond with each other. They love to play soccer, rugby or cricket on the field and ride their bicycles around the cul-de-sac. There is a house shop within walking distance from everyone’s houses where we can get essentials without having to get into our cars. It is very convenient and most of the residence would rather support our local shopkeeper than go...