Luther Williamson: Uplifting lives through the My Dream Park Competition

RIVONIA, South Africa - Sept. 15, 2013 - PRLog -- The My Dream Park competition is an annual competition taken place in Johannesburg South Africa, various schools participate with the goal being to uplift spirits and get students excited, as well as to encourage them to tap into their creative juices and design the dream park that they feel their school deserves.  This in-turn helps educate the students on how urban greening can improve the quality of life of not just themselves, but of the lives of everyone around them.    The event started with the school choir singing songs composed for the My Dream Park sponsors - City Parks and Total South Africa; some R500 000 comes from the fuel company.

This initiative uplifts the youth across the country and is the brainchild of the Johannesburg City Parks and the Gauteng department of education, what would an event such this be without the Johannesburg City Park’s MD Luther Williamson?  Because of his strong positive beliefs in initiatives such as these, he was honoured to officially open the winners of the dream park competition, Mayibuye Primary School.

As the official opening commenced, sentiments were echoed by Luther Williamson to all who attended the memorable event: “I encourage all the children to follow their dreams and never to be discouraged”

Many children, teachers and parents alike, have never forgotten the day their school was blessed with a park that they could be proud of.  The competition has been running since 2004, and because of people like Luther Williamson, as many as 10 schools now have full parks to uplift the lives of the respective schools students.

Luther Williamson further quoted:

“We need such talent in our midst, because we don't have many landscape architectures in South Africa.”

A further promise was made to the already excited learners, a promise that five learners who drew the winning poster, would receive internship programmes in the company.

One of the learners that contributed to the winning poster was quoted: "I'm happy beyond description," said Gontse Buthelezi.

The once dry, dusty and uninspiring playground at Mayibuye Primary School has been turned into an inviting green oasis, with newly planted trees, a water feature, bins, benches, new swings and slides, and a volley ball court, all of which acts as a catalyst to build civic pride.

Maybuye Primary School after deservedly won the competition, received R250 000 for its dream garden.  Of the other entrants, the schools of Dobsonville’s Thathezakho Primary School, was given R150 000; and Pimville’s Winnie Ngwekazi Primary School, in third place, won prize money of R100 000.