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RLabs is a partner of the VSA. I work for the VSA and also happen to be the chairperson of the Grahamstown branch of RLabs called RLabs Rhini. RLabs is a living lab that works to rehabilitate ex-gangsters and ex-drug dealers. Here in
Grahamstown we are going to focus on peer pressure because many matriculants end up drinking themselves into a stupor at taverns just because they want to fit.

I had the privilage of representing this branch at a conference run by Living Labs in Southern Africa at the RLabs headquartes in Athlone, Cape Town on 1st & 2nd March 2011. It was a success considering that all present Living Labs shared their information freely in order to grow together.

Present at the conference were: Siyakhula Living Lab from Rhodes University; RLabs, the hosts; RLabs Rhini; North West Living Lab; ENoLL who was representing Open Living Labs and Living Labs Global and LAUREA a member of the Europian  Network of Living Labs.

The first day the different Labs shared how they were established and the kind of challenges they are facing as a Lab. On the second day RLab facilitators shared Social Media information and the importance of the way forward as the LLiSA Network to get maximum publicity using the Social Media Tools.

I spent Thursday and Friday with the RLabs’ team. From that information we are starting our work in a week’s time. RLabs Rhini’s first generation of trainees will work over a period of 28 days which will be broken into fourteen weeks. That is, four months. We will introduce them on the uses of communication websites and I hope my hometown will gain from my trip to Cape Town.

To get things going one has to go out and meet people. Best if you don’t know what the goal is. Anna and Ron Wertlen went to Cape Town for three quite different and very interesting meetings.

1. RLabs and Marlon Parker in Athlone: The VSA, eKhaya ICT and RLabs want to work closely together and use each others brains, facilities, softwares and applications, developing new ways of connecting communities and educating and involving different people into the various ongoing projects.
2. Mr Maxwell and Mr Kilpert in Plumstead: The VSA and eKhaya ICT are planning to develop and produce a new product to enable teachers without Internet access to impart the pros and risks of the Internet. We talked to skilled and committed creative designers and concept developers and decided to go ahead as soon as we have the financial backup.
3. Private investors at the Waterfront: We discussed the possibility of the VSA as a benefactor of a new multi-million Rand development project at the Wild Coast whose profit will be fed into community projects. Benefits can only be expected from the second half of 2012.

In South Africa taxi associations do not pay taxis and from what I understand, they’re not really in awe of the government. For instance, if the government tries to introduce a bus system; they kick up a storm – until the proposed system is shelved or scraped. Hence they hike up their prices at will.

It is, therefore, a strange and eye-opening experience when you are in a taxi and people find out that you are attending a conference, you are taking a plane. Suddenly they think you must be swimming in money and they hike the fare. Such was my experience when I had to get from Grahamstown to Port Elizabeth. Because I don’t drive I depend on public transport, and a taxi is cheapest. It also didn’t help that I was in a hurry and the driver understood that I depended on him only to get me there on time.

Isn’t it ironic that when there’s bound to be an unwelcome experience it’s closer to home and people who don’t know you are always more hospitable. We’ve got two sayings in isiXhosa, “Imbongi inconywa ezizweni” and “Umthi omhle ukhiwa ezizweni”. Translated these mean “A poet gets apreciated elsewhere” and “You have to travel to get value”.

I got on the plane and had a little tiff with a white gentleman over my luggage which was on his side of compatment. But before five minutes were over we were talking about experiences of flying. It turned out we’d been in a plane together (although at different sections of a plane) in 2003 when the plane experience turbulance.

When I disembacked I found that I needed not to fear because somebody from RLabs – who had organised my trip – was already there to take me to meet his team. That’s efficiency.

The place I stayed was in Pinetown and is owned by a lady from here in Africa but outside of this country. It is welcoming to note that a person we would call ‘ikwarakwara’ should be so friendly. It shows that it’s not where a person comes from that is the problem but attitude. That sentence is in light of the strange stories about the people from northern African states who come to South Africa & play all sorts of crooked tricks on locals.

The conference itself – an event organised by the LLiSA Network (Living Labs in Southern Africa) was a great success.