Minute Taking - A waste of time or Essential?

Dear Reader

Its been another busy week at DAG.

This week i realised how important minute taking is.
When meeting the Khayelitsha Team i have to take down minutes which inform the agenda, objectives and milestones we as DAG aim for. It was difficult to administer documents and circulate them to the rest of the team. Because I had never done it [documenting] before I was sceptical about the response, however with the help of my immediate and senior supervisors i got the hang of it.

Documenting helped me improve my grammar and style of writing as well as interact with other team member and understand their area of work and how to find coordination aligning it with our agenda, objective and milestones.
Thanks to DAG for the time and opportunity offered to me.
Cannot wait for the new week to begin, so I can continue to learn.

FYI here are our ''DAG Staff Members' Core Values.''
1. Appreciation and Respect
2. Balance
3. Continuous Learning
4. Integrity
5. Open and Honest Communication
6. Team Work
I'm doing my utmost to uphold the DAG Values...

Variant no 1

This is a complete model

Housing Protests

Dear Reader

In the past two weeks we have seen reports on protests in the Khayelitsha and Philippi areas due to a lack of housing or issues connected to Human Settlement.
I was affected and effected by these demonstration.

Firstly the Lansdowne road was blockaded by a burning Golden Arrow bus so we had to detour.

Secondly, because these issues are the very same issuse, we as DAG,  try to prevent or remedy. It was had to see how liitle we are doing. Currently we're constructing 2173 houses around Khayelitsha, which has a population of atleast half a million people 2173 is but a drop in the ocean.

We, as up and coming professionals in the Built Enivronment we should ensure that every human is settled.

for more info.
http://antieviction.org.za/tag/protest/

being a Daggy

Dear Reader

Its been 5 weeks since i started at DAG, it has been challenging because for Architectural Students we are not exposed to the policies proposal loobying and demonastrating a pro-poor agenda.
At school we are taught how to design spectecular houses with a budget of six digits, and we forget the 'bread and butter' issues that we are creating a situation where the ones who have and other who dont have then how do we then bridge the gap between the haves and the have nots. Poor people have no voice their pleas fall on deaf ears.
We at DAG give those who dont have a voice a chance to experince the same feelins as a person who has a million rand house in Clifton. The person in Khayelitsha will sleep better knowing that they have some one fighting for them.
I am proud to stand in the line for an hour getting plans approved knowing that at the end some one will spend a night under a secure roof to call His/Her own.

Regards
Daggy_

php house ( Variant 1)

3D model

Dear Reader

In the first week of July i was appointed at DAG (Development Action Group), as an intern in the Khayelitsha Public Housing Project (KPHP).
The project is focused on unblocking 9 (nine) Housing Projects, in total 2731 houses were supposed to be constructed.  

The 9 projects were blocked by Provincial Goverment due to corruption of some of the 9 Housing Project leaders, pocketing the funds from the Goverment. One of whom wasa tried and sentenced in the past few weeks. i will keep you updated with DAG's progress in achiving a milestone of providing the 2731 families with what is due to them.

DAG is a NGO which has a 'Pro-Poor' agenda and policies to restore the marginalised dignity, one-day-at-a-time.

'Let's Re-imagine Our City'.
I am having a wonderful time helping all those who find it impossible to.
I feel proud to be a 'Daggy'

Regards
Nkanyezi M Mdatyulwa
ND:Architectural Technology
CPUT