Primrose’s Ackerman’s Pharmacy has launched a Primrose cleaning and maintenance initiative aimed at keeping the Primrose business district and surrounding areas clean.
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Earlier this year, Ackermans began sweeping debris and dirt around the town, including roads in Beaconsfield and Rietfontein, as well as the park across from Pick and Pay and Primrose Elementary School.
Steward Shapiro, operations manager at Ackermans Pharmacy, said that as the cleanup initiative progressed, the undertaking was bigger than originally planned and the vision for a cleaner environment proved to be just the tip of the iceberg.
“Like most of South Africa’s cities, towns and municipalities, we are plagued by social corruption, indifference, lawlessness, the poor and the homeless,” Shapiro said.
“We at Ackermanns have met with various businesses in the town who have pledged their willingness and enthusiasm to participate in projects like this and have pledged to fund the continued cleaning and maintenance of these roads.” he said.
“We envision starting a forum composed of role players such as community members, business leaders, SAPS, municipality members, district councilors, media and other existing stakeholders.
“The first start-off forum meeting is scheduled for the first week of November,” said Shapiro.
Johan van Wyk, one of the owners of Ackerman’s Pharmacy, said he started cleaning around the pharmacy a few years ago and quickly expanded the area. They hired three previously unemployed locals to clean the streets.
“I had two choices: one is to move the business out of the area where it is now, or two is to do something to improve the environment,” says Van Wyck, a native of Primrose. Told.
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“I asked the steward to approach businesses in the area.
“We have had some positive feedback on the exercise because we have several companies that have bought into the idea now,” he said.
“The main idea is to educate more people about the benefits of having a clean environment. says.
“We want businesses within Primrose CBD to join hands, even if they start cleaning and sweeping in front of their property,” he said.
Pharmacies are also involved in community projects. For the past few years, they have continued to support Itemba Soup Kitchen, a primrose-based feeding plan that offers bread and soup every Wednesday.
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We help about 300 people a week.
Hoping to reinvest in the community, Ackerman’s Pharmacy is expanding, moving its pharmacy across the road to a much larger facility.
Older existing facilities will be converted into affordable medical centers that benefit the general public, especially for uninsured patients who cannot afford private healthcare.
Silvasons Hardware’s Trevor da Silva also said the initiative will not only benefit small businesses, but the community as a whole.
He believes most businesses are family-run and wants to instill pride in them.
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Ward 36 Clr Wendy Morgan welcomed the initiative by local businesses and encouraged the community to manage their space.
“The area looks clean and well-maintained. As a hospital ward, it promotes a safe and clean environment. We ask residents to clean the front gate and manage waste,” he said. Morgan said.
“There are some challenges that we’ve been working on. There are people who make fun of the trash right after the team cleans it up,” she said.
She urged residents to report illegal dumping.
