PE billboard heralds power of unity

Rush-hour commuters at a busy Port Elizabeth intersection were clearly intrigued on Friday afternoon by the sight of a bunch of people getting creative on a billboard.

After about 90 minutes of team brushwork, all of which was filmed by a crew from Rooftop Productions, the billboard message was revealed: JUST1HR — www.just1hr.org.za.

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But what does it mean?

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Transformation Christian Network (TCN) Coordinator Trevor Jennings explains that it is the first visible sign of a movement that has the potential to “rebuild the walls of our city” by tapping into the “power of unity” as citizens give their community an hour a month of their time and energy to work on identified community projects.

The video of the making of the first billboard will be screened at a breakfast at St George’s Park on Thursday (August 8) to launch the Nehemiah Programme  (a vision birthed among a group of church leaders representing the Nelson Mandela Bay Christian community) and its call-to-action JUST1HR initiative. About 100 people are expected to attend the event which enjoys the support of the NMB Metro which has given the go-ahead for the JUST1HR message to become the permanent backdrop on eight billboards around the metro.

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Inspired by the Old Testament account of Nehemiah successfully implementing a project to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem against daunting odds, the NMB Nehemia Programme team seeks to rally some 1 200 leaders in 60 wards to coordinate community projects guided by socio-economic research and the National Development Plan.

Explaining the potential of the JUST1HR initiative Jennings says: “The ‘power of unity’ or the ‘energy’ or ‘production’ we could generate, with 1 000 000 adults and learners doing just 1 hour per month of voluntary service, adds up to 114 years a month. For example, if 20 people building a RDP house take 20 days, then together we could generate the energy to build 2 000 every month. This is the power of unity.”

“The JUST1HR call to action, although being promoted by Christian Church Leaders is inclusive and open to all people whether churched or unchurched. This is about our City and not about our personal religious persuasions.”

“Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact TCN on 041 581 5726 or email info@tcn.org.za,” he says.

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