Africa-Press – Cape verde. The Community Association of Achada Eugénio Lima (ACAEL) launched an online petition that it will deliver to the Municipality of Praia, in order to be granted a space, identified in the neighborhood, for the construction of a community center.
According to the president of ACAEL, Ricardina da Veiga, since the creation of that neighborhood, the residents have been distributing the lots, reserving space for schools, church, market and gardens, among others, also participating in the placement of electricity poles.
“We were one of the most illuminated areas of the city, at the time, we built fountains, we had five of this infrastructure, in addition to two changing rooms, a sports sports board (…) the young community leader, cited by Inforpress.
Unfortunately, he continued, over time and with the emergence of “many monetary interests”, often “people who are not committed to fighting for the preservation of heritage”, many of these spaces ceased to exist.
“They were sold, auctioned and also ceded to private infrastructures without public utility”, said the same source, which, in his point of view, left Eugénio Lima, a neighborhood with around eight thousand inhabitants, with a deficit of spaces public.
Claim public spaces
With this need, Ricardina says that ACAEL, since 2019, began to claim some public spaces from the Municipality of Praia, namely a sports board and a square for the neighborhood.
“This was with the old team and we even presented the project of a community center to the former president and some councilors, but, unfortunately, we delayed, because there was only one Municipal Assembly left before the end of the mandate and there was no time”, he explained.
Despite this, ACAEL continued the project, making more presentations, mainly to the residents, having even managed to find possible financing and donations of materials, lacking only “the most important thing”, the land.
“We have already delivered a letter of interest to the current mayor, Francisco Tavares, but we are strengthening it with this petition”, he added.
Utility of the Center
For the space, explained Ricardina da Veiga, ACAEL has a project with an area of training, culture, leisure, well-being and services, that is, a training room, an arts room, another computer room, a community library, as well as as a hall for about 300 people.
They also intend to build an industrial kitchen for pastry classes, another for cafeteria service and hot meals for disadvantaged people, as well as a room with One-Stop Service, a community vegetable garden for horticulture classes, which will supply hot meals, three bathroom and a square, with parking, and leisure area.
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