It is not uncommon for Residents’ Welfare Association maintaining the parks in their neighbourhood to seek help from corporates and citizens. The Residents’ Welfare Association of Bangalore East (REWABE) in Cooke Town, however, has found a novel way to generate funds for the upkeep of a walkers’ park and a children’s park on Milton Street. Members have been organising regular flea markets in the walkers’ parks for the past year-and-a-half. The funds generated from the stalls help meet monthly expenses. This Sunday, REWABE is organising its eighth market.
The initiative has turned the once neglected parks into verdant and vibrant green lungs that are popular with families in the neighbourhood.
The journey began in 2014 when REWABE had signed up to maintain the parks under the Namma Bengaluru – Nanna Koduge (Our Bengaluru – My Contribution) programme of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The responsibility of generating funds for the upkeep came upon the association.
“Before we took over, the parks were in a deplorable state. The equipment had given way, plants had withered and there was no security arrangement in place, ” says Indira Arun, secretary of the Association.
The association needs roughly ₹10,000 a month for maintenance, which includes paying the gardener and security personnel. For the first few months, the association dipped into its corpus fund.
“But, we needed to generate more funds to sustain the effort. We hit upon the idea of organising a flea market,” says Kiran Castelino, a member of the association who is organising the event.
The idea proved to be a success.
“The money from the flea market helps meet the cost for three months after which we organise another event,” added Ms. Castelino.
Every thing from clothes, crockery, linen, jewellery and food are sold at the flea markets. But this Sunday, residents are introducing a theme: reduce, reuse and recycle.
This Sunday’s market will feature around 20 stalls selling second-hand goods and upcycled products, including books, clothes, paintings, toys, electronic goods and furniture apart from food stalls. “Depending on the popularity of the concept, we will continue second-hand products in the upcoming markets,” said Ms. Arun.
