A photograph shared on The Merebank Book Project’s Facebook page shows members of the Merewent Football Association (1972): Top from left, the late Mickey Perumal (secretary), Dhanpal Kistiah (record clerk) and the late RB Harry (assistant secretary). Front, from left: The late Boya Naidoo (vice-president), the late NP Chippen (president) and the late Steve Pillay (treasurer). Source: Facebook/The Merebank Book Project (posted by Danpaul Kistiah)
The Merebank Book Project has confirmed that its Eastern Extravaganza, set for this week, is ready to go.
Described as a night of musical nostalgia, the show will pay homage to, and celebrate, dance and music classics of yesteryear. It will feature 20 artistes, including Satchu Annamalai, Tansen Nepaul, Jessica Krish and Shashi Singh.
The event aims to raise funds for the publication of the book, an initiative that is being undertaken by community activists from the late ’70s and early ’80s and onward.
Jeveen Padayachee, the organising secretary for the project, said the idea was to compile a book to document the history and development of Merebank through a community-sourced and driven project.
Through various digital platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook groups, a dedicated email address, Google Forms and the like, the group gathers historical information.
Padayachee said: “Our goal is to preserve and celebrate the rich cultural heritage, stories, and experiences of our neighbourhood. By documenting these narratives in a book, we aim to create a lasting legacy that can be shared with future generations. This is a not merely about writing a book. It is a social experiment to see how far a community would go to help itself.”
He said the book project had also expanded into more of a community engagement and regeneration project with spin-offs like their Community Garden Project, the revival and renewal of a few sporting clubs based in the community, and inter-schools initiatives that took place, among other successes.
Padayachee said proceeds from the tickets sold for the Eastern Extravaganza would go towards publishing the book and revitalising Merebank.
The event will take place on November 18 at the Merebank Regional Hall from 5.30pm. For more information, call Brian at 084 747 6669.
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