OUR FIRST BUILD
We are very excited, humbled and grateful to be able to team up with Candice from Waste-Ed and Jared from Stasher. Working together they are helping to make Jade’s vision of “saving a fish’s home by building a home for someone,” possible.
OUR PARTNERS:
Waste-ED implements waste to resource systems that explores the journey to zero waste, developing and applying environment based waste management solutions and education. They offer interactive zero waste setups, consulting, research, workshops and presentations. They create much needed, well-insulated structures teaching the skill of natural clay building.
Stasher South Africa are creating a plastic-free planet by helping the world give up its plastic habit. Their bags are self-sealing, air-tight, plastic-free and made from pure platinum food-grade silicone. They’ve embraced the plastic-free ethos and joined forces with local NPO’s doing inspiring work in eliminating plastic pollution from our environment. Together with their partners, they coordinate and participate in regular environmental clean-ups. Stasher is a patented, award-winning design that is eco-friendly and environmentally safe. Take the plastic-free pledge with Stasher SA www.stasherbag.co.za
WHO AND WHAT ARE WE BUILDING FOR:
Our first build is for the Bhongolethu Foundation. Bhongolethu Foundation is a non-profit that provides children with a safe and nurturing education full of rich learning opportunities. We will be building a house for the caretaker, his wife (who cooks for all the learners) and their daughter.
Along with this wonderful learning environment, Bhongolethu Foundation runs a sewing room school for Adults from Masiphumelele to learn the skill and become self-employed. Once they have finished their sewing course they have the opportunity to get involved in one of the extended projects. One of these projects is the ReLIfe project.
Re-Life focuses on upskilling women in the Bhongolethu Foundation sewing group by teaching them valuable sewing, design and business skills.
The women have conceptualized and made shopping bags, laptop bags, conference pouches, laundry bags, aprons, cell phone pouches, car seat covers and many other valuable items using pet food bags, with a touch of shweshwe.
The offcuts from the bags, which cannot be used, are made into/added into EcoBricks.
A larger sewing room for the upskills and Re-Life project is needed and We are eager to get going to build this much-needed sewing room.
If you would like to be involved in our project by workshopping in the build process, donating funds or raw materials you can donate to our Givengain page https://www.givengain.com/cc/oceanoreddentes/ or contact us directly: admin@oceanoreddentes.org
We are currently fire testing eco-bricks and natural building materials with Stellenbosch University. This is the first time in the world for this testing to be done. With these results, we will be able to apply for planning permission for the first legally approved eco brick natural build house in South Africa. Due to Covid 19 the fire testing which was halfway through testing has been put on hold. Hopefully due to resume towards the end of 2020 beginning of 2021.
Watch our blog space, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for further building details coming throughout this year.
ECO BRICKS:
Eco-bricks are made by compressing dry non-recyclable plastic very tightly into a plastic bottle. Making eco-bricks is a journey and eye-opener into your household waste management. You will be surprised how much plastic gets compressed into a 2l bottle! It is also a great way to identify unnecessary packaging that you are using. Identifying where alternatives can be found and how this packaging can be phased out of your monthly household waste.