An extraordinary week for the team. Last week’s post “Monday in Joza – Eco-Bricks” received a tremendous response and has fueled us with energy.
News of the Eco-Brick home that Dr Trevor Davies is building with his employee, Sivuyile Kewuti, featured in various online publications and the SABC visited eNkanini and interviewed Sivuyile and Paul Marriner. We understand it will be on the news this week.
The comments (222 of them) provided a range of input, critique, and support. Structural building guidance, environmental issues, aesthetic recommendations etc. Trevor is deeply appreciative of the input from those he has personally spoken to.
Also excellent suggestion from Julie Willis for children to earn tokens in exchange for Eco-Bricks. Tokens exchanged for school supplies, soap, toothpaste etc. Any Retailers interested in helping us on this one?
Thank you to those that shared and liked the post and for all the feedback received.
People from far and wide asked where Eco-Bricks can be delivered. Today I collected 200 from Mrs Hilary Viljoen in PE. Hilary (pictured) is the centre of a network making Eco-Bricks for many years and using them in various installations. They now have a surplus and graciously handed them over to The Grahamstown Project. Thank you Hilary!
Our mission is to build two more Eco-Brick houses and smaller installations such as park benches etc. We require 10,000 Eco-Bricks. Capital cost likely to be R100k. We are seeking partners and sponsors on these projects. Please email Paul@TheGrahamstownProject.com if you’d like to be involved in these environmentally friendly projects that provide homes of dignity for people.
Eco-Bricks (pls pack them tight with clean, dry plastic to mass of 600g) can be dropped off at Dr Trevor Davies Optometrist, 18 Bathurst Street, Grahamstown. We’re also working on a PE depot.
Thank you for the support. Let’s build Eco-Brick houses and clean up the environment!
Photo credits: Paul Marriner and Robyn Cooper.
GRAEME HOLMES
Before moving back to Grahamstown in Oct 2017, Graeme was a bank executive based in the big smoke and craziness of Joburg. He has 20 years’ experience in the Payments Industry. He is a Chartered Accountant, has a Masters in Management by Research (MMR) from Wits Business School, and attended an Advanced Management Programme (AMP) offered by INSEAD (The Business School for the World!) in France.
Graeme is the founder of The Grahamstown Project. It’s simple. He says, “Grahamstown is a microcosm of South Africa. If we can’t get this place to function properly then the whole country is stuffed. Many of the troubles we experience as a country today have their roots here in Grahamstown. it is here where black and white people first engaged in conflict on the African continent. It is here where 9 wars of dispossession over 100 years took place and virtually destroyed the amaXhosa nation. But we are where we are. I don’t have a British passport and the boat-trip back to where my ancestors came from is exorbitantly expensive. Furthermore, this is my home. I am a son of Africa. We must work together to redress the injustices of the past and move as one into a brighter future.”
Graeme is an avid historian, writer, vlogger and public speaker. Like and follow the Facebook page. Join him on a tour. Contact him. He would love that.