Trash with purpose in Diepsloot
BERARIO/DIEPSLOOT/BRYANSTON – The paper talks to Diana Musara who shares how the use of eco-bricks has managed to change lives.
About 20 000 eco-bricks and two years later, a building stands in Diepsloot that enriches the lives of local youths and its all thanks to you, community members and organisations.
Diana Musara is the director of Khensani’s Collection, an NPO based in Diepsloot that offers extra lessons to children in Grade 1 to matric with a focus on Stem subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
For the past two years, the organisation has taught in a building solely made from eco-bricks that were collected in communities such as Berario, schools such as St. Stithians, and organisations like The Rotary Club of Randburg, to name a few of all who stepped to make a difference. Musara at Berario Recreational Centre shared how this building came to be and the importance of it in communities much like Diepsloot.
Musara explained that though her organisation was helping close to 70 children in the area, she faced two challenges, first, that after matric children usually did not have the funds to study further and second, that the space designated for learning was getting too small. “It was also made of zinc which meant it would either be too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.” Therefore, the organisation began an entrepreneurship programme, that would focus on them gaining a skill using their hands, and later began looking to an additional building. It was then that she came across the concept of eco-bricks and thought this was a great replacement to the conventional brick.
While doing research into eco-bricks, the organisation saw how the community was ravaged by litter and found the even greater impetus to build this structure with the use of this recyclable material so as to show the community how trash can have a purpose. “But, with any community, seeing is believing, so when you say to them you can build with a bottle they’ll think you crazy.” The Bryanston resident said after the success of the first building they are now looking at building another four with the use of eco-bricks.
With help from organisations like Earthly Touch Solutions, who educate the community about pollution and its effects, they know they are changing mindsets around waste. Other organisations assist too – Khuthaza Foundation and Earthly Touch Foundation. In the long term, they hope this will encourage the greater community to rather use eco-bricks to build their homes over other materials.
