The Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa, Fibre Circle and a number of key partners distributed household hand washing units to about 800 households in Thembisa.
They also donated masks to waste pickers and recycling collectors.
Anele Sololo, team manager, said these units could be installed easily by the receivers at their doorways so they could wash their hands before entering the house.
“Thembisa is one of the growing ho tspots for Covid-19 in Ekurhuleni. This will help curb the spread of the virus because all they have to do is to put some soap on the side and fill the bottle with water. The team has been at numerous locations and will continue to support underprivileged communities.”
Msizi Nyembe, Hlanzumhlamba founder, said they mostly focused on educating people about formalising waste sites to legitimate business sites.
“These models are simple to use. In this community, people lack water and sanitation so we decided to support them with what they need most because they work with all kinds of material and they need to be protected from viruses,” said Nyembe.
He added that when using the bottles to wash hands people should use the back of their hand to press the bottle to enable the water to be released because the palm of the hand contains germs and the dirt.
Local business operator Mduduzi Maphosa of Big Time Recycling also added on safety and hygiene methods in his area of business.
“When people come to submit their waste they enter the premises wearing masks. No mask, no entry,” said Maphosa.
“We say those who do not have the virus must not go looking for it. And those who could have it without knowing must not pass it to others by not obeying the regulations. We have realised the need to keep clean because we eat, play and work using the hands,” concluded Maphosa.
