Midvaal – Heineken Beverages together with Lumkani, an organization dedicated to addressing the challenge of fires in informal settlements, has donated and installed fire alarms in over 700 homes at Sicelo informal settlement in Midvaal.
According to Heineken, 10 fires were prevented in the first month after installation.
“In winter, the risk of uncontrollable fires grows as residents of informal settlements find alternative ways to keep warm. These alternatives include use of unsafe paraffin stoves or wood-fired stoves. Residents also use various light sources such as candles and paraffin lamps for light. This increases the chances of fires.”
Millicent Maroga, Corporate Affairs Director for Heineken Beverages says: “As part of our Brew a Better World sustainability strategy, it was important for us to initiate this project in the Sicelo community, near our Sedibeng Brewery. Contributing to the communities in which we operate and making an impact are at the center of our business. We aim to reduce the occurrence of fires and prevent loss of lives and homes.”
Lumkani, as a result of Heineken’s support and donation, has been able to employ six agents, technical installers and community fire leads within Sicelo.
Speaking about the alarms, Francois Petousis, Chief Executive Officer at Lumkani says they trigger upon detecting a rapid increase in temperature in the home.
“All neighboring fire alarms within a 60-meter radius will ring at the same time, creating a community-wide call to action to deal with the fire before it becomes dangerous. They have been installed with gateways that pick up the signal from fire alarms and can transmit an instant cell phone message to the homeowner and Lumkani.
“We aim to create safe and resilient communities with necessary resources for underserved people. We identify communities that lack critical technologies and introduce tools that are created to reduce risks and inequality. Part of our mission is to reduce the loss of lives and property that results from fires in informal settlements.”
