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Trellidor sponsors security barriers for zero carbon footprint home for orphans 21 October 2009
Trellidor became involved in Project O's house building programme, which builds homes for children on tribal land in the Inanda Valley area. The houses are unique in design, drawing on African tradition in terms of shape but using the best possible materials to make them structurally sound and self sufficient with a zero rated carbon footprint. According to Founder and Director of Project O, Martin Downs, each house will use solar and wind power, household products will be recycled and organic vegetable farming will provide the children with their own food source so that each children's home is completely self-sufficient. Building methods will make sure that the homes will last a minimum of 100 years. "What really appealed to us was that through this housing programme as well as many other initiatives, orphaned children are kept within the communities they are familiar with, surrounded by their siblings as well as people that know their personal history," said Charlene. The first home was recently completed with help from a wide range of volunteers, both local and from overseas. "Our Trellidor Durban West and North Durban franchises sponsored the security barriers for the home, which we used to protect the front door and all the windows. We made sure that we put sliding security barriers on some of the windows to use as an escape route if the front door is inaccessible due to an emergency such as fire," said Charlene. "There are many people involved in Project O's mission to assist the children in this area, which has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world, but we are particularly grateful to founders Martin and Vashti Downs who had the vision necessary to drive such a project. Originally from England, they now live near this area that has become their life's work. We look forward to assisting them with security gates and burglar guards for many more of these homes." |
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It‘s far easier to get despondent about the effect that HIV Aids is having on our country than to actually do anything about it. "One individual can feel so powerless against the rising tide of orphans needing love and care that we're paralysed into doing nothing," said Charlene Erasmus, Trellidor brand and PR manager. "But the founders of Project O refused to let children in Durban's Valley of a Thousand Hills orphaned by the pandemic fend for themselves and we're grateful as a security organisation to have the opportunity to work with them and make a contribution."
