The Green Net, in collaboration with Barbara Lawrence-Strydom, is building an EcoBrick memorial bench at Secret Sands at Glenmore Beach.
The Africa I See NPC will launch the In-Visible Women ecHo Initiative with the installation of its first ecHo Bench – a powerful symbol of remembrance, environmental stewardship, gratitude and legacy.
This will be launched with the 70th commemoration of South Africa’s Women’s Day on August 9. Construction of the bench will begin today (Thursday) and is expected to be completed on Women’s Day.
The bench will honour the often unseen women in the community whose quiet acts of kindness, leadership, compassion and service have made a lasting difference without public recognition.
The community project has local, national and international support and aims to highlight the growing problem of small plastic waste while showing that everyone can play a part in the solution.
Getting involved is simple. No money, special skills or previous experience is needed – just a willingness to recognise the impact of plastic pollution and take small, practical steps to reduce it. Residents are encouraged to follow the three Rs: Refuse, Reuse and Recycle.
Friends, family members and the community are invited to submit tribute messages, which will be accessible through a QR code at the memorial.
The QR code will also provide an opportunity for those wishing to donate to help sustain and expand the project.
The initiative also has a strong educational focus. Organisers hope it will raise awareness about plastic pollution and show that everyone can make a meaningful contribution to protecting the environment.
The project is about creating more than just a bench. It will become a place of remembrance, learning, hope and community, serving as a lasting reminder that small actions by ordinary people can create extraordinary change.
To ensure the EcoBricks are suitable for construction, plastic bottles must be packed tightly from the bottom to the top with clean, dry, non-recyclable plastic.
Collection points are Southport, the Uvongo Rotary Market and Secret Sands Hotel in Glenmore.
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