AN ongoing community upliftment project last week saw 60 people in the uThungulu district receive water tanks.
JoJo Tanks, a leading manufacturer of polyethylene plastic storage tanks, in partnership with environmental NPO Wildlands Conservation Trust, has to date donated 500 rainwater harvesting tanks this year, with Wildlands purchasing a further 500.
These tanks will be distributed across the country to Wildlands Green-preneurs as part of their sustainable community barter model.
Community members who join the project are taught how to grow indigenous trees (Tree-preneurs) and collect recyclable waste (Waste-preneurs).
When these trees reach a certain height, or their waste is of a significant weight, they can barter this with Wildlands for livelihood support items.
JoJo tanks are a popular purchase option for these Green-preneurs as it provides water security in these disadvantaged communities where formal water supply infrastructures do not exist.
Sithulile Sikhosana (34), a Tree-preneur from the uThungulu district joined the ‘Trees for Life’ project three years ago and hassince JoJo tanks, bicycles, cement, door frames and groceries.
‘We couldn’t have afforded all this if it wasn’t for this amazing project in our community,’ said Sithulile.
Mabutho Khoza (19), who has no parents and resides with five sister and cousins, has been able to pay school fees for some of his siblings and has also bought a bicycle, a JoJo tank and groceries.
‘My dream is to finish my matric and study in the University. I want to study Environmental Studies because I want to continue doing a job that will allow me to interact with the environment, especially trees,’ he said.
‘In partnership with JoJo Tanks ‘Tree-preneurs’ can now have access to water, both for personal consumption and for watering of their trees,’ said Wildlands Marketing Manager Lauren Laing. ‘Many people started by growing just a few trees, but then seeing how successful they were, started to save their trees for bigger purchases like the rainwater harvesting tanks.
The tanks save women and children much time and effort as they do not have to walk to and from the communal source of water, with a 25 litre container on their heads or in a wheelbarrow.’
