JoJo Tanks, a BBBEE compliant company, and market leader in the manufacture of polyethylene plastic storage tanks for more than 30 years and partner of Wildlands Conservation Trust for 5 years, has added extra weight to its partnership with the leading environmental NPO by substantially increasing its donation of rainwater harvesting tanks to 500 over the year with Wildlands purchasing a further 500.
These rainwater harvesting 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) and 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.
69 JoJo tanks were handed over to a group of excited community members (Green-preneurs) on the 26th of February in the uThungulu district.
34 year old Sithulile Sikhosana, a Tree-preneur from the uThungulu district joined the “Trees for Life” project 3 years ago. “I fell in love with this project of growing trees because I enjoy looking after something from small until it blossoms to something bigger,” said Sithulile. “We have bought 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 is 19 years old and is a Wildlands Tree-preneur who also resides in the uThungulu district. “I stay with my sisters and cousins, six of us all together. I don’t have parents as they both passed away. The Wildlands tree planting project has made a huge difference in my family as there is no-one else working at home,” says Mabutho, who joined Wildlands in 2007. “I have been able to pay school fees for some of my siblings, I also bought a bicycle, a JoJo tank and groceries,” he says. “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 says confidently.
“At JoJo Tanks we are passionate about the role we should play in conserving our planet’s limited resources,” says JoJo Tanks managing director, Rod Cairns. “The association with Wildlands provides us with an excellent opportunity to make a difference where it matters. Saving water should be a way of life and the harvesting and utilisation of rainwater by installing rainwater tanks could grant relief to millions of disadvantaged South Africans. The tanks certainly provide a cost-effective and convenient way for tree-preneurs to care for their trees. We are proud to be involved with this
“In partnership with JoJo Tanks ‘Tree-preneurs’(the tree growers) can now have access to water, both for personal consumption and for watering of their trees,” comments 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 JoJo rainwater harvesting tanks. Some of our participants have already bartered for three JoJo tanks with their trees, which shows just how important water is in these communities. The JoJo 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. Together with hundreds of community members nationwide, we thank JoJo for their amazing contribution,” concludes Laing.
WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust - IT No: 4329/1991/PMB)