18/05/2016
From Kompong to Kompong…
For the past 14 years, whenever possible, I’ve been actively involved in the social uplifting of compounds and rural settlements in my area and the development of these communities started to intrigue me.
The sad truth is an estimated 1.6-million households live in informal settlements in South Africa, and my experience helped me identify many problems in these communities that directly relate to world issues like carbon emissions, water, proper resource use, land degradation and agricultural development. I have realized that with appropriate innovation, technology and sustainable methods, we can find grassroots solutions for many of these problems.
It got me thinking, how far am I willing to go to reinvent myself?
What changes can I make to my lifestyle to have a more sustainable relationship with the environment and community?
A compound became available on a farm and we have decided to live there for the next 6 months. With only brick walls and a corrugated roof, we have to look at various issues such as water, heat, electricity, cooking and refrigeration. With this being our home, it gives me the opportunity to experience life in an informal settlement and gives me a hands on approach dealing with the problems many South Africans live with today. I am confident that implementing small changes in our lifestyle will have results that can benefit many.
