Khayelitsha Biochar Makers

Nice and sunny ☀️ today!

Hope the rain goes away now, kwanele ngoku.

Char2Cool
Khayelitsha Canoe Club
Walter Danner

What a long week!

So after 2 weeks of not working because of a blocked sewage pipe that found it's way to a drain right Infront of our storage space flooding it 🤢🤢 that backed up it the community every street was wet from sewage.

( illegal connections)

Thanks to everyone who assisted us, it's now fixed!!!.

Will be making more Biochar now that is we can work.🇿🇦🇩🇪

Char2Cool

Walter Danner

Enkosi Gents!!

Water Hyacinth harvesting.

Char2Cool

This week, we're celebrating the ingenuity and creativity of the Khayelitsha community. Meet, from the left back row, Thembela Thelma Faku, Sindiswa Nomabandla,Phakama Dyosi, and Siyakuvuma Mhlauli who are the brilliant minds behind these beautiful, compostable tableware and bags crafted from the fibers of the Hyacinth plants. 🌱♻️

They're not just creating eco-friendly products; they also transforming bio-mass into a source of income for themselves in the community.

Here's to innovation that makes a difference!

Char2Cool

House of Boniwe on a mission to bridge gaps and foster collaboration! 🏞️🤝 We ventured to Khayelitsha Canoe Club to explore the potential synergy between our Biomass project and their incredible conservation efforts. The amazing non-profit is not only preserving wetlands, but also creating opportunities for local youth, sustainable bio-char production, and community engagement, we aim to create a brighter, greener future.

😊😊😊

House of Boniwe on a mission to bridge gaps and foster collaboration! 🏞️🤝 We ventured to Khayelitsha Canoe Club to explore the potential synergy between our Biomass project and their incredible conservation efforts. The amazing non-profit is not only preserving wetlands, but also creating opportunities for local youth, sustainable bio-char production, and community engagement, we aim to create a brighter, greener future.

Char2Cool
Walter Danner

Khayelitsha Biochar Makers

Khayelitsha residents saving the environment by turning alien water w**d into fertiliser and household décor Khayelitsha canoeists Siyanda Sompangisa and his brother Akhona regularly took tourists on canoeing and kayaking adventures three years ago down the township’s wetland, known for its aquatic life and a variety of birds.

Water Hyacinth is a huge problem worldwide, but here at Khayelitsha Biochar Makers with the help from our friend Char2Cool have the solution!

BIOCHAR!!

Invasive species cost the world $423 billion every year and are causing environmental chaos, UN report finds – KION546 Invasive species cost the world at least $423 billion every year as they drive plant and animal extinctions, threaten food security and exacerbate environmental catastrophes across the globe, a major new United Nations-backed report has found. Human activity – often through travel or global trade...

IZOLO ( yesterday)..

2 bags of semi-dry water hyacinth ( should be dry by next week) and 2 bags of properly dry water hyacinth that will carbonise next week Tuesday... and we did a bit of Harvesting to have another batch drying so we can keep the wheels rolling ( so to speak)

We are slowly building up our Biochar stork pile! 😊😊

Char2Cool
Walter Danner
Khayelitsha Biochar Makers

Char2Cool

Canoeist brothers clean up Khayelitsha wetland Hours spent every week removing invasive water hyacinth and rubbish

Char2Cool

Molweni! Char2Cool, Walter Danner from Khayelitsha Biochar Makers today we carbonised 2 bags, we are slowwly making progress. its getting warmer so will have plenty work from harvesting to drying, the more hours we put in the better... we need to have plenty of ready made biochar.

The idea is to fill up 25 litre buckets like the yellow one next to the Kiln .

We need to Harvest more Water hyacinth once the Taxi strike is over, SOON we hope!

We have 5 bags full of dry and ready to be Carbonised water
hyacinth 😁😁😁

Khayelitsha Biochar Makers

🌱 Our Partner: Abalimi Bezekhaya 🌱

At dooiy, we are proud to collaborate with Abalimi Bezekhaya, the Farmers of the Home organization, which champions small-scale urban farming to combat poverty and promote sustainable food production.

🥕 Growing Food Sustainably: Abalimi's mission is to grow food sustainably using organic methods, both at home and in community gardens. They empower farmers by providing essential training and extension services, ensuring their expertise flourishes.

🌿 Supporting Farmers: Abalimi ensures farmers have access to affordable seeds, seedlings, and manure, setting the foundation for successful production. They also provide support for capital infrastructure like irrigation, all while considering available funding.

🍅 Access to Markets: Abalimi provides farmers with access to markets, fostering a thriving and interconnected community.

We are delighted to work hand in hand with Abalimi Bezekhaya, together driving positive change in urban farming and supporting communities in their journey towards a brighter and more sustainable future. Check out dooiy.org to find Abalimi gardening hacks 🌱🤝

Our June project dooiy is making an incredible contribution to the 17 . Here we introduce you to the goals:

1 - NO POVERTY 💰
Reduce poverty in underserved regions by helping people help themselves through an easily accessible DIY platform via smartphone.

10- REDUCED INEQUALITIES ☯
The low-threshold offer is aimed at people at the bottom of the income pyramid; everyone can participate in the transfer of knowledge.

9 - INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE 📱
Disseminate life-enhancing, easy-to-implement DIY solutions accessible to all via smartphone.

17 - PARTNERSHIPS TO ACHIEVE GOALS 🤝
Collaborations and networks are key in spreading DIY solutions accessible to all worldwide.

12- SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION 👕
By implementing DIY projects locally, dooiy contributes to a circular economy in underserved regions.

Find out more about the project here: https://good-search.org/about/blog/projekt/dooiy/

Every project we support contributes to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals ( ), breaking new and often unusual ground. The goals are intended to serve the common worldwide safeguarding of sustainable development on an ecological, social and economic level. ❤️

And of course they require the cooperation of everyone: politicians, companies, civil society, each and every one of us!

https://dooiy.org/stories/siyanda-sopangisa

dooiy

Char2Cool

Walter Danner

Great article by dooiy! Unity is key!

Meet Siyanda Sopangisa Teaching kids how to canoe in Khayelitsha Siyanda Sopangisa and his brother Akhona founded the Khayelitsha Canoe Club in 2013. In Khayelitsha Wetlands Park, located in the heart of Cape Town’s largest township, he has been teaching children how to swim and canoe for ten years while also cleaning t...

Teaching the next Generation about the importance of looking after MAMA nature.😉😉

love doing these updates!

this one is from our Weaving Ladies, practise makes perfect right? 😀😀😍

more updates coming soon😉 Char2Cool

Hi everyone!

just a quick update,

Our ladies ( we are a group of about 20 volunteers with ladies and gents) wanted to try out weaving with the Water Hyacinth.

they played around with some ideas trying to come up with a simple design . .. they did a hat , a plate sitter and a fruit bowl 😁😁😁 i think they are cute!

so we make Biochar and soon by the look of things we will have the ladies make beautiful products from the same plant.

Forward ever backwards never! Char2Cool