PRECAST CONCRETE PLAYS A SUBSTANTIAL ROLE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE DIEPSLOOT COMMUNITY CENTRE:

The Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) and some of its members made a significant contribution to the construction of the buildings, MaAfrika Tikkun’s  Wings of Life Early Childhood Development Centre (ECD), the MaAfrika Tikkun Child and Youth Development Centre (CYD) and the Ma Afrika Tikkun Administration and Primary Healthcare Centre.

The CMA’s  social investment manager, Sarah Cairns of CSI Africa, an organisation which assists businesses in the effective management of their corporate social investment budgets,  says these buildings from part of the holistic care model employed by MaAfrika Tikkun in which orphans and vulnerable children are nurtured and developed into people who can make a meaningful contribution to society.

“Children up to the age of six are cared for during the day at the ECD centre, and those seven years and older are provided with an array of support services including a daily meal, homework support, sports activities, recreation, life skills counselling as well as access to a library and a multimedia computer facility at the YD centre. Home based care services, counselling and project management are based in the Administrative and Healthcare Centre,” says Cairns.

Many of the people who were responsible for the establishment of community centre at Diepsloot participated in the unveiling ceremony. These included: Bessy Netsianda (programme director); Bertie Lubner, founder and chairman of MaAfrika Tikkun; Marc Lubner, CEO of MaAfrika Tikkun; Francina Mbundula, founder of the crèche; Nellia Chauke, a youth leader; Sershan Naidoo, beneficiary manager of the National Lottery distribution trust fund; Kgaogelo Lekgoro, MEC of the Gauteng Department of Social Development; Diepsloot ward counsellor, Isaac Maela; and John Cairns, CMA director.

In his address to the visitors, community workers and members of the press, Marc Lubner said MaAfrika Tikkun has established a foundation to assist the Diepsloot community take charge of their futures.

“The partnerships between MaAfrika Tikkun, the Department of Social Development, the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund and the community is a formidable one and is acting as an agent of positive change for children living under vulnerable circumstances in South African townships,” observed Lubner.

Councellor Maela said that before the construction of the centre, Diepsloot had only one clinic and a small library. He noted further that the Diepsloot project closes the gap and provides more opportunities for our children to thrive.

The CMA donated over R500 000 precast concrete building materials, and in addition, some of its members provided further building materials at cost. All materials donated by the CMA were of a quality equal to any used on the country’s most upmarket housing projects.

The Association donated hollow masonry blocks manufactured by Watson Concrete and Marley Roofing’s green Monarch top-of-the-range concrete roof tiles for the construction of the EDC. It also supplied hollow-core suspended floor slabs, manufactured by Echo Prestress, for the CYD centre as well as concrete paving blocks, produced by Cast Industries, for the main parking area and perimeter around a community kitchen located on the same property.

The masonry for all three buildings was laid with Watson’s 190mm wide burnished Stone Pearl and Topaz (banding) blocks. The blocks were burnished on both outer and inner faces and this combination offers an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Therefore no plastering or painting was required giving a totally maintenance free walling system both inside and out. The plinth area in the crèche was constructed in a 190mm slate grey block and some quoining was also done on this product.  50 000 blocks, all rated at a minimum of 7MPa were used on the project.

As block laying techniques differ vastly from brick laying, Watson Concrete played a major role in training the artisans to lay the blocks to a standard which obviated the need for plastering.

A total of 619m² of 150mm thick prestressed hollow-core slabs was used on two of the buildings, 310m² on the first floor and roof of the skills development centre and 309m² on the roof of the youth centre. The panels used for the Diepsloot project weigh approximately half a ton each which is some 30% lighter than in situ concrete of the same specification rating. Moreover, construction time was halved, and unlike in the construction of in situ flooring, no skilled workers were needed for shuttering, reinforcing and the pouring of concrete.

CSI Africa sourced the MaAfrika Tikkun project on behalf of the CMA and is evaluating its impact and progress.

Sarah Cairns observes that it is better to keep children in a community rather than institutionalise them, and the community centre will play an important role in this regard.

“The Diepsloot community project is by no means unique.  The model is standard practice for NGOs, but the need in Diepsloot is extraordinary because it’s grown so quickly. It was created in the late nineties, and its growth has been exponential, with some 500 000 people living in the settlement,” concludes Cairns.

The  MaAfrika Tikkun Child and Youth Development Centre, one of three buildings at the Diepsloot community centre which was unveiled in November. The parking area in the foreground was paved with concrete block pavers (CBP) supplied by CMA member, Cast Industries.

Visitors and children assemble in one of the halls of the  MaAfrika Tikkun Child and Youth Development Centre prior to the official unveiling of the community centre. The excellent concrete block masonry work is clearly visible. The blocks were manufactured by CMA member, Watson Brick and laid by Diepsloot community members.

The Administration and Primary Healthcare Centre at the MaAfrika Tikkun Community Centre in Diepsloot, which was built with materials donated and supplied by the CMA and CMA members. It stands adjacent to a vegetable garden which provides much needed fresh produce for the community kitchen which is run from the centre.

The Early Childhood Development facility, which caters for the newly born up to the age of six at the MaAfrika Tikkun Community Centre in Diepsloot. Watson Concrete’s 190mm wide burnished Stone Pearl and Topaz (banding) blocks were used in its construction.

The roof of the Early Childhood Development facility at the Diepsloot community centre where Marley Roofing’s top-of-the-range Monarch concrete roof tiles combine well with Watson’s concrete blocks in the creation of this aesthetically-pleasing and largely maintenance-free structure.

Councellor Isaac Maele makes an address during the opening ceremony of the MaAfrika Tikkun Child and Youth Community Centre.

The recently completed Administration and Primary Healthcare Centre at the MaAfrika Tikkun Community Centre in Diepsloot, which was built with materials supplied by the CMA and some of its member companies. The path leading to the centre was paved with concrete block pavers (CBP) supplied by CMA member, Cast Industries.

CMA director, John Cairns, stands outside one of the classrooms at the MaAfrika Tikkun Wings of Life Early Childhood Development Centre. The excellent concrete block masonry work is clearly visible behind him.

Teacher Rebecca Maphosa, Ronnie Lubner (centre) and Bertie Lubner, seen here with a group of five-year old children in one of one of the classrooms at the MaAfrika Tikkun Wings of Life Early childhood Development Centre in Diepsloot.

A group of three-to-four year old children celebrate the unveiling ceremony in one of the classrooms at the MaAfrika Tikkun Wings of Life Early childhood Development Centre in Diepsloot.