Absa MAD 2010 Build Week
Two thirds of South Africa’s population still do not have access to basic infrastructure and services such as housing, potable water, sanitation systems and electricity. The South African Government has built 1.7 million houses and accommodated 8.5 million people since 1994. The housing backlog is however still at an approximate 2.2 million.
During 2007 and 2008 Absa and its strategic suppliers built 46 houses for the destitute as part of the Make A Difference (MAD) build week. In 2009, Absa built 101 houses in Driezik, Orange Farm.
This year, Absa, in partnership with Absa DevCo, the Mogale City Local Municipality, and the Gauteng Department of Local Government and Housing, built 150 houses illustrating the effectiveness of private-public partnerships and also marks a significant milestone for South Africa.
Absa, through its annual MAD build week - an Absa corporate social investment initiative - built 150 (of the development’s planned 725 houses) from Monday, 27 September to Friday, 1 October, 2010.
Most Absa employees and suppliers, who have signed-up and participated as volunteers on the MAD build week, described the experience as “humbling”. Having to endure less-than-friendly environmental conditions, coupled with the physical demands of stacking bricks and mixing cement under the watchful eyes of quality controllers, is not an easy task. In fact, it’s demanding.
The willingness to contribute to a worthy cause in making a significant difference in the lives of many unfortunate people by ‘donating’ time and physical labour epitomises the spirit of the MAD build week. Realising yet again the challenging conditions that volunteers were willing to face, the MAD 2010 project team recognises each and every person who has come on-board and contributed to making this a highly successful project.
Karen van Vuuren, Absa chief procurement officer and MAD 2010 project sponsor, depicts MAD volunteers, which include valued suppliers and partners, as exceptional. “They know in their hearts it’s the right thing to do. People instinctively want to be part of putting a roof over the head of someone who’s always been destitute and, thereby, restoring dignity and self-worth. We say THANK YOU for supporting this very special initiative.”
The following are worth a special mention:
- House sponsors (Absa suppliers), who have contributed significantly to the overall success of the build week project, include IBM, UTI, Microsoft, Siemens. Volition, Dimension Data, Internet Solutions, Gijima, Telkom and Kelly. Other sponsors and supporters include WO Communications, Builders Warehouse, Experian, Business Connexion and the SANDF
- 1800 Absa employees signed-up as volunteers and were supported by sponsors/suppliers and community members totalling between 2000 and 2 200 volunteers on site per day. This included 15 UK employees of Barclays plc, Absa’s parent company, who have joined the build week as volunteers.
- The handing over ceremony itself was supported by the participation of the MMC of Human Settlements Mogale City Councillor David Letsie, Executive Mayor of Mogale City Local Municipality, Councillor Koketso Calvin Seerane, Absa representative Venete Klein, National Department of Human Settlements, Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Zou Kota-Fredericks, Absa representative Happy Ntshingila, and Executive Mayor of the Westrand District Municipality, Councillor Mpho Nawa.
- Ten house keys were delivered to ten families by the Deputy Minister (and the cutting of ribbons at seven completed houses added to the credibility of our event). Media attendance including TV, radio and print was hugely evident.
- A case in point is 67-year-old Kedibone Linah Ramutle’s and her 98-year-old mother who were given their first proper home in their life-time (they’ve survived living in shacks up until now).
- The quality of the houses which were built to roof-level during the build week was controlled by NHBRC, Bigen Africa's site engineer as well as the supervisors from the contractor on site.
