STRIKING WHILE THE IRON IS HOT
Need assistance so I can leverage maximum benefit for Hands of Honour out of WDC nomination.
Any marketer/student/ of brand specialist willing to share their expertise.
Give us a shout at at Hands of Honour
''rehabilitating communities and waste through engagement with the socially marginalized ''
Friday 22 November 2013
Wednesday 13 November 2013
Oh Horrors!!! -Chosen for World Design Capital Cape Town 2014 -
HANDS OF HONOUR INCLUDED WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL CAPE TOWN 2014 RECOGNITION AGAIN BUT NO CIGAR .......AGAIN
In the four years of our existence we have been privileged to be considered for some awards and have also received the odd recognition from National Govt.Departments.We are particularly proud of a signed and very official looking South African Police Statement acknowledging the work we do has impacted the lives of so many young and adult men caught up in the vicious cycle of intermittent homelessness,drugs and gang activities,that crime has actually been reduced in our community.This is reflected in the official crime statistics for our community.
This recognition , at the time ,seemed to be an indication that progress was being made.
Other accolades and awards included:
- *Winner - Unlimited SA Award 2013
- *Nominee - Rockefeller Foundation Next Century award 2013
- *Finalist - Deutsche Bank Urban Age Award Cape Town 2012
- *Finalist - Social Enterprise Bus. Plan -Dept.Econ. Dev. 2011
- In 2011 Hands of Honour were averaging fifty men per weekly meeting.The meetings were made up of young and adult men who were determined to forsake their destructive lifestyles and ,if a given a fair chance,fulfill their roles as breadwinners and role-models in their communities.When I engaged the then Provincial Minister of Safety, at a public meeting about any advice/support assistance he had for me and our organization ,his reply was ''i don't have painting jobs for men ''.No wonder our communities on the Cape Flats perish,our leaders have no vision.Thank God the folks at UnLtd SA ,all the way from the UK,introduced me to Social Enterprises.Hands of Honour now has an Up-cycling Centre which sustains us economically.
- In 2012 Hands of Honour began a successful partnership with corporations,notably The Foschini Group.This partnership entailed receiving all The Foschini Group's obsolete stock and recyclables.Hands of Honour then employs the “unemployable” in South Africa—those who have experienced homelessness, crime and/or substance abuse—to up-cycle obsolete stock and recyclable items and in the process earn a living.This partnership is currently flourishing with jobs being created and negative spaces being transformed into productive spaces as part of our community development program. Tons of obsolete stock were coming our way,resulting in us needing a piece of land to house our Hands of Honour Up-cycling Centre.I approached the local representative of the City of Cape Town with regards to leasing a piece of land and was told to submit a proposal.I managed to involve some experts in the drawing up of the proposal and duly submitted same to the local City of Cape Town representatives. FOUR MONTHS LATER WHEN I VISITED THE OFFICIAL I FOUND OUT SHE DID NOT EVEN BOTHER TO OPEN THE EMAIL THAT CONTAINED OUR PROPOSAL
Once again - Recognition -World Design Capital Cape Town -How is this going to help us
I received this mail today,below..
We are pleased to inform you that Hands of Honour is to be recognized in the official programme of World Design Capital Cape Town 2014 (WDC 2014). Exceptional projects that demonstrate scale, impact and/or a contribution to the WDC 2014 vision have been selected to form part of the programme. Congratulations,this is a great achievement.
Calling all Corporations or any individual who want to be seen as a force for the greater good. Help us let the City of Cape Town see the light and give us just a small,teeny-weeney piece of land for our Up-cycling Centre
I can be contacted at at handsofhonour@gmail.com - telefaz -0217030360 mobile 0721389150
Thursday 19 September 2013
So we make it to the FNB- Ideas that Help competition.Hands of Honour need votes,and plenty of them.
Our entry came in late so we need all the votes we can get.
If you really feel you want to help us establish a much needed Up-cycling Centre in Cape Town.Please vote and share here Hands of Honour Up-cycling Centre
Need your vote big time.-THANKS
Our entry came in late so we need all the votes we can get.
If you really feel you want to help us establish a much needed Up-cycling Centre in Cape Town.Please vote and share here Hands of Honour Up-cycling Centre
Need your vote big time.-THANKS
Wednesday 4 September 2013
Benefits for Corporates who partner with Hands of Honour Up-cycling Centre
One of the main benefits for Corporations who partner with Hands of Honour ,''donating '' their waste/obsolete stock rather than sending to landfill,is that they are seen as a force for the greatergood .
Those that we partner with ,are seen as being actively engaged in our sustainability efforts .So, we take pride in being involved with a Corporate that is focused on the triple bottom-line of people, planet, profit.
Our partnership with the Foschini group has resulted in the creation of new jobs and the improvement of the urban environment of the poor and crime ridden area we operate in.This ,as well as the diverting of a large volumes of waste/obsolete stock from landfill to the Hands of Honour Up-cycling Center,speaks volumes in itself and shows what can be achieved if both donor and awarded understand their respective roles in raising the standard of living of the less fortunate.
Everyone in my community now knows of The Foschini Group's efforts to improve their lives and also realize the return they get from investing in TFG ,by simply buying from them.
It is as simple as that.Every time they buy an item from TFG ,they know there is a chance their community and surrounds will benefit directly from the transaction
We are encouraging all Corporations in Cape Town help us ''rehabilitate communities and waste through engagement of the socially marginalized.
 |
| The Foschini Group donates their obsolete stock The Big Issue Magazine |
Our partnership with the Foschini group has resulted in the creation of new jobs and the improvement of the urban environment of the poor and crime ridden area we operate in.This ,as well as the diverting of a large volumes of waste/obsolete stock from landfill to the Hands of Honour Up-cycling Center,speaks volumes in itself and shows what can be achieved if both donor and awarded understand their respective roles in raising the standard of living of the less fortunate.
Everyone in my community now knows of The Foschini Group's efforts to improve their lives and also realize the return they get from investing in TFG ,by simply buying from them.
It is as simple as that.Every time they buy an item from TFG ,they know there is a chance their community and surrounds will benefit directly from the transaction
We are encouraging all Corporations in Cape Town help us ''rehabilitate communities and waste through engagement of the socially marginalized.
Wednesday 28 August 2013
Things finally coming together.Hands of Honour Up-cycling Center.
Things finally coming together.Hands of Honour Up-cycling Center featured in next months The Big Issue Magazine as one of The Foschini Group's partners in rehabilitating communities and waste through engagement of the socially marginalized.
Also ,City of Cape Town of officials finally seem to grasp the value of Up-cycling/recycling.(.They have contacted me and I hope it is worth my /our while.
Then we are also featured on Foschini's CSI website. Hope lots of corporations come aboard and partner with us by ''donating ''their obsolete stock to us rather than dumping at landfill.
'' OH WHAT A WINNER MY PROGRAM IS''
Still looking for that 1 ton truck with which to collect consignments of obsolete stock/recyclables from Corporate.We have about R20 000 saved up for this.Any helpers out there want to invest in Hands of Honour Up-cycling Center.give me a call on 0721389150 or handsofhonour@gmail.com .Your input/advice/help will be appreciated.
Also ,City of Cape Town of officials finally seem to grasp the value of Up-cycling/recycling.(.They have contacted me and I hope it is worth my /our while.
Then we are also featured on Foschini's CSI website. Hope lots of corporations come aboard and partner with us by ''donating ''their obsolete stock to us rather than dumping at landfill.
'' OH WHAT A WINNER MY PROGRAM IS''
Still looking for that 1 ton truck with which to collect consignments of obsolete stock/recyclables from Corporate.We have about R20 000 saved up for this.Any helpers out there want to invest in Hands of Honour Up-cycling Center.give me a call on 0721389150 or handsofhonour@gmail.com .Your input/advice/help will be appreciated.
Thursday 15 August 2013
Hands of Honour - ''rehabilitating communities and waste through engagement of the socially marginalized''
The Hands of Honour’s Regeneration of City and Soul program seeks to address three problems in Cape Town:South Africa:
(1) Prolonged unemployment
(2) Physically run down spaces, and
(3) Effective management of obsolete stock/recyclable waste.
Hands of Honour employs the “unemployable” in South Africa—those who have experienced homelessness, crime and/or substance abuse—to up-cycle obsolete stock and recyclable items. Much of this waste is provided through partnerships with the corporate sector and would otherwise end up in landfills. Workers process the waste, either rehabilitating material or stripping goods for sale of parts. Proceeds from this have two benefits. First, it provides salaries for workers who otherwise have no work options available to them. Second, profits are invested in derelict community spaces, focusing on public spaces which have become havens for anti-social behavior. Hands of Honor trains the same marginalized populations to transform these spaces into safe and attractive places conducive to economic development and community healing. In the process, the workers not only receive a salary, but are integrated back into their communities, gaining job skills, self-esteem, and breaking their reliance on social services and/or illegal activity. In many case, these workers have a reputation of being poisonous elements of their communities; as the rest of their community sees them upgrading their community spaces, their attitudes begin to change as well.
WHAT EXISTING PRACTICES INSPIRED THE INNOVATION AND HOW DOES IT REPRESENT SOMETHING NEW?
Hands of Honour brings together 3 best practices:
*First, while “up-cycling,” or reusing waste materials has been done informally by waste pickers scouring the dumps, Hands of Honour works directly with the waste generators to formalize this process, representing something new in South Africa. Corporations are the main “donor” of waste to Hands of Honour—donating rather than disposing their waste.
*Second, Hands of Honor’s job training program provides skills and confidence to those members of society who have “checked out.” This both increases employment and rehabilitates the workers.
*Finally, this process funds urban renewal initiatives, focusing on those areas that are identified by the community as being flash points for crime.
Taken together, these elements result in a program that can sustain itself, and contributes to a greener city, job creation, and reclaiming derelict urban spaces.
THE SOCIAL IMPACT TO DATE, AS WELL AS POTENTIAL IMPACT IN THE FUTURE.
Since the program started, 60 people have received salaried work from processing waste. Eight physically run down spaces have been rehabilitated, including developing a new food garden, upgrading places of learning, and upgrading dwellings of vulnerable groups.
For example, one rehabilitation process employed 50 people to upgrade an area which has been known as a drug haven. The building is now a factory that produces school uniforms.
This process has also served as a point of reconciliation between the formerly unemployed and the community, as the workers showcase their potential and skills. Twenty-five individuals have leveraged this to find employment as machinists, cutters, or even as security guards in the buildings they have rehabilitated.
(1) Prolonged unemployment
(2) Physically run down spaces, and
(3) Effective management of obsolete stock/recyclable waste.
 |
| From drug den to community factory |
 |
| from drug den to community factory |
 |
| Transformed into vegetable garden |
 |
| Overgrown patch at local orphanage |
 |
| Community clean-ups |
 |
| communityc lean-ups |
 |
| former homeless,ex drug addicts now Hands of Honour.-A force for the greater good of their community |
 |
| ALL COMMUNITY PROJECTS FUNDED BY OUR UP-CYCLING CENTRE |
Hands of Honour employs the “unemployable” in South Africa—those who have experienced homelessness, crime and/or substance abuse—to up-cycle obsolete stock and recyclable items. Much of this waste is provided through partnerships with the corporate sector and would otherwise end up in landfills. Workers process the waste, either rehabilitating material or stripping goods for sale of parts. Proceeds from this have two benefits. First, it provides salaries for workers who otherwise have no work options available to them. Second, profits are invested in derelict community spaces, focusing on public spaces which have become havens for anti-social behavior. Hands of Honor trains the same marginalized populations to transform these spaces into safe and attractive places conducive to economic development and community healing. In the process, the workers not only receive a salary, but are integrated back into their communities, gaining job skills, self-esteem, and breaking their reliance on social services and/or illegal activity. In many case, these workers have a reputation of being poisonous elements of their communities; as the rest of their community sees them upgrading their community spaces, their attitudes begin to change as well.
WHAT EXISTING PRACTICES INSPIRED THE INNOVATION AND HOW DOES IT REPRESENT SOMETHING NEW?
Hands of Honour brings together 3 best practices:
*First, while “up-cycling,” or reusing waste materials has been done informally by waste pickers scouring the dumps, Hands of Honour works directly with the waste generators to formalize this process, representing something new in South Africa. Corporations are the main “donor” of waste to Hands of Honour—donating rather than disposing their waste.
*Second, Hands of Honor’s job training program provides skills and confidence to those members of society who have “checked out.” This both increases employment and rehabilitates the workers.
*Finally, this process funds urban renewal initiatives, focusing on those areas that are identified by the community as being flash points for crime.
Taken together, these elements result in a program that can sustain itself, and contributes to a greener city, job creation, and reclaiming derelict urban spaces.
THE SOCIAL IMPACT TO DATE, AS WELL AS POTENTIAL IMPACT IN THE FUTURE.
Since the program started, 60 people have received salaried work from processing waste. Eight physically run down spaces have been rehabilitated, including developing a new food garden, upgrading places of learning, and upgrading dwellings of vulnerable groups.
For example, one rehabilitation process employed 50 people to upgrade an area which has been known as a drug haven. The building is now a factory that produces school uniforms.
This process has also served as a point of reconciliation between the formerly unemployed and the community, as the workers showcase their potential and skills. Twenty-five individuals have leveraged this to find employment as machinists, cutters, or even as security guards in the buildings they have rehabilitated.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)