GreenHome Builds a Community Centre from Hemp for Yiza Ekhaya Soup Kitchen

By: Bridget Day on 28 April 2017

GreenHome Builds a Community Centre from Hemp for Yiza Ekhaya Soup Kitchen

24 April 2017 - On Friday 31 March 2017, in a landmark ruling, the Western Cape High court legalised Cannabis for private use in South Africa.  Possession, cultivation and use at home are allowed.  This judgement marks a step towards its decriminalisation.

 

In 2015 GreenHome teamed up with architect Oliver Wolf and Tony Budden from Hemporium and built South Africa’s 3rd hemp building for Yiza Ekhaya, a soup kitchen in Khayelitsha which provides essential nourishment, care, safety and shelter for hundreds of children. 

 

Hemp is completely natural, hard-wearing and strong making it an excellent, environmentally friendly building material.  In addition hemp is non-toxic and provides good insulation. It’s cool in summer and warm in winter - creating a perfect comfortable environment for the children.

 

The Yiza Ekhaya Soup Kitchen was built from hemp to show it as an environmentally sustainable, cost effective and superior building material for RDP and affordable housing.  This is one of its many material, medicinal and nutritional uses.

 

Catherine Morris, Managing Director of GreenHome says, “We hope that the decriminalisation of personal use marijuana is a step towards the industrial production of hemp in South Africa.  We encourage and support the use of sustainable raw materials wherever possible; whether it’s for making compostable food packaging or building homes. GreenHome is proud to have been the driving force behind the first township hemp building.”

 

About GreenHome

Established in 2007, GreenHome is South Africa’s first and to this day, only completely compostable food packaging company.  Our vision is to provide sustainable packaging for takeaway food throughout Africa, and beyond.  We believe that if food packaging is necessary; it should be made from annually renewable plant resources and should last only as long as it is needed. 

Visit www.greenhome.co.za and follow GreenHome on Facebook and Twitter.

 

For more information contact
Claire Buchanan: marketing@greenhome.co.za