Feb

2015
Cape Town

Improved hygiene in the special needs centre

Objective
Support local centres as they strive to meet criteria for full registration.
Support the Sanctuary Trust in the development of fundraising initiatives.

Summary
Our volunteers have resolved the health issue of a large number of flies in the Special Needs house at Ikha-
yalethemba Sanctuary by making and installing custom fly screens for the door and windows. This address-
es some of the health and safety aspects of the registration requirements. The sanctuary is also selling
clothes to help raise funds and our volunteers have assisted by making some hanger rails and a shop sign
to support this fundraising initiative.

The team working on the frames

Attaching the mosquito net to the frame

Report
At Ikhayalethemba Sanctuary, the design of the windows doesnt allow for the usual style of fly screens
and there is a lot of traffic in and out of the doors so flies dont have much difficulty getting in. After a few
prototypes and a bit of experimentation our volunteers came up with a design using mosquito netting. It
still allows a breeze to cool the rooms, still allows access to the window latches and the screens certainly
keep the flies out. They then used heavier netting to create strips that hang from the top of the door.
Carers coming in with their hands full or pushing a wheel chair have no difficulty coming through the door.
A few volunteers sharing ideas, problem solving and working together and the fly problem in the Special
Needs area is solved. Importantly, it creates a healthier environment for the children, an important part of
the centre reaching full registration.

One of the current Sanctuary Trust fundraising initiatives is a second hand clothes shop that Mama Lumka
and her family run each day. Our volunteers have helped out not only with the task of sorting the clothes
for sale but they also made some rails for Mama to hang the clothes on as part of her shop. Some of the
volunteers also painted a sign to draw attention to the shop.

Two examples of how the skills of our volunteers can help GVI and our partners achieve our objectives and
certainly in the case of the fly screens, of how some problem solving and working together can make a big
difference.