Turn Landfill into a Classroom (Part 2) The Bottle Project

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Turn Landfill into a Classroom (Part 2) The Bottle Project

This is the story of our Bottle Project

We are constantly updating this so please visit again for more details

Land that Never Floods	This was to be where our first build would take place. This is raised land in Kompheim Village - when we took this photo we were in a boat (the only way to travel through the village) and the land was covered by a minimum of 1 meter of water. So our first build was re located to Treak Village. Our classroom will go ahead in March 2012. So for everyone collecting bottles and plastic bags please don't stop we are after at least 12,000 more!
A New Project	HUSK has the generous support of three school groups who are helping turn our project dream into reality. As they were due to arrive at the end of October and the flooding had not improved, but in fact worsened HUSK needed to find an alternate project while we waited for the land to dry out at Kompheim. Treak Village Medical Centre After meetings with the Commune Leader, Village Chief and Minister for health we identified a need for an extension to the existing medical centre at Treak Village. The current centre often runs out of rooms and particularly has issues with women arriving in labour with no area to wait. HUSK's bottle project was back on track with a 5mx9m building and additional bathroom facility.
The Eco Block	The Eco Block was the invention of Pura Vida who have been building schools in Guatemala (http://puravidaatitlan.org/en_family.html) and they have been our inspiration for this project. Noung our projects and community coordinator found this fantastic project and has been the champion behind it. Noung hopes this is a way she can help her country clean up! This awesome idea takes clean rubbish destined for landfill and turns in into a safe, renewable building material. The solution is so simple, yet it provides many benefits. Eco Blocks are cheap Eco Blocks reduce landfill rubbish Eco Blocks provide a solution for waste management for communities who have no access to such services Eco Blocks provide building materials accessible for all families Eco Blocks stop families needing to burn or dump waste Eco Blocks are simple and easy requiring no special skills and just a little bit of knowledge to produce Eco Blocks are a sustainable environmentally friendly building alternative Eco Blocks have great insulating properties
Collecting The Bottles	Bottle Filling & Collection We have introduced this program into out two villages. Both of these villages have been impacted by the sever flooding this year, with waters on finally starting to recede in Kompheim village this week. HUSK is providing a collection reward plan in our two villages. Filled bottles can be exchanged for a range of items inlcuding school materials, rice, cooking oil or even a bike! Over 10,000 bottles have been collected todate and an estimated 1.5tonnes of landfill reused in a sustainable way. On a weekly basis we deliver empty waterbottles and collect the filled bottles, issuing the rewards to the participating villagers.
Where are The Bottles Coming from?	Our Partners The following local businesses have been supporting HUSK through bottle collection, plastic bag collection, or even providing their own filled bottles for the project! Amansara Beyond Unique Escapes Colorhouse Prints Hotel De La Paix Le Residance Peace Cafe Sofitel Sojourn The Villa Siem Reap
The Foundations	A great team of local builders from the village constructed our foundations and frame. This provides the entire structural support for the building. The main frame is constructed out of timber. The roofing is corrugated iron which will be covered in thatch to provide insultation. All the walls are constructed from Eco Blocks.
The Build Process	HUSK is working with three fantastic groups of students from Jakarta International School, Island School and Canadian International School from Hong Kong. These groups are working over several weeks from the end of October to late November helping make the bottle walls. The project is currently underway and the team from CDNIS are about to get down to the serious work of building!
Progress	Making Progress As each school group completes a section local builders come back and finish the fine details. Here Mr Boun is applying render to an upper wall. The lower walls are initially rough rendered by students and then local builders like Mr Boun come back and complete the fine render work!
	Taking Shape Our medical centre extension is now taking shape. This centre will provide much needed space at the local medical clinic. This will be invaluable for women arriving in labour and also patients who need to stay overnight with doctors observation.

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