About Us
PEP is now a well established organisation that was legally constituted as an educational trust in mid 2000. Besides staff, the management of the organisation consists of an executive director, Shawn Cuff and a board of 3 trustees – the same 3 trustees who have been active from the outset of PEP.
It was originally set up to explore “Alternative technologies and cost saving approaches to affordable housing in South Africa” and continues to adhere to this vision. It has also been very active in providing technical training to various groups, the bulk being residents of informal settlements but also including local and provincial authorities who are active within the “people’s housing process”. The focus of this training has been on technical issues and preparing people for the design, costing and construction of their own homes.
Faced with the increasing numbers of devastating fires and floods that the inhabitants of informal settlements are constantly faced with, PEP embarked on a search for a solution to this problem about 4 years ago.
Although the provision of permanent housing remains one of the main goals of government and PEP, it is one which is increasingly difficult to address satisfactorily. Adopting the approach that a “reasonable structure now is better than a permanent brick home in 5 or 10 years time”, we started conducting research into providing emergency shelters. This research included exposure to international organisations that were involved in similar activities. Our main source of inspiration being derived from the Hogar de Cristo organisation in Latin America. This is an organisation that makes dwellings available to destitute families. Their shelters are simple but provide stability and security. Families can then extend and improve their dwellings as their needs and resources increase.
Following this exchange, we conducted fairly extensive research into providing a similar dwelling that most importantly, was affordable, for the poorest families, in our own country. The houses were to be similar to those that the people themselves construct when first occupying land but (after rejecting several different options) are also fire, water and rodent resistant. They also had to be cheap, quick to erect and structurally sound. These units were to be seen only as a first step in the relief of poverty and a step in the direction of acquiring a solid, more permanent and decent home for their families.
Members of the FEDUP who lived in the close vicinity, were employed for training, thus creating a wonderful job creation environment and a source of income generation for local inhabitants. A skilled and motivated team was soon established and is still being managed by a woman from the Federation.
Over a period of several years and extensive research into various materials and typologies we then designed, cost and built the shelter. Considering that one of the applications for these dwellings was to provide temporary relief to victims of fires, it was important that the units themselves be fire-resistant.
PEP can transport (in panel form) and construct a unit on site within a 2 to 4 hour period. The unit has also been designed in such a way that future additions and extensions can easily and affordably be carried out by the owner. It is a rudimentary dwelling to start with but is affordable to most poor families and certainly has the potential of becoming a more permanent structure in the longer term.
Another advantage of the unit is that it can easily be dismantled and reconstructed in another position if necessary. This means that should it be utilised as a transit facility during upgrading of an existing settlement for example, it can be dismantled and re-used elsewhere as needed.
Although PEP is a non-profit organisation, we strive towards being a financially prudent organisation that is run efficiently. With regard to financial sustainability of the project, it is felt to be important to keep house prices affordable in real terms. This means that it may be necessary to renounce quality or levels of finishes in favour of serving the “poorest of the poor”. Possibilities for improving the houses and the designs are continually being researched.
This particular project has grown to the point that it currently has its own identity and is known as IKHAYALAMI.
Besides the above, PEP have more recently being involved in providing an architectural and project management service for other NGO’s and non-profit organisations. These commissions have included interalia the following:
- Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre
- Victoria Mxenge Creche
- Safe Haven for Abused Women & Children
