NEWS
11
Plumblink assists WASSUP
WASSUP, an acronym for Water Amenities Sanitation Services Upgrade Programme, is a
dedicated volunteer and non-profit organisation, headed by Obed Kekae. Its funding dried up
earlier this year, placing the future of this vital community service in jeopardy, as well as the
jobs of a team of six hard-working plumbers.
Plumblink has stepped into the breach, recognising the importance of this project and re-assigned
some of its enterprise development funding to the worthy cause, on top of the plumbing supplies it has
long been making available.
The initiative was previously funded from various sources, with a certain portion being foreign funding.
However, the variety of sources of funding available meant that the pay the WASSUP team receive was
intermittent.
The Wot-If trust is simultaneously looking at innovative solutions to provide steady income, and to
broaden the base of support to ultimately convert WASSUP into a self-sustaining business. “Its financial
needs will always be on-going because the nature of their work is maintenance. The toilets in Diepsloot
are under heavy use, so that need will never stop. We’re involved because it’s a good project and the
right thing to do,” says Chandler. PA
February 2020 Volume 25 I Number 12
Plumblink CEO, Gary Chandler, says the company has picked up the salary bill over the past few months
until more reliable funding is established, and will continue to support the organisation as it always has.
WASSUP head, Obed Kekae.
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