Raees Ahmed

In this second part of the Rooftop Series (read the first part Greening Mumbai: Debris to Development), intern Raees Ahmed talks about his experience in developing and piloting a bulk purchasing program in Johannesburg, South Africa.

When I was first offered an internship by Rooftops Canada, I was overjoyed. It came at a time when I was completing work on a post-disaster development project in Haiti. After one month’s training with co-op and social housing organizations in Toronto, I left for a five-month internship with the National Association of Social Housing Organizations (NASHO) in Johannesburg, South Africa to help start their first bulk purchasing program.

NASHO is a national federation of 16 social housing institutions that house about 21,000 low-income families across the country. NASHO provides training to its members and represents their voices in government relations and more generally, in the housing market. Although still fairly young, NASHO boasts a large number of highly motivated social housing developers and managers. They very much share the values of Canadian housing activists. In the words of NASHO’s part-time CEO, Malcolm McCarthy, “social housing is not about making units, it’s about ensuring people live in decent communities with adequate services”. A participant at the 2010 NASHO Conference in Johannesburg added, “social housing is not about making units, it’s about making people”.

Rooftops Canada has supported NASHO from its launch in 2002. This included visits to Canadian co-op and social housing federations and associations to learn about their bulk purchasing programs. The program at NASHO is intended to generate funds to assist the organization with its future operations, provide savings for its members, and improve the living conditions of their low-income tenants. This includes looking for opportunities to “green” housing operations.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the first product to come on stream will be property insurance. When all NASHO members switch to the new insurer, revenues will cover the costs of a staff person for the program. Banking, security services and maintenance supplies are the next in line.

In developing the strategy we borrowed heavily from the experience of the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association and the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto. I am grateful to the staff of the two organizations as well as the Social Housing Services Corporation and the Toronto Community Housing Corporation for the continued support and for sharing their experience. A successful NASHO and a successful bulk purchase program will definitely contribute to the development of the social housing sector in South Africa.

More information on Rooftops Canada:  http://www.rooftops.ca/english/index.asp

More about NASHO: http://www.nasho.org.za/

The statistics of stovetop fires are staggering and paints a grim picture.  Ontario averages more than 6,000 preventable home fires annually and the majority of these fires start in the kitchen.  68% of all home cooking fires involve stove-tops, and unattended cooking accounts for 69% of these fires.  Multi-unit residences are at the highest risk, where over 43% of all stove-top fires occur.

AM800 Radio Interview with Rusty Thompson
During the holidays I became a local celebrity in the Windsor/Sarnia area when I was interviewed on AM800 about stovetop fires and stovetop safety. Rusty Thompson of AM800 radio reached me in my hotel room as I was travelling to visit my in-laws – so I was in a festive mood! Rusty was well-prepared and introduced the subject well. He referred our work with the Electrical Safety Authority, how our goals in terms of fire safety aligned with them and also with the Ontario Fire Marshal to educate social housing tenants about safe practices, and recommended stove-top fire prevention products such as the Safe-T-Element, which has been endorsed by fire marshals across North America.

I echoed the words of Social Housing Services Corporation CEO, Lindsey Reed, who pointed out that “Something as simple as turning away from the stove to answer the phone or offer your guest a drink can distract you long enough for a fire to start. By following the basic rules of fire prevention and installing fire prevention products, everyone can go a long way to avoiding stove-top fires and protecting themselves and their loved ones.”

I provided a personal story about how I had (accidentally) put a tea towel onto the stovetop, which was still hot – we can all learn some simple rules, I told Rusty.  I ended my interview by giving some simple tips to help prevent fires including:
•    Making sure stove tops and nearby counters are kept clear and uncluttered
•    Keeping curtains, utensils, paper towels and other things that can burn away from the stove
•    Ensuring pot handles are turned inward so they can’t be bumped

If you are interested in stovetop Safe-T-Elements, they are available through the SHSC’s Appliance Bulk Buy Program.