HEINEKEN Beverages in partnership with Lumkani, an organisation dedicated to addressing the challenge of fires in informal settlements, has donated and installed fire alarms in over 700 homes at Sicelo informal settlement in Midvaal, Gauteng. Remarkably, 10 fires were prevented in the first month post-installation alone.
In winter, the risk of uncontrollable fires grows among residents of informal settlements who, as a result of a limited supply of electricity or lack thereof, find alternative ways to keep warm and warm meals during the coldest days of the year. These alternatives include the use of unsafe paraffin stoves or wood-fired stoves. Residents also use various light sources such as candles and paraffin lamps for light. As these often-informal homes or ‘shacks’ are very close to one another in proximity, the risk of fire becomes a danger to hundreds of homes as they can quickly spread and burn in a single blaze.
According to the Fire Protection Association of Southern Africa (FPASA) between 2008 and 2018, South African informal homeowners lost over R1.4 billion worth of property due to fire. In South Africa, over 5 500 informal homes are lost to fire every year. This has increased steadily in the past ten years.
The challenge of fires in informal settlements continues to pose a huge risk to the lives of people living in these communities and their belongings.
“As part of our Brew a Better World sustainability strategy, our social impact arm entails supporting local communities and making a positive contribution to society, it was of paramount importance for us to initiate this project in the Sicelo community, near our Sedibeng Brewery. Contributing to the communities in which we operate and making an impact are at the centre of our business. Our aim is to reduce the occurrence of fires and prevent loss of lives and homes,”
says Millicent Maroga, Corporate Affairs Director for HEINEKEN Beverages.
The fire alarms trigger when they detect a rapid increase in temperature in the home. All neighbouring fire alarms within a 60-metre radius will ring at the same time, creating a community-wide call to action to deal with the fire before it becomes dangerous. They have been installed inside the informal structures, along with gateways that pick up the signal from fire alarms and can transmit an instant cell phone message to the homeowner, Lumkani agents on the ground and Lumkani head office. Therefore, whether a homeowner is at work or outside the community they can also be proactive to deal with the fire. Lumkani, as a result of HEINEKEN’s support and donation, has been able to employ six on-the-ground agents, technical installers and community fire leads within Sicelo who can provide continued support and services to the community.
“Our aim is to create safe and resilient communities with necessary resources for underserved people. We identify communities that lack critical technologies and introduce tools that are created to reduce risks and inequality. Part of our mission is to reduce the loss of lives and property that results from fires in informal settlements and the years of data accumulated over the years clearly show the impact that these tools have on communities,”
says Francois Petousis, Chief Executive Officer at Lumkani.
“The UN predicts that by 2030, 1 in 4 people will be living in informal settlements globally, so the challenge of informal settlement fires is getting worse, as communities become more dense. UN Habitat estimates that by 2050 there will be 1.2 billion informal settlement dwellers in Africa alone”
Petousis concludes.
The beneficiaries of these fire alarms are also encouraged to take out insurance that would cover them in the event of damaged property or a destroyed home as a result of fire. 100 residents have taken out insurance through Lumkani underwritten by Hollard, providing cover of up to R40 000. This is an unusual offering in the informal housing market but will add an extra layer of protection for an underserved market.
