Byline: Kelebogile Masemola
07 July 2022
Hennops Revival is a non-profit organisation focused on reviving, restoring and healing the Hennops River, working together with the City of Tshwane since November 2019 which has resulted in an official Memorandum of Understanding in place for 3 years since March 2022.
The non-profit organisation based in Centurion, Tshwane is a public benefit organization which provides the perfect opportunity for all-round improvement by cleaning the environment and relieving the government’s activities.
“As a non-profit organisation we have created jobs for the homeless, women and youth as well as creating a popular platform for community volunteerism, corporate employee engagement and corporate social investment towards creating a positive, visible, and tangible environmental footprint,” said Founder and CEO of Hennops Revival, Tarryn Johnston.
The organisation has grown exponentially over the past few years, they have won awards in the environmental sector in 2021/2022 and they have won the opportunity to personally present the work of Hennops Revival at the EU Headquaters in Brussels and to the French National Agency for Biodiversity in France in June 2022.
Their initial catchment system was erected in September 2021, but flattened by the enormous amount of trees and floods this year.
“We have a serious water crisis in our country, our rivers should be sources of drinking water, but we have abused them to such a degree where they have become cesspools of sewage, effluent and waste resulting in death, rot and decay.
We have to take action now, because we do not have time to wait, nobody is coming to deliver a fresh batch of water to the planet, this is what we have, it is all we have ever had, and it is all we are ever going to have,” said Johnston.
Hennops River Litter Catchment System A pilot project was installed in September 2021.
Johnston further added that the non-profit organisation is in need of sponsorship to modify and install the new design of a catchment system.
“In the seven (7) months that the trap was fully functional we removed over 13 000 bags of waste from the area so it definitely did what was intended and went according to plan, when the water reached the height for the barrel row to release, it did so, as planned and we did not have damming as a result.
Currently there are no functional catchment systems as we are in need of sponsorship to modify and install the new design.
The new design is estimated to cost R150 000, the most expensive part of installing a catchment system is the maintenance and ongoing cleaning by the Hennops Revival crew,” said Johnston.
Hennops Revival is not funded, they receive donations from communities and the private sector and are able to provide tax exemption certificates for contributions.
“We are hosting two (2) volunteer cleanups for Mandela Day, one (1) in Centurion on 16 July 2022 and on 18 July 2022 in Tembisa and we provide a perfect platform for people and businesses to get involved and do their part, whether it is by physical volunteering on the day or making donations or sponsorship,” she said.
