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December 2024
The contract for the construction of the bamboo storage has been given to Jan and his new company, DeBleen Ltd. Preparations for the construction are starting in Accra.
(Photo credit: DeBleen Ltd)
Together € 5,000 until March 2025.
Every contribution counts!Our donation campaign for the next construction phase in March is online: Donate now!
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November 2024
We are delighted to have gained socialarchitecture e.V. as a supporter and professional partner!
The non-profit organisation supports construction and planning projects to provide housing, schools and utility buildings in developing countries, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda. One focus is the reduction of inequality through better access to education, housing and basic services.Homepage: https://www.social-architecture.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialarchitecture_e.v/
For our bamboo training centre in Guata, socialarchitecture e.V. is contributing 3,000 euros to the construction of the bamboo drying station, which will start in December. The organisation is also offering technical support for future construction phases. This co-operation not only strengthens the current construction phase, but also opens up new long-term perspectives. We are very pleased about this partnership!
Our next match at The Good Ones: Jan, a marketing expert, is helping us to develop a campaign for corporate donations to fund our bamboo training centre. He helps us to formulate clear messages, develop the right strategy and utilise suitable channels. With a communication plan and concrete recommendations, we look forward to the implementation and thank Jan for his valuable support!
Rabea is participating in all three sessions of the 2024 International Online Seminar – Bamboo in Africa: Pathways to Sustainable Construction and Development. The event will highlight the role of bamboo in sustainable construction on the African continent and discuss innovative approaches that take ecological, cultural and economic aspects into account. The sessions covers exciting topics:
- 13. November: New technologies and standards for the bamboo construction sector in Africa
- 20. November: The role of the private sector in bamboo cultivation
- 27. November: Environmental benefits of bamboo cultivation in Africa
Our first match at The Good Ones: Jessica, an experienced UX designer, is supporting us with a UX audit of our website. The aim is to improve usability, clearly communicate our vision and make the homepage more donor-friendly. She will create an analysis with practical recommendations and a prioritised list of actions to help us optimise our digital presence. We look forward to working with Jessica and would like to thank her for her valuable contribution!
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October 2024
We are now a member of The Good Ones, a platform that connects professionals with non-profit organisations to promote social projects through skills-based volunteering. Our decision to become a member is based on the goal of further professionalising ourselves and increasing our capacities. Particularly in the areas of fundraising and public relations, we hope to receive targeted support from dedicated professionals in order to drive our projects forward even more effectively. We look forward to the new opportunities that this will bring!
Our first online meeting with Jonathan takes place. As part of his bachelor’s thesis at the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, he is developing a house made from renewable building materials in a modular construction system that is specially adapted to the climatic and socio-economic conditions in Ghana. This building will be constructed on the project site in Guata in March and will serve as accommodation for staff and guests of the bamboo training centre in the future. We look forward to working together and realising this innovative concept!
Antonia is travelling to Ghana for several weeks to represent GROW Colourful Ghana e.V. (GCG) on site. After a few weeks in the office of our partner organisation ABC, she visits Ejura to collect data for a potential project site, strengthen networks with local stakeholders and promote the visibility of GCG in the region. These activities provide valuable insights into local conditions, create strategic partnerships and serve to prepare future projects. The measure is supported with 200 euros to cover transport, catering and material costs.
We are starting the next round of cooperation with the Rhein-Main University of Applied Sciences as part of the ‘Climate-friendly construction’ seminar series in the winter semester 24/25. The students are developing modular residential buildings made from renewable building materials, which are intended to serve as an ‘open source’ solution for sub-Saharan Africa. In March 2025, another excursion to Ghana is planned, during which small shelters based on this modular construction system will be built together with local partners BIDG and ABC, Ghanaian students and GROW Colourful Ghana e.V. We look forward to continuing this exciting and fruitful cooperation!
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September 2024
We accept the invitation from the municipality of Herzebrock-Clarholz to the Volunteer Day. Chris and Rabea represent our association at this special event, where around 100 associations are honoured for their commitment. It was an inspiring evening that focussed on the importance of volunteering for our community. We were very pleased!
Rabea and Chris are taking part in the Ghana Länderforum 2024. The exciting presentations and inspiring dialogue provide valuable impetus for our work. We are already looking forward to next year: the Ghana Country Forum 2025 will take place on 20 September in Dortmund!
Every year on 18 September, we celebrate World Bamboo Day and draw attention to the importance of bamboo as a sustainable raw material. This day reminds us how important bamboo is for environmental protection, climate adaptation and the promotion of social and economic development worldwide.
We presented our info booth at the Cityfest in Herzebrock and enjoyed a great day full of dialogue and activities. We were particularly pleased with the great response to our offer to build your own bamboo bee hotel – only two of the 22 prepared construction kits remained. A big thank you to everyone who came along and made this day so special!
Save the date!
On 15 September we would like to invite you to visit us at the GROW Colourful Ghana e.V. information stand at the City-Fest in Herzebrock-Clarholz!
You can expect exciting insights into our sustainable bamboo project in Ghana, a creative hands-on activity – but shh, we won’t give too much away! Just this much: it has to do with bamboo, bees and special protection for nature.
Place: Herzebrock-Clarholz
Time: 13:00 – 18:00We look forward to seeing you!
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August 2024
Online meeting for the design presentation of the students of the seminar ‘Climate-friendly building’ of the Rhein-Main University of Applied Sciences in the summer semester 2024. The focus was on the design of the main hall of the bamboo training centre in Ghana. In close cooperation with GROW Colourful Ghana, a circular building was designed as a central meeting point and workshop area and initial implementation considerations were discussed. Part of the supporting structure is to be realised as a 1-to-1 model as part of the summer school.
We are starting the tendering process for the urgently needed drying and storage area for treated bamboo on our project site in Guata. We still need around 4,000 euros to complete the operation of the treatment plant that has already been built. This infrastructure is essential to drive forward the next construction phases and promote the use of bamboo in the region in the long term. The designs are ready, we just need the money to realise them.
Chris and Rabea visit the summer school on the HSRM campus in Wiesbaden and surprise the hard-working participants with ice cream. As part of the project, the ‘Bamboobar’ was built as a 1:1 mock-up for the concept designs of the Mainhall of the Bamboo Training Centre. The 13-square-metre pavilion made of bamboo, clay and wood uses various building and construction methods to gain practical experience with sustainable materials. The ‘climate swing’ from the previous year was dismantled, but the materials were sustainably reused.
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July 2024
We are launching our social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn! From now on, we will regularly share news and insights into our projects there – follow us to stay up to date!
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June 2024
Rabea represents Empowerment Bamboo at the ‘Bouw met Bamboe’ symposium in Rotterdam. The first of its kind in the Netherlands to focus on bamboo in architecture, construction and design. Expert presentations, workshops and an exhibition offer exciting insights and opportunities for dialogue.
Two of our members, Robert and David, are taking on the role of assessors in order to support the organisation even more intensively in future. David would like to contribute his artistic skills in the area of media and publicity, while Robert is offering his manual skills for various construction work, such as building bamboo frames for our information boards. We are delighted with their commitment, as helping hands are always welcome. An assessor position is still open – anyone interested is welcome to contact us!
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May 2024
We are represented with an information stand at the European Bamboo Expo in Dortmund from 16 – 18 May, just like last year. This is a great opportunity to present our project in Ghana, make valuable contacts in the bamboo industry and gain new impetus from inspiring presentations by renowned bamboo experts.
Rabea attends the EMPOWERMENT BAMBOO Workshop “Bamboo as alternative material for sustainable construction” with Lorena Nolte. Insight into sustainable building options with bamboo.
Save the date!
From 16 to 18 May, we will be presenting our organisation and the project “A bamboo training center in Ghana” at the European Bamboo Expo in Dortmund.
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April 2024
Rabea is present at the EMPOWERMENT BAMBOO workshop. Topic: “Bamboo Research: Lifelong Learning Helps!” with bamboo expert Markus Roselieb. Important exchange on research progress and educational approaches in the bamboo sector.
Our Annual General Meeting takes place. Martin Tiggemann is elected as the new 1st Chairman. An important step into a new era of our organisational management. This will allow Rabea to devote more time to her tasks as a project coordinator, as desired.
Our annual report for 2023 is published: Download
Great article by “Hessen schafft Wissen” about our cooperation with the Rhein-Main University of Applied Sciences and the construction of the bamboo training center in Ghana. The article highlights the synergies and impact of our joint projects.
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March 2024
Rabea and Christoph take part in the general meeting of the Ghana Forum NRW at the Auslandsgesellschaft Dortmund. Important exchange and networking with actors in development work.
Rabea takes part in the Haus des Stiftens webinar: “Remuneration in non-profit organizations”. Important insights into fair remuneration structures and their implementation.
Rabea and Christoph are taking part in the online design presentation by students at Rhine-Main University of Applied Sciences. The results from the seminar “Concept Bamboo Training Center in Ghana” of the winter semester 23/24 being presented.
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February 2024
Rabea takes part in the EMPOWERMENT BAMBOO workshop. Topic: “Financing Bamboo Projects with NGOs”, presented by the expert Ulla Schuch. An important step towards strengthening our project financing skills.
Planning meeting in Amsterdam with our project partners Emil from BIDG and Vincent from ABC. Intensive discussions to coordinate future project steps and strategies.
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January 2024
Successful meeting in Wiesbaden with students and lecturers from Rhein-Main University of Applied Sciences who were actively involved in our project in Ghana. Exchange of experiences and future initiatives.
We wish you a Happy New Year 2024!
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