The GreenHouse Project in Johannesburg's vibrant inner city provides demonstrations, outreach and support on sustainable living. The vision of the GreenHouse Project is to 'green' Johannesburg. This is being done through our inspirational integrated programmes on:

• Sustainable energy
• Wise use of water
• Green building
• Organic gardening 
• Zero waste.

The GreenHouse mainly works with poorly resouced community-based organisations and disadvantaged individuals Some key words from our recent planning workshop:

• 'the GreenHouse aims to be a place providing food for the soul ...a place of motivation"
• 'a place to learn'
• 'CBO's getting inspiration and receiving outreach'
• 'hot-housing' green entrepreneurs providing sustainable energy'
• 'providing people with entrepreneruial opportunities through reusing waste'.

The GreenHouse organises itself in a Green way, promoting participation, democracy, equality, and doing more with less.The GreenHouse will use its 'Green' Earthbuilding (under construction with a generous donation from National Lotteries Board) as an income-earner by renting out the venue for meetings and conferences. In the process the GreenHouse will become less donor-dependent!

The most wonderful thing about equipping the Earthbuilding for conferences is that it will greatly increase our ability to host and provide support to CBO's and individuals. It will allow the GreenHouse to generate much-needed income to run projects inter alia building capacity to alleviate poverty through self-help programmes.

The fully operational Earthbuilding is expected to provide employment for 30 people (including conference organisation, small businesses generated for catering, laundry, couriering, gardening, cleaning, manufacturing of necessities such as folders from recycled paper etc). 7 jobs are expected to be generated through the catering operation alone.