PROJECTS

Lifeboard

Background:

Many communities in the Southern Sahara region in Africa have schools as shown above.

Many are worse off and have to contend with a flat crown acacia for shade. East Coast moulders designed and developed the Lifeboard to circumvent the need for traditional school desks in such true rural areas. The Lifeboard was designed to act as a learning aid, eating surface and water carrier. The water carrier was incorporated into the design as some kiddies had long distances to walk to school and back.

The Lifeboard is manufactured at cost and relies on Corporate Sponsors and Polymer Suppliers (Thanks to LOMOTEK for their generous and ongoing support in this project!) to get the Lifeboard into the schooling system. It is estimated that South Africa alone has a shortage of approx 4 200 000 school desks. The joy on the faces of the kids when they receive their own Lifeboard is amazing and imagine the potential for Africa if 4.2 million plus children could get a better education!

Grindrod (South Africa) Pty Limited, the first Sponsor of 1000 Lifeboards, will be handing over 350 Lifeboards to Khanyisani Primary School in the valley of 1000 hills n 2nd September 2008. Thereafter it is planned to supply a further two schools in the valley.

A school in Zululand and one in Lesotho will also receive Life boards when the Grindrod project has been completed.

NAME: Lifeboard

DESIGN: The Lifeboard was designed by East Coast Moulders, Durban, South Africa and the CNC aluminum mould was manufactured by Verimould, Durban, South Africa.

AWARDS: Lifeboard received the ARMSA 2008 Product of The Year Award.

POLYMER: Only colour compounded LLDPE is used and is supplied by LOMOTEK POLYMERS.

BRANDING: All branding is in the form of moulded in graphics which are supplied by Mold in Graphic Systems.

DESIGN FEATURES: The following had to be taken into account when developing the Lifeboard:

  • Due to the physical size of the children the weight had to be such that the journey to and from school would not be a burden.
  • The strength had to withstand the rigours and weather conditions in Africa.
  • Cost was to be contained without compromising the functionality of the final product.

The above considerations were dealt with by:

  • Extensive trials were done through youth groups to determine size and weight and the average of averages resulting in the following dimensions which would accommodate all age groups through their schooling career:
    1. Length: 590 mm
    2. Width: 360 mm
    3. Thickness: 25 mm
    4. Weight: 850 grams
    5. Wall Thickness: 2.5 mm
  • The ribs on the underside of the Lifeboard are not intended to be kiss-offs, but to support the flat upper surface and although the Lifeboard is capable of carrying approximately 4 litres of water, this would deform the Lifeboard and in keeping with the above considerations the intention is to fill with only approx 1 litre due to the capabilities of the smaller children.
  • Kids will be kids and the closures would be lost! In lieu of sending spares the Lifeboard was designed to accommodate the closure of a well known commercial cool drink sold in the smallest village on our planet!

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