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Société des Caoutchoucs de Grand-Béréby (SOGB)
is engaged in the production of rubber and palm oil in
in the south-west region of Côte d’Ivoire. The operation
is of a significant size, spread out over an area of
34 712ha (16 840ha for rubber, 6 041ha for palm oil and
11 830 ha for the factories and villages for workers).
Since workers living in villages typically have children,
SOGB decided that the right thing to do would be to build
a new school in the area. After some investigation, a
recommendation was made that the company consider
purchasing a Hydraform machine, thereby empowering
the community to build its own school using the Hydraform
Building System.
A key benefit of the Hydraform E380 interlocking block-
making machine that the organisation purchased was that
local people could save on the high cost of cement and
use soil from the surrounding area to make the blocks
with which to construct the school. The result is a stunning
12-classroom school for the local community.
CVC also purchased a Hydraform tilemaking machine,
meaning that all houses built could be roofed using locally
created roof tiles.
Furthermore, the thermal properties of the Hydraform
soil cement blocks keep the classrooms cool in summer
and warm in winter, providing a comfortable learning
environment for the pupils.
Building a
school
Investing in the community that surrounds any significant
business operation is nothing more than good sense.
Case Study: Côte d’Ivoire