Investing in the community that surrounds any significant business operation is nothing more than good sense.
Société des Caoutchoucs de Grand-Béréby (SOGB) is engaged in the production of rubber and palm oil 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 blockmaking 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.