At 72 and 75, Lisa and Colin could be enjoying quiet days at home. Instead, they’re building a crèche out of plastic bottles and changing the world for an entire community.
Johannesburg, South Africa (11 August 2025) – When most people retire, the plan usually involves slowing down. Maybe more tea, more grandkids or more gardening. But for Lisa and Colin Ekman, 72 and 75, “retirement” has been anything but quiet. Instead, these two have rolled up their sleeves, grabbed some plastic bottles and decided to make a difference in one of South Africa’s most underserved communities.
The Ekmans have lived a life of service. Colin spent 16 years as a minister at Village Church Lonehill before starting a building company. Lisa was an art teacher at Riversands, near Diepsloot, and also served as Managing Director for a South African Sunday school curriculum called iVangeli. Over the years, they’d crossed paths with local community leader Bishop Dlothi, and when their working days came to an end, they knew they weren’t done making an impact.
“We wanted to make our final years relevant for our local community,” Lisa told Good Things Guy. “We’ve worked all around Africa, but now we wanted to focus nearer to home at Diepsloot, which is only 10km away from Lonehill.”
Partnering with Earthly Touch, a local NPO that had previously built classrooms from 2-litre plastic bottles, they began a project to construct a crèche at The Vineyard Church. But this isn’t your average build. The walls are literally made of Eco Bricks… plastic bottles stuffed with non-recyclable waste like chip packets and bread bags. The process is as clever as it is sustainable. Schools across Johannesburg, the local Diepsloot community and volunteers collect bottles and fill them with plastic that would otherwise end up in landfills. For stability, the lower bottles near the foundation are filled with sand. Brick pillars provide support, but the bulk of the wall is built from these recycled bottles. Not only does this keep waste out of the environment but it also saves significantly on construction costs.
The current crèche project needs R80,000 to complete, but Lisa and Colin are already thinking ahead. The next crèche and adult education centre have already been chosen to start later this year. Teachers from these centres attend Early Childhood Development classes and earn formal qualifications, ensuring that the children in their care get the best start possible.
But the Ekmans’ vision extends beyond education.
Concerned by the University of the Witwatersrand’s findings that stunted growth in poverty-stricken areas affects children’s mental capacity, they launched vegetable gardens at Diepsloot churches to provide fresh produce for crèches. What started with six gardens has now grown into 40 allotment gardens, each 6m x 500mm, allocated to elderly members and friends from local churches, many of them non-nationals who receive no government grants.
These gardens are carefully managed: each has a “captain” overseeing the watering and weeding and participants receive a small stipend. Culterra supplies compost to enrich the poor local soil, and seedlings are provided to ensure continuous harvests.
It’s not just about vegetables or bricks, it’s about dignity, self-sufficiency and building a community that thrives together.
Lisa and Colin’s work has already inspired many to get involved.
“Any help financially or collecting and stuffing the bottles would be most appreciated,” they say.
Their registered NPO, Cherith, can provide 18A certificates so donations are tax-deductible, but more than that, this is a chance for everyday South Africans to be part of something truly special.
At an age when most people are stepping back, Lisa and Colin are stepping up. And their story is a powerful reminder that purpose doesn’t come with an expiry date… and neither does the ability to change the world.
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Could I please have contact details for the ecobrick school project in Diepsloot. I have been filling ecobricks for years & its not easy to find projects to donate to.
Please can I also have details. Our meerkats a division of scouts sa have been making eco brics. We would love to donate to this projecf