Connections and Projects
We, as The Dust Project, realized early on that we can’t cover much territory on our own… but by joining forces/ideas/projects/vision with like-minded, like-spirited and trustworthy others, we’re ALL able to make a greater impact. Listed below are some of those we partner with, work alongside, or support in varying capacities.
If you have any ideas for further connections, building suppliers, entrepreneurial ideas, etc. please don’t hesitate to...
The Dust Project works alongside Sri Lanka-based charity, the Paalam Project. They are dear friends, hard workers, like-spirited, and DP simply would not exist without their influence and partnership.
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Their mission ‘is to provide relief and social services to those in need to improve the quality of life of the beneficiaries by engaging in social, charitable and educational services including the establishment of schools for education, children’s homes and vocational training centers, and by providing preventative health education and training to members of the community.’
Waste for Life
The Dust Project (and our sister charity, Paalam Project) have teamed up with Waste for Life to convert plastic waste and discarded fabrics into robust and useful recycled materials, for many purposes.
Machine Press
Through a grant purchase, Waste for Life have provided a machine press which fuses waste plastic sheeting and a wide range of fabrics (even coconut husks!) into a beautiful, sturdy material. Ladies employed by The Dust Project and Paalam have been converting this into affordable products for the community and beautiful products to eventually sell in a much broader market.
Roof Tiles
Waste for Life are also currently testing their recycled plastic roofing tile prototype on one of our DP outhouses in Jaffna. They’re monitoring it throughout the seasons, and based on this experimental run, will hopefully start to manufacture these tiles as a low-cost, highly effective solution for waste and for life in Sri Lanka, and for future DP builds.
Together with WFL, we hope to—
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Help provide a solution for the plastic waste that haunts our planet and Sri Lanka’s coast;
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Create jobs for locals and the opportunity to use their creativity;
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Produce useful, well-designed and safer building materials, and beautifully crafted items.
DP Stores
In recent years, The Dust Project has been able to open a second-hand clothing shop in Irupalai (just outside Jaffna), supplied by donated clothing collected in the UK. Shipments go from southern UK quarterly, and once in Sri Lanka, seem to fly off the shelves! Whatever is deemed unsalable after a fair amount of time is then given to use in the Waste For Life machine press— where the fabric is fused with plastic waste, and transformed into alternate, usable goods. These include but aren’t limited to: pencil cases, book covers, bags, etc. for sale and for our school children’s use; marketable products for the community (such as bottle carriers); and we’re currently sampling several other templates for more contemporary designs to hopefully sell in trendy, tourist-frequented Colombo markets, online, and in UK-based shops.
The DP Shop has been a resounding success— supplying needed shoes and clothing, in good condition, to local residents at reduced costs, and creating jobs for locals.
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Photo & Video Credits
A massive THANK YOU to our brilliant photographers and videographer, who contribute to the spirit of The Dust Project through imagery— capturing our community and cherished kids through the lens of beauty and compassion.
