We all like to imagine that our golden years will be a relaxing reward for all our hard work we’ve put in through our working lives. But for many, it can be a poverty-stricken and lonely struggle to find somewhere to sleep, something to eat, and someone who cares.
Restoring Dignity and Purpose
NOAH Home of the Elderly in Woodstock, Cape Town, South Africa was established in 1981 in response to a dire need for safe and affordable accommodation for the elderly poor—a forgotten segment of the community suffering from loneliness, depression, destitution, and abuse.
The organization currently supports over 750 social pensioners by providing comfort, security, safety, and health services and keeping their residents active and independent. It is a beacon of hope for those facing old age alone and in poverty. However, a lack of government funding meant the NOAH building desperately needed some tender loving care.
Meet Andre Joubert, PPG sales manager for South Africa, Namibia, and Angola at Protective and Marine Coatings Western Cape. In his job, Andre enjoys using his love of meeting new people to build lasting relationships with everyone he works with. For him, finding a way to help NOAH was a great chance to exercise his skills for building personal bridges – something the home was desperately in need of.
Pictured: Herman Putter, Andre Joubert and Jackie Putter
Going from Cold to Cheerful
As part of our COLORFUL COMMUNITIES® initiative, Andre was joined by over 30 employees and community volunteers, who all got busy with their brushes. They refurbished the clinic, courtyard, and community center’s walls, doors, ceilings, and balustrades with paints and primers.
The tired and sterile white walls were painted with the durable Prominent Paints® Select Sheen range in the NOAH logo colors of a mixture of grays and lime green, resulting in a contemporary, welcoming and cheerful environment.
Andre says of the residents that the refurbishment “improved their living conditions” and that “the change brought quite a bit of excitement as a good change is always uplifting.”
A Place for Residents to Thrive
A key objective of a project like this is the spiritual enriching of the people it’s for by helping them feel valued and more content in their environment.
Learn more about
Colorful Communities initiative
here.