Salty Print: transforming paper, people and places
Sean Hawkey
Salty Print specialises in printing and origination, and since 1989 has created self-sustainable work for unemployed people by providing printing and other media services for churches, NGOs, community and political groups, university projects, small businesses and government agencies. To achieve this WACC helped Salty Print upgrade its obsolete printing machine by acquiring an A 22 Colour Heidelberg Press.
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Eric Mbuyisile Mbombi attends Salty Press' Heidelberg printer
Salty Print is based in the Salt River district of Cape Town. It started as a sincere attempt to meet the basic human needs of unemployment and poverty relief in South Africa. The project has grown into an ecumenical media and resource centre focusing on project development, communication and continuing education. Printing, publishing and networking facilitates are a sustainable economic base that finds full time work for up to 15 people.
An Ecumenical Board of Management representing a broad spectrum of Christian community works to help it meet the challenge of its mission statement: “Transforming Paper, People and Places”
During 1999 The Rev. Mark Stephenson who runs the project conducted a study/survey of printing machinery manufacturers including Heidelberg in Germany and SOLNA in Sweden as well as the reprographic plant of CREO (Computer to Plate) in Vancouver. Site visits were also made to second hand dealers in the Netherlands and South Africa. Last year steps were introduced to develop an on line satellite classroom with the Leeds College of Technology (Print and Media Division) This will be a first in South Africa and should be up and riding in the year 2003.
Today, Salty Print is the preferred printers for TAC (Treatment Action Campaign) seeking to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.
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