The earthquake caused great damage to the Recycled Estate Education Center – we need your help to rebuild it together!
The Recycled Estate suffered significant damage in the December 29, 2020 earthquake whose epicenter was about 25km away. In our village Vukomerić there almost isn’t a sole house without damage from the earthquake so we immediately set out to help everyone, repaired the damage on the roofs, removed the collapsed chimneys and did everything else necessary so people can safely spend the winter in their homes.
After we saved the houses on the Estate and in our village, just after the New Year’s day ZMAG's construction team headed to the hardest hit areas South of us - to Banija where we help in the towns of Sisak and Glina and the surrounding villages. Our knowledge and skills in the field of construction that we have been developing for years are now reaching their full potential as we participate in the most basic repair of damaged buildings. We coordinate teams of volunteers and work at several locations in order to make homes of the local population safe before the coldest part of the winter. In addition to physical work, we do not neglect moral support, we talk and provide words of comfort and encouragement to our hosts, and we volunteer in delivering supplies to homes in remote areas. We are there as long as we can build and provide support, and then we return to our Recycled Estate.
Our main facility - Educational Centre on the Recycled Estate is among the most affected buildings. For us, this is our main workspace with our office, main kitchen, guest bedroom, library and lecture hall where numerous workshops and courses are held. It is a place of meetings and gatherings, a place where all study visits to the Estate begin, where we host kindergartens and schools, a place where other organizations and institutions hold their meetings, strategic planning and field trips. The Educational Centre is also our livelihood, a form of self-financing of our organization Green Network of Activist Groups (ZMAG).
ZMAG manages the part of the Recycled Estate that has a public and educational purpose and role. We have the following damages on that part of the Estate:
- damaged chimneys on two buildings that require removal and installation of new ones
- destroyed walls in the building of the Educational Centre which require complete renovation and new plaster
- cracked glass on the greenhouse of the Educational Centre
- destroyed system for solar preparation of hot water, cracked installations and pipes from the earthquake and damaged pump tank where hot water is stored, all in the building of the Educational Centre.
- destroyed solar system for the preparation of hot water caused a flood that soaked the floors and insulation between the first and the ground floor, and it is necessary to install new insulation and install new floors
- damaged walls and repairs necessary on two facilities used by guests, volunteers and workers on the Estate
This list is incomplete and contains the most important things that have hit the part of the Estate that serves us to receive visits, organize public events and education. The full recovery of our Educational Centre can take several months, which means that during this time the property cannot fulfill its main function of educating and that people who want to learn about sustainable living and permaculture can visit it.
ZMAG is hereby asking for help in the form of financial contributions in order to help us repair the Recycled Estate so that we can open it for the public and all our users as soon as possible. Estimated renovation costs are around 70,000.00 kn. We have opened a separate account for this purpose and we will present receipts for each settled account and each item spent during and after the repair.
Grateful in advance and we continue to build and live together,
Your ZMAG
Our fundraising campaign has ended! Thank you all for your support and help!
