Risk-informed early action
Planning ahead to reduce the impact of water and humanitarian crises before they happen, based on reliable early-warning information.
About BRC · Established 2018
Integrated development for underserved communities.
Building Resilient Communities (Pty) Ltd was established in 2018 to help government and its corporate partners deliver integrated development that addresses the needs of underserved communities and under-developed areas.
Our starting point is simple: the solution is found where the challenge exists. We design infrastructure around the people it must serve, and plan local enterprise into how it is delivered.
Our vision
“A poverty-free Africa where everyone benefits equitably from the economy and realises their human potential.”
Our approach
Partnership
We seek out credible partners with a good local reputation, contribute our own resources, and monitor and evaluate progress against agreed objectives.
Alignment with national priorities
Our work aligns with national priorities, including the National Development Plan and National Water Act imperatives.
The BRC Nexus
Water. Energy. Food. Water Mobility. Commerce.
BRC designs its projects as one connected system, not seven separate ones. Water makes food production possible. Energy powers pumping, treatment and monitoring. Water mobility carries access the last mile to households. Commerce turns every service into local jobs and enterprise.
Water
Storage, treatment and safe collection points that bring reliable water closer to the people who need it.
Projects in this part of the Nexus
Energy
Solar power for pumping, water treatment, monitoring, cold storage, farming systems and homes.
Projects in this part of the Nexus
Food
Prepared tunnel farms and water-wise production that turn water and energy into food security and farm enterprise.
Projects in this part of the Nexus
Water Mobility
Moving water the last mile: from fixed points and mobile units to the households that need it, reducing the time and effort it takes to collect.
Projects in this part of the Nexus
Commerce
Local water vendors, women-led enterprises, local manufacturing and jobs, planned into how every service is delivered.
Projects in this part of the Nexus
Housing and learning infrastructure build the human foundation the Nexus serves: A-Frame homes, school chess courts, mobile trolley libraries and prefabricated libraries.
Our values
- Integrity
- Honesty
- Reliability
- Purpose
Leadership
Ramesh Sirkissoon
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Ramesh Sirkissoon is the Founder and CEO of Building Resilient Communities (BRC), a South African social innovation enterprise driven by a simple philosophy: go where the problem is, and that is where you will find the solution.
A passionate advocate for practical, community-led innovation, Ramesh challenges conventional thinking through Jugaad, the art of finding resourceful, affordable and unconventional solutions to complex problems. His vision is to rethink how communities access housing, water, education, food security and economic opportunity.
Through BRC, he champions dual-purpose infrastructure that does more than meet a basic need: it creates opportunities for people to work, earn, learn and build more resilient communities. His approach puts people before convention, challenges accepted norms and seeks to turn overlooked challenges into opportunities for sustainable development.
Work with BRC
Discuss a project partnership, or request a brief on any of our seven partnership opportunities. Every brief sets out the concept, current stage and what a partner would contribute.