In February we welcomed our learners and teachers back to school after an extended break due the second wave of COVID-19. Our Eco-warriors have hit the ground running with 2021 Eco-Schools projects and are adjusting to the new normal.
Warm regards,
Cindy and the Team
LOVE EARTH
With February being the month of Love, the Schools and Youth team decided to redirect Cupid's arrow to Planet Earth. The team took a moment to reflect and appreciate the planet for all that it does for us. As #PeopleCaringForTheEarth, we need to remind ourselves of what makes our cause a worthy one and how each of us forms part of it. Through these exercises, we expressed gratitude to Planet (Mother) Earth and reawakened the passion in ourselves to go out and pioneer the cause. We are indeed #PeopleCaringForTheEarth
NATIONAL WATER WEEK
National Water Week is from the 15th to the 22nd of March 2021. This week aims to highlight the value of water in South Africa and educating the public about their responsibility in water conservation initiatives, raising awareness around the need to protect and conserve the country’s water resources. Re-iterating the value of water, the need for sustainable management of this scarce resource and the role water plays in annihilating poverty and under-development in South Africa.
This awareness creation is coupled with the responsibility that every citizen must take in ensuring the integrity of our water resources and its efficient use and the need to encourage citizens to change their attitudes towards water use.
This special environmental week outlines that it is not only the responsibility of officials to save the country from the water crisis but ours too.
Become a Water-Wise School this Water Week:
Use greywater for watering your school gardens
Rainwater harvesting for school use
Waterwise gardening
Removal of Alien Invasive Plants
Research your school’s water footprint and find water saving methods to lower your school’s footprint
PRINGLE HOUSE ECO SCHOOL ART SALE
The Pringle House Eco-School is raising funds through the sale of a selection of donated paintings from local artists (Click on each painting to enlarge).
To buy or view the paintings please email: Heather@pringlehouse.org, Contact Number: 028 273 8853.
Rix Wellman
acrylic and pastel
24cm x 20 cm unframed/ 34cm x 31 cm framed.
R1000
Milly Jones
Fire on the Mountain
R2000
Dorette Nortje
Bakgat
90co x 90 cm
R1 500
Charl Du Plessis
Devastation
Mixed Media
590cm x 840 cm
R2000
Sonnel Grobbelaar
Zebra Crossing
R1 000
Antoinette Coetzee
Seascape in oils.
Framed. 28x30
R1 000
SASOL ECO-SCHOOLS FOOD GARDENING PROJECT
The 20 Sasol supported Eco-Schools in the Free State were visited for gardening support and an outdoor lesson on organic gardening. A new school year also means a new garden year.
ECO-SCHOOLS INTERNATIONAL
The Trash Hack Campaign
Share your ideas on this global platform on how you are reducing and up-cycling waste at your school. The most inspiring videos and photo stories from students have the chance to be featured on UNESCO's Trash Hack website AND to be globally recognised as part of FEE's mini-competition.
Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane launched the National Youth Resilience Initiative under the theme: Strengthening youth resilience to build a capable South Africa.
The objectives of the National Youth Resilience Initiative is to highlight the issue of the psychosocial well-being and resilience of young people during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa and to facilitate access to quality, evidence-based psychosocial support programmes and services (including, for example, life skills programmes, counselling, leadership development programmes, active citizenship and volunteering programmes).
This initiative is made possible by The Department of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD), in partnership with the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), civil society actors Agape Youth Movement (AYM), Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) and supported by the German Development Cooperation through the GIZ programmes Inclusive Violence and Crime Prevention Programme (VCP) and African-German Youth Initiative (AGYI).
GROEN SEBENZA INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME
Groen Sebenza is a major environmental skills development and job creation project. Groen Sebenza which means Green (in Afrikaans) and Work (in isiZulu) brings young South Africans from previously disadvantaged backgrounds together with experienced biodiversity professionals to learn, grow and eventually gain the competence and confidence to embark on rewarding and meaningful biodiversity careers. The project will result in previously disadvantaged, unemployed youth gaining experience and ultimately jobs in the environmental sector.
WESSA is the implementing agent for the Department of Environmental Affairs Fisheries and Forestry (DEFF) for the Groen Sebenza project. Financial support has been provided by the DEFF and the project involves hosting 184 matriculant interns around the country for a 12-month period. The interns are spread across the country and housed within existing DEFF and WESSA initiatives and other partners in the environmental and biodiversity sector thus developing a wide range of skills while simultaneously enhancing our capacity to implement our many projects.
Groen Sebenza is perfectly aligned with WESSA’s strategic direction, which is to focus on the implementation of highly effective human capacity development projects. Such projects serve as a catalyst for attaining sustainable social change, for promoting sound environmental governance and for delivering lasting environmental outcomes.
WESSA believes that the Groen Sebenza initiative is a unique human capacity building initiative which will transform the environmental sector and is proud to be hosting these young dynamic graduates who will be the future custodians of our environment.
We kicked off our first school visit for the year in our Ford Ranger to support our newly registered Eco-school in Pretoria. The Gauteng Schools and Youth Team delivered gardening resources to Tshimolo Primary School and helped prepare their garden site for planting in March. The new sustainable food garden will be used for outdoor learning and also provide nutritious meals to learners.
Our interns visiting Tshimolo Primary School to support them with their garden project.
WESSA SCHOOLS and YOUTH PROGRAMME
TEAM CONTACT DETAILS
