Old paper is given a new lease on life as compressed paper bricks. The bricks are used as fuel for fires.
Using paper bricks as a replacement for firewood reduces waste and ensures the number of trees used by the community is limited.
The gardening and greening project at the school has become an asset not only for the school but for the entire community.
‘Parents used to complain about their children roaming the streets,” says Evelyn Badimo, the project’s coordinator. There is a sense of pride in the environment and a new-found feeling of purpose among learners at the school. ‘They volunteer to help make paper bricks and care for the flowers and vegetables. We have seen a decrease in vandalism and stealing in our school and our community.”
Started in 1998, the first step was a general clean-up of the environment and an undertaking to keep the school grounds free of litter. ‘The grounds were cleared to make room for flowers, grass and vegetables,” says Badimo.
The greening initiative was subsequently undertaken in partnership with NGO Trees and Food for Africa, which supplied the initial plants and seeds as well as training about permaculture principles.
Sixty-four Grade 6 learners take gardening as a subject. They have the responsibility of maintaining the school grounds while gaining skills.
They regularly design and develop displays on environmental issues that inform both learners and the community. They also have the chance to get hands-on experience of the ideas they learn.
‘We are putting theory into practice,” explains Badimo. But it’s not only the gardening learners who benefit. The garden is used as a learning arena for the study of natural resources, a theme that is included in a number of learning areas. Volunteers care for the grounds over weekends and school holidays. In this way all 367 learners at the school are involved in the project.
The stated aim of Mailakgang Primary’s greening project is to ‘promote environmental awareness among all learners and encourage environmentally sound and sustainable practices”.
The school’s commitment to environmental education has been acknowledged more than once by the provincial Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment and by the Eskom Eduplant awards.