What would you do for a trip to one of the country’s famed national parks – with the added bonus of a photographic hamper that includes a camera?
If you are lucky enough to be a South African learner, all you had to was be part of a team and come up with the most creative way of expressing the importance of environment – in the form of a poem, song, picture or even a sculpture.
Known as the Morula Kids Competition, the initiative is part of South African National Parks Social Ecology programme. The key aim is to nurture an understanding of the interdependence among human beings and the environment in youngsters..
The competition was well supported by learners from grades one to seven from both rural and urban area. The judging criteria included creativity, team work, and the resources used. In their entries, learners should show the value of the environment, the role of human beings in conserving it, and the importance of national parks.
This year’s winners were learners from Boitshoko Primary school who submitted a drawing outlining the relationship between human beings and the environment which they called “Conserve wildlife”. These learners beat 63 other participating schools to the prizes. Second prize went to Knysna Christian School from the Eastern Cape, while Kgaugelo Middle School in Ga-Rankuwa came third. The winners will be treated to adventures at Augrabies (Northern Cape), Tsitsikama (Western Cape) and Vhembe-Dongola Natrional Parks (Limpopo).