Schools across the country competed in the annual Eskom EduPlant programme by greening their surrounds, reports Grace Black
The winning schools in this year’s EduPlant permaculture awards designed projects to improve their environment and their quality of life. More than 350 entries were received from schools around South Africa. The winning schools were selected in October. Jeunesse Park, from Food and Trees For Africa, says that through the development of permaculture, a large number of schools are eating the fruit, vegetables and herbs that they grow, often replacing feeding schemes and improving the health of learners and their parents.
“Others are harvesting and conserving water, benefiting financially from the sale of plants and an impressive range of products from recycled waste, assisting nearby schools and community centres and even providing jobs for unemployed parents,” she says. The Eskom Eduplant schools programme was launched in 1995 in an effort to green schools. Eskom is the primary sponsor and Tikkun, a Jewish organisation, has provided funding for the past two years. Food and Trees for Africa is an important partner in the programme. Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry Ronnie Kasrils recently donated R2-million to the programme.
“The EduPlant programme, which informs and educates people about permaculture, is African in its essence and should become a way of life,” says Thulani Gcabashe, CEO of Eskom.
Advanced category winners:
– Nansindlela Primary, KwaZulu-Natal: Learners have embarked on an extensive tree planting project which provides them with food, shade and windbreaks. They run an excellent outreach programme into the schools and communities in their area.
– Vuxeni Primary, Northern Province: Learners and teachers have instigated muti-plant cultivation. They also run extensive outreach projects. They are influencing policy in their area through the mobilisation of communities in and around Phalaborwa.
– Ntolo High, North West: Learner Agnes Hlongwane is the driving force behind the project. No teachers are involved because of a lack of interest, but, through sheer determination, Hlongwane managed to develop gardens, nurseries, seed beds and orchards. They learners focus on soil management and conditioning, and have recently run community workshops to develop four new local projects.
Intermediate category winners:
– Thuthuka Primary School, Gauteng: This project started in 1999 with little environmental awareness and a lot of litter. Today the school produces vegetables and has planted trees. The gardens are used for active learning.
– Isago Primary, Northern Cape: This school emphasised water-wise initiatives and is working to improve sandy soils. It has an arrangement with the local vegetable market to supply material for its compost heap.
– Somisanang Primary, Gauteng: Before starting a permaculture garden, their grounds were barren, and used as a dumping ground for litter. Now they are feeding many and sell excess vegetables.
Emerging category winners:
– West Park Special in KwaZulu-Natal: uses permaculture in therapy to help mentally disabled children.
– Toronto Primary in Pietersburg, Northern Province: A teacher from the school started a permaculture garden at her home and this convinced the principal of the many benefits for the school. They have now started an environment club whose members are involved in activities such as poultry farming, fruit tree and vegetable production, water harvesting and recycling.
– Modiredi School, North West: Hungry schoolchildren and unemployed parents are now eating organic produce and selling it to raise funds. The local chief was so impressed with the project, he allocated additional land.
Provincial winners:
– Eastern Cape: Constantia Primary in Graaff Reinet has a well-developed permaculture garden and is growing valuable shitake mushrooms for sale and farming earthworms. They adopted 10 severely neglected children who were living on a dump and have incorporated them into their school.
– Northern Cape: Sol Plaatje Higher Primary understands resourceful water use. Since their own gardens are growing so well, educators and learners go to a nearby old-age home every week to help the pensioners to develop their food gardens.
– Gauteng: Merafe Primary in Soweto has transformed a dumping ground where animals grazed into an impressive and extensive garden, and created environmental awareness in their surrounding community and neighbouring schools.
– Free State: Thari Ya Tshepe Primary has been involving the community in its gardening project for the past five years.
– KwaZulu-Natal: Mtuba Christian Academy grow a wide variety of fruit, vegetables and herbs. They assist the community in setting up home gardens and have founded a pre-school for impoverished children.
– Mpumalanga: Khula Mshika Combined School in Kwa-Lugedlane was the best of a disappointing group of Mpumalanga schools. Despite having to fetch water in buckets from kilometres away, they are growing vegetables and trees and networking with other departments and organisations.
– Northern Province: Matlhari High focuses on active learning through its gardens.
– North West: Malaikgang Primary has developed its own school environmental policy and is planting trees and vegetables.
– Western Cape: Maxonia Primary started their project in 2000. They have improved the soil, grown a variety of food, involved learners and educators, and are actively seeking further funding to develop their project.
Overall winner: MEC for Agriculture, Environment and Conservation in Gauteng, Mary Metcalfe, presenting a certificate to Nansindlela Primary School
– The Teacher/M&G Media, Johannesburg, November 2001.