This month has seen the city of Ekurhuleni partnering with the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation, Airports Company of South Africa through the OR Tambo international airport and the department of international relations and cooperation in a month-long commemoration of the impeccable contribution made by the Tambos in the struggle for South Africa’s liberation.
To this end, the OR Tambo Environmental Education and Narrative Centre in Leeupan in Benoni was officially opened this week. This facility is where important historical facts and material about Tambo’s life and times as well as his involvement in the struggle will be deposited and archived. The opening is part of the first phase of a multi-million rand green project in honour of the late struggle stalwart.
Once completed, the R140-million precinct will boast the following:
- The OR Tambo narrative centre that will house an OR Tambo exhibition.
- An environmental centre to conduct environmental education.
- A multi-purpose arts and craft workshop environment where local crafters can produce, exhibit and sell their goods.
- An outdoor amphitheatre for performing artists to showcase their talent.
- A show house (caretaker’s cottage).
- A live viewing area with interpretive panels.
- A classroom and laboratory designed for lectures and hands-on experiments.
- An environment and technology library.
- A one-mile loop nature trail that encompasses a pond, bird-hive enclosure and the grassland area surrounding the centre.
Young people will be taught the history and important facts about the road travelled in South Africa to attain the freedom that is enjoyed today and the specific role that OR Tambo played in leading the country to liberation. Together with the environmental education stakeholders and the department of education, the centre will jointly promote environmental education by:
- Providing teachers with the opportunity to work with their classes in acquiring field techniques which can then be applied to their local environment.
- Assisting schools to plan environmental programmes and field trips.
- Assisting schools to develop their school environmental management plans.
- Providing in-service training.
- Assisting with implementation of school-based environmental programmes.
- Assist in the integration of environmental education within school subjects and the curriculum.
This article originally appeared in the Mail & Guardian newspaper as an advertorial supplement