JOHNNIE WALKER STRIDES AWARD 2010-BENEFICIARIES

JOE MATIMBA

· email – Joe@trees.org.za
· phone – 011 656 9802/3, mobile 082 889 3946
· fax - +27 11 803 9604

JOHNNIE WALKER STRIDES AWARD 2010-BENEFIT

If I were to win the prize money of R 125 000 in Johnnie Walker Strides Awards 2010, I would like this money to go to Food & Trees For Africa(FTFA), South Africa’s only national sustainable development social enterprise. FTFA started in 1990 to address global warming, manages and promote greening, climate change action, sustainable natural resource management, sustainable land use design, poverty alleviation and food security programmes. Since its inception, FTFA has distributed over 3.7 million trees, facilitated the development of over 2 800 natural food gardens for the poorest communities in South Africa, and facilitated the National School EduPlant programme in the country to supplement the feeding scheme in primary schools.

FTFA facilitated EduPlant workshops which were attended by over 25 000 educators in the past 14 years and established over 6 000 sustainable Permaculture food garden and environmental greening related projects in schools. The organisation also established nine Permaculture Resource Centres in schools in nine provinces. The Resource Centres are serving the local schools, community members, and offering support, technical advice and educational resource material to government extension offices. The four Permaculture Resource Centres have made a remarkable impact in outreach school and community programmes and mentoring the local schools. The project leaders are the agents of development, transformation and change in other schools. They are extremely committed and dedicated towards environmental greening and Permaculture food gardening activities in order to address food security, and combat global warming and climate change in their communities.

These Permaculture Resource Centres are being used by Government departments such as Department of Education, Department of Water Affairs & Forestry, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Health & Social Development, NGOs, CBOs and local schools for training especially in environmental Education and food security through Permaculture farming technologies.

The Permaculture Resource Centres leaders are contributing towards making a different in the country through improving the quality of life for HIV infected & affected, supplementing the feeding schemes in schools and creating a conducive environment through greening and Permaculture food gardening activities. These leaders have the ability, enthusiasm and capacity to help others to grow and learn so that together we can make a difference in our country. In South Africa, we have very few skilled people available in Permaculture farming technologies and environmental education. The Department of Education is spending billions of rands to support feeding schemes in schools. If these Permaculture Resource Centres leaders could be well equipped with necessary skills, information, knowledge and training, they will be in a stronger position to mentor hundreds of schools in their district. The feeding scheme could be replaced by vegetables, fruits and eggs produced within the schools. This will also provide the learners with life-time skills and instil a sense of belonging and ownership.

If I were to win Johnnie Walker Strides Awards 2010 prize money of R 125 000, I would like this money to support the four Permaculture Resource Centers leaders to attend AgriSeta accredited Permaculture and Environmental management courses. Some of the funds could be used to purchase educational resources and equipment for schools which are being mentored by the Resource Centers.

Four project leaders have been identified to receive such training. They come from disadvantaged backgrounds, have proven themselves within the Resource Centres and would benefit greatly from furthering their training to the benefit of the broader community in South Africa.

These proposed beneficiaries of the Johnnie Walker Strides Awards 2010 include: Magudu Permaculture Resource Centre Magudu Permaculture Resource Center is practicing Permaculture holistically; all the available resources at their disposal are being utilized for the benefit of the environment and the school. When entering the school premises you are welcomed by the sound of birds and the sweet fragrance of a variety of herbs and ornamental plants. The environment and entrance of the school is touching and attractive. The foot of the blocks is surrounded by living pharmacies: a variety of herbs and ornamental plants are flourishing and bring life into the school environment. These plants perform multiple functions such as stabilizing the soil, creating microclimates and controlling pests & diseases in the school environment.

Herbs planted are also playing a major role in promoting & maintaining a healthy life for learners, educators and local community members. Herbs are being processed, preserved and used as medicine to cure different diseases. Traditional healers are encouraged to visit the project and teach learners, educators and community how to use the indigenous herbs.

The project leader is mentoring Bushbuckridge Region, consisting of 14 circuits. Magudu Resource Centre is mentoring 100 schools of which 6 schools managed to become National school EduPlant finalists for 2009. The circuit manager refers all the schools in his circuit to visit Magudu to get support, technical advice, Permaculture educational resources and training. The project leader will benefit by receiving further training in Permaculture and Environmental management courses. The project leader is Ms Joyce Mabaso contact details: 083 259 9134

Toronto Permaculture Resource Centre.

Alwin Kgopa, a teacher at Toronto Primary in Mankweng (Limpopo Province) is a key example of the programme’s success. In 2001, Kgopa entered Toronto’s Permaculture food garden project into EduPlant and came second in the `Emerging` category.

Eight years later Kgopa has consistently won numerous awards for the school’s Permaculture food garden project, including government recognition for their work. More significantly Kgopa has formed a cluster of 15 other local schools to encourage them to develop Permaculture food gardens to supplement the feeding scheme in those schools and generate income to sustain the projects. Toronto Primary serves as an environmental centre for these schools and their community spirit was recently acknowledged when they won the Woolworths Trust EduPlant Mentoring Award. This category was added last year to the annual competition and recognises schools that extend Permaculture and gardening to other schools and their immediate community. The Toronto Permaculture Resource Centre is mentoring 42 schools and these schools managed to establish Permaculture food gardens and environmental related projects. The project leader is Ms Alwin Kgopa contact details: 083 302 4130

Pula Madibogo Permaculture Resource Centre
The Pula Madibogo Permaculture Resource Centre is situated in Sovenga, Limpopo Province. The area is characterized by a high rate of unemployment, HIV/AIDS related diseases and early teenage pregnancy. The majority of people live below the breadline and rely mainly on government pensions and child care grants. The school initiated the Permaculture food garden in February 2002. The project leaders have been actively involved in mentoring 31 schools in environmental and Permaculture activities as part of an outreach programmes.

The vegetables produced from the Permaculture food garden are making a significant contribution towards supplementing the feeding scheme at the school. The surplus vegetables, herbs, fruits and eggs are sold to generate income for the project. These products are also improving the diet of orphans, vulnerable and HIV infected children at the school. The project leader has won several awards in Climate Change, environmental and EduPlant competitions. Given the success rate of the school, impact created within the school, community and the success of mentoring other schools in the area, the project leader and neighboring schools could highly benefit from the Johnnie Walker Award prize. The project leader is Ms MM Mmamabolo contact details: 073 176 8447

TSOS Children Home Permaculture Resource Centre
The project is located in Ennerdale, Lenasia South in Gauteng Province. The Permaculture food garden project has had a great impact on the project members, orphans, vulnerable children and local community members in the area. The project turned the premises of the SOS Children`s Home into a productive food garden project. It has contributed towards job creation and improved life skills of local community members. The project members were able to harvest vegetables to feed their families and were able to supplement the government grants they received by selling the abundant produce. The project leader can gain more facilitation skills, Permaculture farming skills and environmental management by attending further courses. The project leader is Ms Tumi contact details: 076 467 6679.

The motivation for project leaders to attend courses and supporting of Resource Centers:

Resource Centers: They provide a national forum for exchanging ideas, centre for learning, sharing skills, knowledge & information, experiences, research results, advocacy, underpinning the Future of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, provision of an Environmental awareness, educational resources, training, technical support & advice and inspiration for community to take charge of their own development.

Courses: Empower, skilled project leaders for continuous sustainable development & mentoring of projects, provision of facilitation and communication skills, knowledge, information, dissemination, life-skills development and personal growth.

Pula Madibogo Primary School

The Pula Madibogo Primary School in Mankweng Limpopo hosted World Environmental Day event on the 3rd June 2009.The event was attended by social enterprise Food & Trees for Africa, (FTFA), Department of Education, Department of Water Affairs & Forestry, Department of Environmental Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Pioneer Foods Limited, 30 local schools, community members and NGOs. The event was aimed to sensitize the local communities to the value that simple actions like the Permaculture food garden initiative at the school, which has been sponsored by Pioneer Foods, contribute much to the preservation, enhancement environment, health and combat climate change.

The official event started by a 3km root march started from Mankweng police station, via Mankweng Hospital, and Toronto Township back to the Pula Madibogo Primary School. The participants were carrying trees, umbrellas, banners, climate change brochures and posters. The drum majorities were beating drums to create an awareness of climate change to the local schools and communities.

The Bakos Brothers, Cape Couriers, Harlequin paint, through FTFA, donated these trees to 30 local schools and Pioneer Foods Limited donated 10 000 variety of vegetable seedlings to school outreach programme, in the Capricorn district in the northern Limpopo Province. Each selected school received 5 fruit trees and 5 indigenous shade trees for the greening of their school environments. The trees and vegetable seedlings were planted in the schoolyards as part of environmental greening and food security programme.

Joe Matimba FTFA representative stated that FTFA is one of the leading South Africa’s national greening organizations that develops, manages and promotes greening, climate change mitigation, sustainable natural resource management and food security programmes.

The importance of creating partnership with different stakeholders such private sectors, NGOs and governmental departments to work together to combat climate change through environmental greening activities in the country was highlighted. The emphasis was also on the 300 trees donated by sponsors to improve air quality, thermal efficiency of the schools, provide a potential source of food (in the case of fruit trees), contribute to soil management and reduce run off, develop green suburbs and contribute to civic pride and contribute to economic development and creation of jobs at a local level. The impact created by FTFA in the disadvantaged and environment is beyond human explanation.