AECI Eco-Schools Water Education Project Report 2020

AECI Supported Eco-Schools

The programme is aimed at creating awareness and action around environmental sustainability in schools and their surrounding communities as well as supporting Education for Sustainable Development in the national curriculum.

The Eco-Schools programme is an international programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that was developed to support

With over 50% of the content in some CAPS subjects being environmental in nature, Eco-Schools makes a positive contribution towards improving education in South Africa.

The programme is active in 68 countries and 59 000 schools around the world and has been implemented in South Africa since 2003 by WESSA.

environmental learning in the classroom.

The Eco-Schools is a holistic programme which consists of three structural elements - The Seven Steps Framework, the Eco-Schools Themes, and Assessment which enables the school to be eligible for an award. The school implements an environmental project using the seven steps framework. To be successful the programme requires support from school leaders and the School Governing Board. Whole school involvement is imperative as well as long-term commitment and the willingness to involve students in decision-making. The environmental action projects implemented at the five schools in Hammanskraal was successful because of structure provided by the framework, themes and on going M&E and assessment.

Since 2003 more than 4500 schools across all nine provinces have participated in the programme reaching 1 036 000 learners and 41 400 teachers annually.

The programme accredits schools that make a commitment to continuously improve their school’s environmental performance. Teachers and learners in the AECI Hammanskraal Water Education Project joins this great cohort of environmental champions

AECI’S WATER AND FOOD SECURITY INITIATIVE

AECI has partnered with WESSA since 2017, and last year conceptualised a new water focused project based in Hammanskraal, Gauteng. Hammanskraal has for many years been plagued by water shortages. The water has routinely been contaminated with sewage. The water has been declared unsafe for human consumption. Water trucks are distributed around the town daily and residents have to line up for their quota of water. AECI’s group of companies intervened by initiating a water and food security initiative to provide clean water to five schools and the broader community including neighbouring clinics and community centres. Through a partnership approach AECI focused on water provision technologies such as water filtration, boreholes and food gardens. WESSA was responsible for the education programme on the day of the launch and throughout the year. Over the past year, AECI has funded the implementation of a water and food security project with five schools in Hammanskraal.

AECI Hammanskraal 2020 7

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