by Afika Ndlela
Mfuleni Technical College is the newest school is to join the environmental club’s education activity, kicking off their planned activities for the year with an International Earth Day celebration by having an environmental education event - information and awareness on water pollution and water resource protection, solid waste management, climate change, and HIV & AIDS, as we reported on our blog.
They proposed a follow-up activity - a clean-up inside and outside the school premises which took place on 20 May 2022. The clean-up started after 1 pm because the learners were writing their mid-term tests, after which the environmental club members and teachers stayed behind and began the clean-up. They tackled the task with energy and dedication!
The City of Cape Town municipality sponsored blue bags for community clean-ups and sent a truck to pick up the garbage. To do this, a request must be made with a form signed by the local ward councillor and the school and must be sent to the Solid Waste Department in order for the blue bags to be issued out. The protective gear (gloves, cover-alls, and boots) were all sponsored by the Department of Water and Sanitation in support of the clean-ups and other initiatives to reduce, reuse and recycle waste. The clean-up took about 3 hours with great teamwork and dedication from the learners, teachers, and EMG!
Mfuleni Technical College has an open space right in front of the schoolyard, which is unfortunately used as a dumping area by the local residents shown here.
Upon assessing the clean-up site, we identified a wetland adjacent to the school which was highly polluted by solid waste, and an overflowing sewage drain that deposits/leaks directly to the wetland, as shown here.
The majority of learners that attend Mfuleni Technical College travel on foot to school.
The photograph below here the harsh reality of environmental pollution - that is, most of the learners jump over litter and over-flowing sewage drains every day when making their way to school.
One learner at the school mentioned how “normal” it is to be always surrounded by litter, it is only when they step outside Mfuleni that they actually see that it is not normal to be surrounded by litter and puddles of sewer water, a sad awakening to them.
During the clean-up, a community member living just opposite the school and the open space which is used for dumping came out with their tools and joined the clean-up.
“It is so inspiring and exciting seeing young people take matters into their own hands. We have never seen young people taking the initiative to clean their environment. I just had to help out to also encourage my fellow community members to do something about the dumping” they said.
It was ironic that while we were doing the clean-up another community member came by dragging a wheelie dirt bin, going to dump their waste, exactly where the clean-up was taking place! The community member stood by and watched the learners, and then went around the school to dump the contents of the dirt bin.
It was at this moment that the students came up with an idea to clear out the space and request assistance from relevant departments to start up a food garden at school to assist with the feeding scheme at the school. The food garden will provide the learners with fresh nutritious food and can be infused with the Agricultural curriculum. The Agricultural learners can do their practical work in the garden and the adjacent wetland can also be part of the curriculum.
Mfuleni Technical College and the environmental club are committed to exploring the opportunities in environmental education that can improve learning and environmental health in and outside the school, impacting the larger community in the area.
