School environmental clubs on the Cape Flats

NEED

The majority of Cape Town’s residents live in the townships on the outskirts of the city. These areas are generally experience high levels of unemployment, crime, HIV and AIDS and substance abuse. The physical environment of these townships is often badly degraded and polluted and there are limited recreational facilities. The day-to-day experience of children growing up in these townships can be highly stressful.

Approximately 65 per cent of schools in these townships have no green spaces. This contributes to a lack of awareness on environmental issues, and a lack of respect for the environment.

What makes this even more tragic is that these schools are located within one of the world’s most important sites for preserving biodiversity. The Cape Peninsula is home to more endangered plant species than any other region on the planet.

By giving children from these schools an opportunity to experience the natural beauty that surrounds them, this project hopes to instil in them a culture of caring for the environment. This will not only lead to improving cleaner, healthier neighbourhoods and schools for these children to live, learn and play in, but will also contribute to the effort to preserve the Cape’s biodiversity and natural beauty.

OVERVIEW

The Beyond Expectation Environmental Project (BEEP) aims to make primary school learners environmentally aware and to encourage them to care for their environment. At the same time BEEP aims to provide a platform for beneficiaries to interact with positive adult role models.

To meet its objectives, BEEP runs three programmes: overnight camps on Table Mountain; environmental clubs; and a soccer academy to provide youth with alternative recreational opportunities.

Funding from SASIX will be used to cover the cost of running BEEP's environmental clubs. These clubs run weekly environmental education workshops, monthly hiking trips, ongoing water conservation projects, community clean-up campaigns, and food garden maintenance. The 100 members of the environmental clubs have ample opportunity to interact with adult role models during the weekly workshops and the monthly hiking trips on different mountains in the Western Cape.

WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT THIS PROJECT

• BEEP was established and remains under the management of a local community activist who inspires others to become like him.
• The curriculum used at the environment clubs compliments the Department of Basic Education’s curriculum.
• This project is aligned with the Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa’s (WESSA) Eco-Schools initiative. Participating schools are encouraged to register as Eco-Schools and activities of the environment club can be included in the Eco-School portfolio.
• BEEP uses environment club workshops as a platform to develop young leaders that have graduated from the programme by giving them the opportunity to facilitate at future workshops.
• Programme staff are able to understand and meet beneficiaries' needs as they are from similar backgrounds.

IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS

The six environment clubs will reach 100 children from Phillipi, Nyanga, and Gugulethu. The clubs will educate beneficiaries about environmental and conservation issues. Tests given to the learners before and after they begin their environmental clubs will measure the knowledge they have gained through the clubs. Members will be given various opportunities to put to practice the theory they learn at workshops. The clubs will also help members to build other practical skills such as presentation skills and teamwork. Selected BEEP graduates in high school will also be given the opportunity to co-facilitate at the weekly workshops. This will assist with developing their facilitation and leadership skills.

ORGANISATION CAPACITY

Over 1,000 children have attended the Table Mountain camps since BEEP started running them in 2005. Despite their limited budget, they facilitated various environmental workshops for the same beneficiaries. The organisation is driven by a passion for youth development and the need for environmental preservation in their community.

The outcomes and learning from the environment clubs will be documented by the University of Cape Town’s Department of Criminology as part of their initiative to develop best practice models for community development.

BEEP has established partnerships with a number of capacity-building organisations such as Moving People to strengthen the management, leadership and financial capacity of the organisation.

PROJECT PROFILE

Key Strengths

• Concept: This approach ensures that learners are exposed to various environmental issues and are given the opportunity apply their knowledge through practical activities organised by BEEP.
• Design: BEEP collaborates with schools and sector experts in implementing this programme to ensure that it follows best practice and aligns with the national school curriculum.
• Control: BEEP’s collaboration with its partners means strengthens the project by giving the organisation access to resources and advice in designing and implementing their programmes.
• Sustainability: Beneficiaries are seen as future leaders of the organisation. There are previous beneficiaries who now assist in project leadership indicating that BEEP is making a long-term investment in the lives of beneficiaries.

Key Risks - Low

• Control: BEEP's leadership consists mainly of young people with a passion for youth development, but with limited experience in organisational management.
• Sustainability: BEEP does not have a long-term funder and has limited financial resources. Despite this limitation, BEEP has been implementing projects on a small budget for 5 years.