Apri l 2018

1st Quarterly Report 2018

(January – March)

We had an exciting beginning of the year: Installing both recycling and biogas systems at Tsakani

Primary school in Kagiso; Guiding one of our Cosmo City beneficiary schools to their International

Green Flag Status; Compiling a needs analysis for Kathu and Postmasburg schools on behalf of

Anglo American; Carrying out our Water Week campaign; and remarkably taking second place for

Best Environmental Awareness in the Gauteng provincial Landcare awards!

Tsakani Primary School – Recycling System

Through a sponsorship from Adopt a School Foundation we launched a recycling programme at

Tsakani Primary school. Pictures above: Adding the stickers and wheels to the colour coded

recycling bins. These bins are for separating the waste at source.

We provided a series of

educational workshops for both

the schools’ teachers and

cleaning staff on the effects of

pollution as well as the importance

of responsibly managing your

waste through recycling. The

resale of the waste will generate

an income for the school.

Pictures left and below: Sergio

gives a practical demonstration on

how to separate and store the

recyclable waste.

Picture above: Mutshidzi addressing the learners at their

school assembly. Four lucky kids were chosen to

demonstrate the recycling systems and received a

stationary pack as a reward.

Tsakani Primary School – Biogas Digester System

Pictures above: To install the biogas digester we first

needed to level the paving, drill through the steal

container, connect and fix all the piping and then add the

slurry.

Picture far right: Amelia showing the methane gas

generated in the digester.

Picture right: the implementation

of the Green schools model at

Tsakani primary school has been

generaously sponsored through

the Adopt a School Foundation

Tsakani Primary School – Biogas Digester System

Tsakani Primary School – Vegetable garden

Pictures top: The team installs a food waste macerator, gas pump and gas plate. The macerator

grinds the food waste into a pulp and pumps it directly into the digester tank.

Picture second row: The schools environment committee and kitchen staff are given a series of

theory and practical workshops to explain how to operate the biogas digester.

Pictures above: We took the sponsor through a guided tour of the garden, biogas and rainwater

catchment systems they had helped fund through Adopt a School Foundation.

Tsakani Primary School – School Greening Celebration

International Association of Impact Assessments and Public Participation – Presentation

Pictures top: As a message of thanks to the sponsor, Adopt a School Foundation and Eco Culture,

the school put on a beautiful cultural song and dance.

Pictures top: Amelia was invited to present at the

annual IAIA conference about Eco Culture and our

community based work. She also chaired a panel

discussion on public participation and community

involvement during project implementation.

Community Needs Analysis for Env ironmental Education and Application of Green Schools

Model In Kathu and Postmasburg – Anglo American Kumba I ron Ore

Pictures: During the end of January,

Anglo American organised for us to

travel to the Northern Cape for a week

and conduct an assessment to

potentially implement our Green Schools

programmes within their mines and

schools surrounding the mines. In total

we surveyed 16 sites and then wrote a

large report detailing our findings. We

will know before the end of April if we

will start working with the mine.

Green schools Model – Cosmo City

Pictures above: We continue to monitor and maintain our biogas projects

within our Cosmo City beneficiary schools. We recently received a visit from

the guys at Energy web who assisted by measuring the pH of the biogas

digester slurry. The results indicated that we need to raise the pH to increase

gas production. We are still learning so much about biogas!

Pictures below: After installing the vegetable garden infrastructure we monitor,

train and guide the schools to utilise and maintain the vegetable gardens.

Green schools Model – Cosmo City

Green schools Model – Far North Secondary Clean Up

We are always ready to support our beneficiary schools with environmental initiatives.

Pictures below: Mutshidzi gives out bags to the pupils from Far North Secondary enabling the

school to conduct a clean-up. This school is very passionate about keeping their grounds clean.

Diepsloot River Rehab – Media

WESSA Eco Schools Awards - Cosmo City Schools

Picture above: We always appreciate media coverage as it encourages the participants and

spreads the message that we need to change our behaviour. The Fourways Review covered the

Dipesloot River Rehab event conducted in December 2017.

This year four of our seven schools in Cosmo

City took part in the WESSA Eco Schools

programme. Three of these schools received

participation certificates, the other school,

Cosmo West primary, achieved their

International Green Flag for 5 years successful

participation! We are very proud of all of

them. Eco Culture is the Cosmo City

Coordinator for the WESSA Eco Schools

programme in Cosmo City.

Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development – Provincial Landcare Awards

World water week – Cosmo City School Awareness Campaign

Pictures above: Eco Culture won

runner up position for Best

Provincial Environmental

Awareness Programmes and

apart from the great prestige, we

also received a cash prize to

assist with our projects.

To celebrate 2018 World Water

Week we planned an extensive

education campaign for the four

Cosmo City Primary Schools. This

campaign was generously

sponsored by Clyde Bergmann.

Picture right: The grade 6 learners

are given an interpretative walk

through the wetland area.

World Water Week – Cosmo City School Awareness Campaign

Pictures above: As a part of the campaign, the grade 6’s from two schools, totalling

approximately 600 learners were given a hands on workshop at the nearby Zandspruit wetland.

There they caught aquatic invertebrates and monitored the water quality. The health of this

wetland has been deteriorating year on year.

World Water Week – Cosmo City School Awareness Campaign

Pictures: We organised for

the Randwater Manzi

Water-wise Roadshow to

visit each of our four

primary schools to spread

the message of saving

every drop. Our

campaign reached a

total of about 3000

leaners.

Water Week – Cosmo City School Awareness Campaign

Pictures above: The last component of our 2018 Water Week Awareness campaign was the

“Aquatic Food Pyramid”. This workshop demonstrates a range of indigenous animals and plants

and how they all fit together. The learners help build the pyramid and then remove certain

species to demonstrate how ecosystems collapse when key species are decimated by pollution

and other environmental impacts.

A big thanks to our sponsors, supporters and stakeholders

(Not in any particular order)