EduPlant 2002 launched

The annual school permaculture programme and competition, Eskom EduPlant, has been launched with R1,8 million contributions from funders in 2002. This effective annual poverty alleviation, environmental and community development programme has had a tremendously positive impact on schools throughout South Africa for the past eight years.

EduPlant focuses on Permaculture, a term used to describe a system of farming and gardening that combines plants, animals, buildings, water, the local people and the landscape in a way that produces more energy than it uses, recycles all nutrients and waste, and imitates nature as much as possible.

Over the past eight years hundreds of schools throughout the country have started permaculture food gardens, growing a variety of trees, fruit, vegetables, herbs and other plants, improving their health and nutrition and that of their surrounding communities. They are learning to manage natural resources such as water and soil sustainably. Many schools are recycling waste and developing useful materials from it. Others are providing jobs in the gardens for unemployed parents and even assisting nearby schools to improve their environments.

EduPlant coordinator, Food and Trees for Africa, is currently facilitating 36 one-day "Introduction to Permaculture and EduPlant" workshops in all nine provinces. These workshops are for educators (at no cost) and assist schools to develop projects that could result in them being chosen as finalists.  

This year 63 finalist schools, approximately seven from each province, will be chosen. Although nine larger prizes are awarded in three categories, the real prize for all finalists is a trip to Gauteng where they will spend the weekend together presenting their projects, and attending workshops.

Eskom Development Foundation is the founder funder and TIKKUN and DWAF have contributed to the programme for the past three years. This year the Department of Agriculture will be providing assistance and the programme is further supported and endorsed by the Ministers of Education, Environment and Tourism, Arts Culture Science and Technology, and Health.

Contact Natalie at FTFA on (011) 803 9750 for entry forms and to receive more information on the workshops and competition or see www.eduplant.org.za