UNICEF Youth Leading in Water Resilience

3. Stakeholder Engagement and Partnerships The project’s success was enabled by strong collaboration with schools, the Department of Education, the Community Work Programme (CWP), and local municipalities. Educators were consistently supported through virtual platforms and a WhatsApp group that facilitated regular communication, reminders, and troubleshooting. Language barriers were addressed with facilitator translations and plans are in place to translate assessments into Afrikaans ahead of the summative evaluation. Northern Cape Department of Education The Northern Cape Department of Education provided vital support in granting access to schools and ensuring alignment with the curriculum. Their involvement ensured that the water quality training was effectively integrated into the learning environment, reaching both learners and educators across the Namaqualand district. Namakwa Municipality The Namakwa Municipality supported the project by facilitating coordination at the local level, particularly in areas where municipal water delivery systems—such as JoJo tank refills—were part of the water supply

chain. Their engagement helped address local water management challenges and supported logistical needs during project rollout. Department of Environment and Nature Conservation (DENC) WESSA’s long-standing partnership with DENC was central to the successful implementation of the project. As the Eco-Schools implementer in the Northern Cape, DENC played a leading role in supporting schools and ensuring that environmental education efforts were aligned with provincial conservation goals and community priorities. Community Works Programme (CWP) WESSA collaborated closely with local CWP groups, whose leadership helped mobilise over 300 community members across seven towns in the Namaqualand district. As a government initiative aimed at creating work opportunities, CWP’s involvement ensured broad-based community participation, capacity building, and long-term engagement in water testing and conservation activities.

Alexander Bay youth and community members training.

Learner from Okiep High School completing the water testing workshop.

Assembly session at Concordia Primary School. UNICEF Youth Leading in Water Resilience Report 2025 21