WESSA Glencore report 2022

EMALAHLENI: PLACE OF COAL eMalahleni, previously known as Witbank, has many attributes of a city of the industrial revolution. As with many of the cities that then emerged from small settlements, it largely owes its existence and fortunes to the presence of abundant coal reserves. Communities rely more heavily on the environment as a buffer against household distresses, such as job loss or mortality. The state of the local natural environment is, therefore, central to the well- being of households in peri-urban regions of the Emalahleni and Nkangala District Municipalities. The Glencore Eco-Schools Project started off as one day events which were celebrated with a few schools to raise awareness on various environmental days. Glencore then saw a need for a long-term sustainable intervention to help support the schools in eMalahleni to chart a path to sustainable development. 17 schools were then identified in EMalahleni located in Phola, Project background

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Food gardens play a major role to the schools’ nutrition programme and have provided life skills which learners are using to address food security challenges in their communities. The schools have reported how the food gardens have attracted community members and some of the parents to the need to start micro gardening in their homes with other parents offering support for the maintenance of the schools’ food gardens. Introduction of the waste theme action projects has contributed to improved waste management at these schools and identifying opportunities for wastepreneurship to sustain the projects. The celebration of calendar days such as the Arbour week and Mandela Day has helped change the mindsets and encourage the schools into greening their spaces by planting trees to beautify their schoolgrounds through the spectacular biodiversity gardens. It is great to see the school community taking ownership of the projects by adding barricades to protect their projects as well as raising funds to further develop and maintain the action projects. It’s been an amazing journey supporting the Eco-Schools in eMalahleni and to witness the change it has brought to the community. It has been a privilege to realise just how the learners enjoyed the outdoor practical and hands on learning activities and being able to solve real life environmental challenges. The eMalahleni Glencore Eco-Schools Project has been driving force behind changing mindsets towards a greener and environmentally sustainable way of living in the community of eMalahleni. Zwakele Ngwenya Project Coordinator: Schools and Youth Unit

of action and behaviour change for a better and more environmentally aware community in eMalahleni.

Three areas were identified as being priority areas in eMalahleni which were food security, waste management and climate change One of the priorities of Vision 2030 is improving the quality of education, skills development and innovation. The Glencore Eco-Schools Project responds to this priority area by strengthening education through project-based teaching and learning and developing learners 21 st century skills

8 Schools in Kromdraai

Besilindile Primary School Blackhill Schoongezicht Primary School Edward Matyeka Primary School Johannes Kananda Primary School

6 Schools in Ogies 6 Schools in eMalahleni Hlalanikahle Primary School Maloma Primary School Sibukosethu Primary School Kromdraai Primary School KwaGuqa Primary School Nancy Shiba Primary School Jeremia Mdaka Primary School Gekombineerde Skool Ogies Hlanguphala Primary School Makause Combined School Siyathokoza Primary School Sukumani Primary School Thuthukani Primary School

Ogies and Kromdraai areas who would be part of the Glencore Eco-Schools project. The project was aimed at skills development to bring about sustainability

Kromdraai

eMalahleni

Ogies

eMalahleni Glencore Eco-Schools Project: IMPACT REPORT 2022 7