Project promotes proactive living
Outgrowing climate change with renewable energy sources.
Something special is growing in Siyandhani Village at the Mphethuto primary school this winter.
Oxfam, an international non-government organisation, funded by the European Union, is out the help women fight the impact of climate change.
Women in townships, rural areas and informal settlements in the Magaliesburg area are known for growing food for their families.
With dramatic climate changes such as drought, floods, very high and very low temperatures, it is difficult for these women to continue growing their own food.
For this reason Oxfam launched a project for the sustainable use of natural resources to improve climate change resilience in South Africa with the A Grassroots Women’s initiative.
Under this project 350 women from Gauteng, Limpopo and Western Cape are being trained on sustainable agriculture practices so they can continue growing food for themselves and their families, and have enough left to sell for extra income.
“The project also aims to give the women access to efficient renewable energy by installing biogas digesters and solar panel units. A biogas digester turns organic waste such as manure, food scraps and human waste into methane gas which is a renewable energy source used for cooking, heating and lighting. These renewable energy sources will bring much-needed relief to grassroots communities given the problems Eskom is experiencing. The project also has a learn-and-build component as community members will be trained on how to install and maintain these technologies, gaining skills to create own employment,” Nerisha Baldevu for Project Co-ordinator at Earthlife Africa, Johannesburg.
The biogas digester and solar panel units currently are being installed at the Mphethuto Primary School.
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