ICRISAT Archival Report 2006 - The seedlings of success in the ...

national legislation, environmental education should form part of the annual school curriculum for some subjects
and this is where the DMP project supplements the curriculums to a great extent.
2.2.1 The basis of the technology’s success
The strategy/approach was tested and evaluated at various locations throughout South Africa. Environmental
education not only influences the children who are directly involved with it, but also teachers and parents. This leads
to awareness creation expanding through word of mouth. Up to now a total number of 15 schools, 30 teachers and
approximately 1500 children were reached through this project.
2.2.2 How is it implemented?
Participants in the project contact schools and organize information sessions, either practically in the field or through
slideshows and demonstrations at schools. In some cases other partners are involved to act as instructors or to supply
technical support. The following institutions and partners collaborate in the environmental education in the DMP
target sites in South Africa:
• National and Provincial Department of Agriculture
• Universities, especially post graduate students of the North-West University
• Local municipalities
• Private individuals and consultants
The strategy/approach used during the various sessions include information sharing (visually/audibly), information
sharing (practical exercises), question and answer sessions, and monitoring of the effect of environmental education
through evaluation and re-evaluation.
Holistic approaches are used when informing children about the environment. Information is given about soil
properties, plant and animal species and their response to various environmental conditions. All the information
eventually leads to a better understanding of system changes during degradation, desertification, conservation and
restoration. Visual and practical sessions are used to increase their understanding and to involve the children to
actively participate. At the end of a session the children are instructed to build a model of a farm including
references to good, stable systems as well as degraded systems. These models are used to evaluate the children’s
knowledge after information sessions. Questionnaires are used to determine the impact the sessions had had
immediately after it is completed as well as a re-evaluation at a later stage to determine sustained knowledge.
The most important lesson learnt during the implementation of this approach was that schools and teachers should
be involved during all stages of the planning phase of information and practical sessions. Information sessions
should be applicable to the environment in which the children live as there is no interest for children living in a
semi-desert to learn about ecological systems in wetlands. The transfer of information from specialists to children
should be as interesting and practical as possible to ensure attention and a positive attitude towards these sessions. In
some cases environmental education is carried out through one contact session, but cases where it takes the form of
an excursion, technical support such as transport and meals should be well organized.
2.2.3 Up-scaling the technology
Up-scaling of this strategy/approach will be carried out by reaching more schools in the target areas as well as the
rest of the country. This could be conducted by formalizing the information used in contact sessions into training
packages and distributing it to schools and other youth organizations.
At this stage schools are identified due to their geographical position. Only schools situated in target areas were
identified and used up to this stage, but in the future, schools and children on the edges of target areas will also be
included. This will cause the approach to expand rapidly from the target areas through the rest of the country where
the desert margins are applicable.
Environmental education is definitely a strategy/approach which can be implemented in other countries. In some of
the Desert Margins youth organizations of partner countries are already involved in natural resource management on
a smaller scale. Implementing this approach can lead to large scale involvement, capacity building and creating
awareness about problems and solutions concerning natural resources and the degradation or desertification thereof.
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