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Secondary Schools (and intermediate and combined) took part in the Water
Quality Community Awareness Schools Competition.
Mandadla Secondary School, KwaZulu-Natal
122 learners of the 533 learners in the School participated in the baseline
socio-economic study conducted prior to finalising the nature and extent of the
revised Campaign. The data from this research revealed that learners come from
essentially 13 areas within Sandanezwe. It was agreed that 12 of these would be
targeted for the Campaign.
Learners and local residents identified one spring in each area that was used by
humans and animals with the aim of cleaning up, fencing and beautifying each
spring. This was to protect the springs from being contaminated by the animals,
as well as to have a clean and pretty place where the locals could draw water
for drinking, cooking, washing, etc.
On Thursday, 31 August 2008, the School will have their Clean Up Day. It was
amazing. The 12 sites were identified in advance and before pictures were taken.
On the day itself, learners, educators and local residents worked side-by-side
in the hot sun to clean up and fence their respective springs, after which they
planted little trees and shrubs. The after pictures show vast differences from
how these spots looked a day before.
There was a lot of singing and dancing by all, with the learners performing
gumboots dancing and short plays all with water related messages. Some 800 lunch
packs were prepared the night before and distributed amongst all to enjoy during
their rest breaks.
SJ van der Merwe Technical High School, Limpopo
Here, a one-day event has been planned. It is being billed as: ‘Get Info,
Have Life!’ Water Campaign’ with the slogan, ‘Drink Healthy, Live
Healthy!’.
Four local primary schools are being invited on Saturday, 16 August 2008, to
send learners, parents and educators to participate in a day of water learning
and fun at the local civic centre. Local councillors, local government
officials, the water board, mining houses and other stakeholders have also been
invited to participate.
Busses will fetch all participants early in the morning at their respective
schools to take them to the venue. On arrival, everyone will register and be
ushered to the various stations to be engaged in different activities. Parents
will also be requested to complete a baseline questionnaire on their current
water knowledge, attitudes and behaviours.
There will be speakers, demonstrations, exhibitions and information tables. The
younger learners will be kept occupied through a variety of water learning
activities in their respective age groups.
SJ learners and educators will be responsible for all the logistical
arrangements before, during and after the event, as well as present performing
arts with water-related messages.
Some 1 300 participants are expected to attend.
Four weeks after the event, SJ learners will telephone and / or visit all
parents who participated to conduct an impact assessment survey to ascertain
whether or not there was any impact on parents who attended the event, as well
as the nature and extent of such impact.
St. Bede’s Secondary School, Limpopo
St. Bede’s has planned a one-day ‘Water Wise Extravaganza’ targeting
other secondary schools within their education circuit.
On Thursday, 14th August 2008, the School will be turned into a hub of
excitement with local residents being invited to judge learners from SJ and
other schools presenting a range of performing arts from poetry, singing,
dancing and plays – all with key water messages.
Participants can expect to win prizes in the different categories, with coverage
by the local radio station.
There will also be speeches, demonstrations, exhibitions and water games for
everyone – from the youngest to the oldest.
Vuyo Intermediate School, Gauteng
On Saturday, 23 August 2008, learners and parents of Vuyo School will come
together will local stakeholders to participate in a day of activities that
provide information on water quality and drinking water quality.
Rand Water, being a close neighbour to the School, will be playing a key role in
providing participants with important information on how to care for and protect
water. Others who will be sharing information include DWAF and Local Government.
There will be speeches, information tables, demonstrations and exhibitions.
Vuyo School has also started using information materials produced by Rand Water
to educate learners in the classroom during life skills orientation and natural
sciences.
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