Project Detail

Environmental Education Project through Empowerment of people with a focus on Indigenous Tree Promotion and Multiplication

The threat of land degradation is pronounced throughout Lesotho, but particularly around the lowlands and urban areas where the majority of the population live. Without intervention through education and practical projects, soil erosion will continue to be a worsening problem. The project proposes to use an indigenous tree nursery in Maseru and educate students within schools around Maseru as this is where there is the highest population density in Lesotho and as such is the area where land degradation is most severe. The proposed site and interventions correspond with the GEF operational programmes related to land degradation (outcome 6) as we will work in the foothills targeting local communities through schools and local organisations. The threat of soil erosion is enhanced by a lack of awareness among urban dwellers of the importance of protecting their environment as they are not as dependant on it as rural populations. Ecosystems in Maseru are suffering as more habitats are lost and this project aims to reintroduce these habitats through indigenous tree planting to ensure the sustainability of urban biodiversity and people?s appreciation of it. As the project branches out into rural areas, particularly around Ha Mohatlane near Teyateyaneng where the Lesotho Durham Link already has a strong partnership, the threat of land degradation is attributed more to the need for fuel. This again can be alleviated by planting trees, (trees for firewood as well as indigenous trees).

Loading map...

Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Lesotho Durham Link

Country:

Lesotho

Area Of Work:

Land Degradation

Operational Phase:

OP4 - Y3 (Jul 09 - Jun 10)

Grant Amount:

US$ 47,122.70

Co-Financing Cash:

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 43,298.38

Project Number:

LSO/SGP/OP4/Y3/CORE/LD/2009/17

Start Date:

11/2009

End Date:

3/2012

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Linkages gef projects

Planning gef grant

Planning non gef grant

Project sustainability

- Provision of hands-on experience for pupils have mitivated and empowered them to continue with the activity for many years after project closure. Many of the activities required very little equipment or expendsiture, pupils and teachers will be able to organize to do the activity again independently. - The Link site is now set up with a variety of environmentally sustainable projects and it will be possible to continue demonstrating to groups who visit the different projects thereby continuing to influence people, with very little continual input.

Gender Focus

All groups targeted

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

Completion of hte Durham Link site as an example of sustainable environmental management projects

Capacity - Building Component

Environmental education (ecology and biodiversity, land degradation, waste reduction and climate change) to cover school children, teachers in selected schools and Durham Link coalition groups; and selected communities

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

Indigenous and fruit trees, once they have been cared for, for a couple of years, will require very little care, and will continue to produce benefits for the local population. Discussions will be held with the beneficiaries, particularly in the rural areas about the possibility of starting small entrepreneurial businesses, canning and drying the fruit, and selling excess firewood. Education is one of the most sustainable ways to protect the environment. By training young people, their new found knowledge will be beneficial for over 50 years after the project, and as it is passed to their children, the impact will continue further into the future.

Replication of project activities

Lesotho Durham Link is a member of the Environmnetal and Sustainability Education Network of Lesotho, through its networking activities and hosting of groups from around the country and poutside like trainee teachers from Botswana, the project activities are bound to be replicated. Lesotho Durham Link is also affiliated to the Lesotho Council of NGOs (LCN) which commemorates international environment days annually at the Link site and also regularly invites the Link to address the members of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Commission of the LCN to encourage them to initiate similar activities intheir constituencis.

Policy Influence

Teachers have gained skills and lesson plans which they could immediately put to use in the classroom. The opportunity to network with teachers from other schools aloowed teachers to share ideas and experiecnes which gave them confidence to teah new activities intheir classes.

Notable Community Participation

The goal at the end of the project is twofold. The first element is to have raised awareness of environmental matters among primary school students in Maseru and empowered them to make a difference. The second element is to have reforested areas around Ha Mohatlane in Berea with the participation of the local community to ensure a sense of ownership.

Project Results

- A total of 5490 class 5 pupils from 20 different schools received environmental education. The children have the knowledge and skills necessary to be environmental stewards well into the future. By providing hands on experience, for example through tree planting, children were motivated and empowered to continue with the activity for many years.Some teachers have reported a change in behaviour amongst pupils as a result of the lessons they had taken part in with Lesotho Durham Link.

- A total of 147 teachers have been trained in a variety of environmental activities and teaching strategies throughout the duration ofthe project.Some teachers reported using some of the ativities learnt during the workshops with their classes, and many teachers requested more workhsops on a more regulalr basis to continue developing their skills.

- Different environmental sustainability projects have been established at the Link site: solar water heating system, waste recycling scheme and water harvesting storage tanks. These have complimented the exisiting projects: biogas, bird hide, plant nursery and nature trail. These projects are show cased to groups and individuals from walks of life as a demonstration of ways to protect nature and the environment.

- Over 12,000 indigenous and exotic trees were planted in two rural communities of Ha Mohatlane and Mathebe while over 8,000 were planted in participating primary schools to provide teaching aids in schools and also for greening purposes. Some fruit trees were also planted. Some trees were stolen though, by villagers who re-planted the trees in their homesteads instead.

-

+ View more

Indicators

Empowerment

Number of CBOs / NGOs participated / involved in SGP project 28

Biophysical

Hectares of degraded land rest 2

Livehood

Number of individuals (gender diaggregated) who have benefited* from SGP project 2660

Back to search results

Countries

Regions

Project Snapshot

SGP Country office contact

Address

Country Website