Site & Service Group Advances in its Environmental Health project
Last Updated on Saturday, 13 March 2010 01:40 Written by Webmaster Saturday, 13 March 2010 01:39
10 March 2010, Kabwe
The Site and Service PSA group in Kabwe has significantly advanced its environmental health project. The group, which met at the Inshindo head office on 10 March 2010, has for the last two months been implementing an environmental health project in the Site and Service compound of Kabwe. The major goal of the Project is to significantly increase the number of young people in Natuseko compound and surrounding areas that are involved in activities to promote a healthy physical environment. The group’s major strategy is to work with Grade 8s and 9s at Natuseko and Chindwin A Basic Schools.
During the Project Review Meeting at the Inshindo head office, 8 group members shared how they project has been progressing. The first step in the implementation of the project was to approach school authorities and ask for permission to work with older youth at the school in studying and acting on creating a healthy environment. Permission was easily granted. The step that followed involved consultation with the Projects Coordinator at Inshindo and together with the group a number of lessons from Environmental Issues were selected for study with the young people. The group then visited the two schools and had the first study session with the students.
The group shared how the response has been increasing overwhelming.
“On the first day we had 16 students at Natuseko and so we thought maybe the program will not generate that much interest,” shared Yvonne, the Environmental Health Project Coordinator in the group. “When we went to Chindwin A, we found a totally different case. Over 40 eager young people were waiting for us. On the second meeting at Natuseko, the numbers grew to 34 and at the third meeting they grew to 49”.
Yvonne shared how a similar situation unfolded at Chindwin A. “At the second meeting, the number of students grew from 40 to 60 and at the third meeting to 100. We had to split them into two classrooms and each of our 8 members had to work with about 12 students which was much larger than we could ever have dreamed of.”
The group is now pondering how to adjust to this overwhelming response. Although it has wanted to initiate similar activities at other schools, they decided to focus only on the two schools and felt that if they had known that the young people would respond so positively, they would have worked only with one school in the initial stages of the project.
As a result of the Project Review Meeting, the group outlined a 6 step project implementation process that would be followed. The process includes the following steps:
1. Orientation of a number of young people at the school to maintaining a healthy environment using an abbreviated version of Environmental Issues.
2. Development of a detailed plan of action with the students
3. Convening of a Project Encounter through which the plan would be shared with selected school staff.
4. Conducting of investigations in the community on the problem of solid waste and development of an appropriate message.
5. An awareness campaign using drama and home visits
6. Assisting the school to establish a garden through which students would learn how to improve management of organic solid waste through composting.
The group feels that this process can be replicated from school to school and could also be used to mobilise youth at the community level.
At the same meeting, Mr. Chuungu Malitonga, the PSA Program Director, announced to the group that due to the advanced stage their project has reached and the systematic steps the group has taken in its implementation, Inshindo Foundation has dedicated US$ 100 to the group to assist it in the implementation of the project. The group resolved to elect a Treasurer who would help maintain proper records of their expenses. The Treasurer of the group will work closely with Inshindo program staff accompanying projects.