South African Social Innovation and Community Development – Strategies

and Perspectives for Australia?

Anthea Fawcett

SOUTHERN EXCHANGEanthea@southernexchange.com.au

SA innovation - inspiring examples• Woolworth’s Trust EduPlant Programme

• Youth Empowerment Network (YEN), David Liknaitzky, “Facing the Future with Courage” ‘Lost generation’ - Life skills and personal development http://www.yen.org.za

• Conquest for Life, Glen Steyn, Township based youth empowerment, life skills, crime: rehabilitation/mentoring http://www.conquest.org.za

• Glen and David’s work: internationally recognised social entrepreneurs, ASHOKA Fellows

SA social innovation? context• Creative spaces + needs = innovative partnerships: business, civil

society, NGOs, social entrepreneurs, committed individuals

• Wealth & poverty, first & third world conditions/challenges

• CSI & BEE culture – transformation & reconciliation

• Sustainable development & ‘development’ imperatives – social justice, poverty, local environment/ livelihood needs

• INNOVATIONS - Australia may learn & draw from • OPPORTUNITIES - OZ resource companies in Africa & in Oz:

Australian indigenous community needs

FOOD AND TREES FOR AFRICA Woolworths Trust EDUPLANT

Permaculture & Food Gardens programme

Intro: Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA)www.trees.org.za

• ‘Trees for Africa’ NGO Est 1990, first core program “Trees for Homes”, RDP housing – shade & fruit trees, Slovo’s “a house without a tree is not a home”

• To Improve degraded township environs & livelihoods• Community based urban greening – 5 core programs • Organic permaculture principles, climate change and local action since

inception have informed all programmes • Poverty & food insecurity – TFA change to FTFA in 1994• EduPlant initiated 1994 alongside permaculture garden training &

development courses• Since 1990 FTFA resp. for over 2.8 million trees planted• National/international recognition: 2007 UNEP Sasakawa Environment

Prize - CEO, Jeunesse Park

Woolworths Trust EduPlant - schools growing good food naturally

• Leading national food gardening & greening programme• Education for FOOD SECURITY, NUTRITION, SUSTAINABILITY &

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS• Partnerships: Landcare SA, SABC Education & Radio, National Dept.

Water Affairs & Forestry – Education Dept support for OBE• Woolworths SA (Woolworths Trust) lead sponsor: EduPlant the Trust’s

flagship programme since 2004• Leverages further sponsors to support individual school projects• STRUCTURED around ANNUAL NATIONAL SCHOOL COMPETITION • EMPOWERS; MOTIVATEs & REWARDS teachers, schools,

communities to develop permaculture projects & food gardens

EduPlant: key elements COMPETITION STRUCTURE: • 4 categories – Emerging, Intermediate, Advanced, & Provinces (9)• Motivates schools to annually re-enter & build on past achievements

JUDGING CRITERIA – holistic capacity building. Criteria:-• “The entry shows that the school understands how to create a

sustainable, food producing environment that conserves and manages natural resources sustainably

• The school has shown initiative by implementing a project, raising funds or finding assistance and information

• The project will, or does, involve the maximum number of educators, learners, parents and other community members

• The project is, or will be, integrated into the outcomes-based curriculum• The quality of the presentation to the adjudicators at the awards event

will be assessed.”

EduPlant: key elements

ENTRY PROCESS, STRATEGIC PLANNING & DOCUMENTATION - Encourages schools to promote projects to community & sponsors

THE COMPETITION – KEY COMPONENTS• Entry forms/invitations – with case studies, permaculture info• Nationwide program of 1 day motivational workshops for teachers• Provision of extensive Curricula Support resources• Qualified permaculturists visit 20 shortlisted schools per province - to help

develop their projects, distribute resources, seeds etc• Special 4 day intensive workshops held for select schools• FINALS Awards & Presentation Ceremony – major 3 day motivational

JOYFUL event, 63 schools, teachers & students, from 9 provinces• All finalists receive recognition and prizes, & funding to attend Awards• Winners from each category (15-20 teachers) offered further skills

development – eg. 2 week permaculture facilitators training course

EduPlant – embraces permaculture principles: PERMAnent agriCULTURE

• FTFA useful definitions include:… “a system of farming & gardening that combines plants, animals, buildings, water, the landscape & people in a way that produces more energy than it uses, recycles all waste & nutrients, & imitates nature as much as possible”.

• Environmentally friendly - resource efficient • Accessible to all - in diverse physical, social & economic environments• Low cost inputs• Is ENJOYABLE - FUN - ENABLING• Addresses real needs – food security, nutrition, better environs• Sustainable & incremental achievements possible over time

Permaculture… “Simply look around you and find out how natural elements (water, soil, plants, animals, sun, air and people) can work together and how you can make the best use of them. Each design will be different in each place depending on what resources you have available and what you want your landscape to look like and do for you in the future”.

Elements schools encouraged to consider & include in their projects:• WATER: harvesting, retention, reuse• LAND/SOILS: compost, mulching, plant based soil conditioners• FOOD: plant choices to build soils, control pests, enrich gardens• ENERGY: appropriate plants and gardens in right locations• WIND/SHADE: trees & windbreaks for shelter, enable gardens in tough

conditions• AMENITY: productive, clean, healthy local environs• RECYCLING: of wastes to compost, mulch etc, minimise other resource use• RELATIONSHIPS: systems of care: social, environmental, inter-personal

EduPlant …in action

EduPlant - achievements• Empowers & supports grass roots champions to

take action: teachers, learners & communities to tackle poor nutrition, food insecurity

• Multiple environmental & social capital benefits• 8000 schools – since 1994• Program growing & getting stronger: 350 schools

2007; 450 in 2008• In a competitive policy & ‘needs’ environment,

continues to retain & grow sponsors• Leverages FTFA’s other program supporters to

help fund disadvantaged schools • Mentorship, resources, progressive program

support to schools/teachers in tough conditions• Supports Outcomes Based Education• Support HIV/AIDS affected communities

EduPlant - benefits • Schools become ‘magnet’ leaders in community & lead outreach to other local schools, hospices etc, to develop gardens, undertake greening

• Experiential learning – poor literacy, behavioural, & Eng as 2nd lang contexts

• Permaculture resources integrated into curricula – sustainable life skills

• Expansion of private food gardens• Cumulative livelihood benefits: vege

gardens + orchards, chicken runs, pigs, medicinal gardens, & additional permaculture projects

• SKILLS FOR LIFE• SUSTAINABLE sustaining pleasures• CORPORATE/ NGO/ COMMUNITY

partnerships - expanding over time

• BETTER nutrition & poverty alleviation• SUPPLEMENTED school feeding schemes• ENHANCED learner concentration• Support to CHILD-HEADED households• Nutrition to bolster HIV/AIDS treatments• SCHOOLS/Community – stronger relationships, parent/community support, parent & child involvement

EduPlant – The Australian Context?

Indigenous Health & Nutrition • Poor nutrition a key contributor to the 17 year gap in life expectancy • Poor quality diet an imp. risk factor in 3 of the 4 major causes of death • An inadequate intake of fruit & vegetables continues to be reported for Indigenous

Australians – alarmingly so, for those living in remote areas.• Recent studies suggest many Indigenous people in remote areas understand the

relationship b/t food & health; & report a preference for fresh fruit & vegetables• Fresh food is up to 50% more expensive in remote communities than in major centres

such as Darwin

• POVERTY, EXPENSE, SPATIAL ISOLATION = FOOD INSECURITY – recognition these factors must be given greater attention (not just nutrition education)

• Currently, much fresh food available in remote communities travels over vast distances: high “food miles” = adds expense, reduces food quality

Food gardening in Indigenous communities?• National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Nutrition Strategy & Action

Plan 2000-2010 – scope for action

• Hunting & gathering, bush tucker - benefits known & increasingly valued

• AND oft well established/recalled food gardening experience in many remote communities (Mission Gardens, Outstation gardens …)

• Aboriginal community gardens – yet to be studied in depth

• Indications food gardens becoming a pop choice b/c of nutrition & food security

• …increasing number of initiatives underway that could be built upon

Overview: food garden initiatives• Community Development Employment Projects• Community/Reconciliation initiatives, eg:

– EON Foundation, WA, ‘edible garden’ project– Cultural Healing Garden, Christies Beach High School,

Reconciliation Action Plan– Dare to Lead schools program, a winning school with a bush

tucker/forestry project• Departmental initiatives under consideration, eg:

- NT Dept. of Regional D’Ment, Primary Industry, Fisheries & Resources, prof garden manager/subscriptions model- NT Dept of Agriculture, ‘Veg in a Box’ food production program trial

• Permaculture Workbook for Australian communities – developed by Dr Martin Anda & Josh Byrne, Murdoch University

CONCLUSIONS• Compelling case – for new strategies to increase role of food gardens

in remote indigenous communities

• EduPlant – a valuable model & resources to draw from & adapt (in culturally appropriate ways)

• Reconciliation, CSI, Sustainability, Community building – all drivers & resources for new inter-sectoral partnerships

• Multiple benefits possible

• Community ownership & champions critical

• Programs such as Dare to Lead exciting possible starting points for new journeys.