Building Sustainable Education and Practices in Communities through an Integrated School-centred Approach 2013-2016- A European Union Funded Action Programme
 

Meet the School-Centred Communities!
Rietoog- WJD Cloete Junior Secondary School WJD Cloete is a well-established school in a small settlement between the Naukluft Mountains and the B1 highway. It has around 800 residents, including 260 schoolchildren (pre-primary through grade 10). Pictured below is the school, and Ms. Cornelia Benade, the Rietoog Community Liason Officer. Click here for Rietoogs's progress video.
Uibes- Edward Frederick Primary School  Uibes is located 40km outside of Maltahöhe down a steep hill. It is a very rocky region, and has very few trees. There are only about 400 residents, including 132 learners. Pictured below is the school, and Adam Engelbrecht, the Uibes Community Liason Officer.
Gochas-N. Mutschuana Primary School  Gochas is a small village about 110 km southeast of Mariental. There is over 1,000 residents, including 342 schoolchildren (primary school through grade 7). Pictured below is the town, and Berend Velskoen, the Gochas Community Liason Officer.

Background:
The "RUG for Sustainability" action builds upon previous NaDEET community-based outreach activities. Three schools and their immediate communities are participating in this European Union funded action. The schools will be fully supported for three years to become leaders in the Hardap Region by integrating environmental learning and action taking at all ages to create a sustainable community. The action has three main components including:

• Centre based programmes,
• Community based activities
• Environmental literacy and assessment actions.

These activities will build upon each other every year with the aim of achieving the overall objective to improve living standards for rural Namibians through sustainable living education and practices on a local level. 

About the School Centred-Approach:
In many rural settlements, the school is at the heart of the community. This action therefore places the school at its core and includes every member of the school; it then branches out to include community members that have a direct stake in the school such as the parents and/or guardians of the learners, extended family members, school board members, etc. The approach assumes that all actors all have a significant stake in the success and sustainability of the school, the future of the learners and the environmental viability of the settlement as a provider of a good quality of life.

Resources: 

• RUG-General Information 
• Outreach Photo Gallery 

RUG Participants Speak on Sustainability!

It has been an exciting and educational journey for us and the RUG for Sustainability participants! As we come closer to the end, it is important to reflect on what lessons have been learnt by all. This has been done using various forms of media including interview profiles, videos and audio clips. Let’s find out what some participants have to say!

Youth
The youth interviewed each other to make small profiles! Click on their photos to find out what they have to say.

Question: We have been learning about sustainable living. What do you think is most important for you to do to live sustainably?

Question: How has learning about the environment helped you?

School children
Learners participated by making environmental videos to create awareness about some environmental issues in their communities. Click on the photos to watch videos from our NaDEETTube.

Adults
Adults in the communities recorded audio clips in which a series of questions were asked. This was done in their local languages (Afrikaans and/or Damara/Nama). These have been translated to English as well. Find out what they had to say by clicking on the photos.

This project has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. We are grateful for the suport of the EU, the Ministry of Education-Hardap Region, and the COV for their support of this action.