Originally published on 25 May 2023
In Limpopo, school kids helped to protect their environment by checking the water quality of local rivers. This project was part of a bigger plan to teach and empower communities about saving water.
What was the problem?
Water is a limited and important resource in South Africa, and its quality is often harmed by pollution from farms and bad sewage systems. In some areas, poor management and theft have made water shortages worse, leaving communities struggling to get clean water. This situation resulted in big health risks and threatened the sustainability of local water sources.
How did they solve it?
The University of the Western Cape (UWC) started a Diamonds on the Soles of Our Feet project to solve these problems. This project trained community members as "citizen scientists" who, in turn, taught school kids how to check water quality. The project focused on the Hout Catchment area and included more than 200 learners from local schools.
The children learned to use freshwater test kits and the Stream Assessment Scoring System (SASS) to check water health. They collected information on phosphates, nitrates, and invertebrate diversity, which was then shared with global organisations like EarthWatch Europe and the United Nations SDG 6.3 water portal.
The project aimed to teach people about saving water and give the next generation the knowledge to protect their environment. By including local communities, the project helped people connect more with their natural surroundings.
For more information on community mobilisation for clean water, contact WaterCAN here.
Acknowledgements:
Original article written by: Ashraf Hendricks
Photograph supplied by: Ashraf Hendricks
Get your community involved
Is there a community-driven group or caring business in your area? A dedicated group of committed people can effectively solve local problems.
Think about starting or joining community groups like a street WhatsApp group, residents' association, or community policing forum (CPF) to get help and to stay informed and involved in local issues.
Know your rights – how local government works
It’s important to understand how your local government works so that you can work with them to support what they are doing while your community continues to keep them accountable and deliver services on time. Remember you have a constitutional right to many of the services provided by local government, as well as to accountability and transparency, wherever you live and regardless of how much you earn. It is also where money collected from taxes and rates goes.
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