Environment

In the yard of a Mitchells Plain home, Shevon frantically swings an axe at a large plastic bucket. “This is why I love my job, it’s good for my mental health as well,” says the 38-year-old mother of two, as shards of plastic fly off into a large polyester trash bag. After years working as a waste picker across one of Cape Town’s largest townships…, Environmental, economic, and social impact – a holistic approach, Born and bred in Mitchells Plain, Zach leads the project from the RLabs base in the heart of the community. “We’re trying to address environmental and social aspects together,” he explains. “So, we came up with a model and idea to look at how we get households to really start recycling and to divert more waste-at-source from landfills that can’t…, Taking ReChas to the next level, The project’s unique approach in empowering the local community helped it win the UNICEF and imaGen Ventures, ‘Sustainability Innovation Challenge’, that rewards green initiatives globally with seed funding to continue advancing their innovation.   Improved logistics and efficiency are the result for the ReChas. “The cost of fuel is high, and we…, The green economy in action, A short drive away from the yard where Shevon is working, Muna, a local waste picker, appears from over a hill carrying two trash bags. She’s heading to a ‘ReCha Node’ to trade in her recyclables. It’s where 28-year-old Shandre lives, described as a “champion of ReChas” by Zach for diverting about 27,000 kg of waste from landfills since last…

The morning Johannesburg rush hour is in full drive as commuters navigate the traffic and the sun rises through the smoggy haze that covers the city. In the basement of a shopping precinct, removed from the chaos above, a group of young storytellers are gathering at FotoZA photography gallery for the start of a 4-month project.   ‘The Green Rising…

UNICEF assists the world’s children, especially the most vulnerable, through health and educational interventions; improved water, sanitation, and hygiene services (WASH); and emergency assistance. Climate change has made these tasks more urgent and complicated, but as governments step up efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, new…

PRETORIA, 03 October 2023 –A new photography project, ‘The Green Rising: Climate Impact & Response – Through a Fresh Lens’ , is calling for young people to articulate, through photography, how their lives are being affected by climate and environmental issues and how they are adapting and fighting back.  The project will bring what are often…, How to submit your photo entry, Children and young people aged 15 to 24-years can submit their photos (ideally from a digital camera but phone or other digital device will be accepted) and their text to: saf-photosubmission@unicef.org    Please share three photos with 3 to 5 lines of text that explain why your image/s reflect the impact of the climate crisis and / or…

“We are making sure that the river is kept healthy and clean,” says Palesa, as she wades into Mthinzima stream that skirts the edges of Mpophomeni township. Behind her the rolling hills of northern Kwa Zulu- Natal (KZN) shine bright green following the summer rains. The 25-year-old is here with two other young women, Mbali and Thabsile, to take a…, Keeping communities healthy, The significance of Palesa and the teams work in monitoring and recording the Mthinzima stream’s pollution levels has far reaching effects. “This has a further downstream impact, like at the Durban beaches where some of them have been closed because of the waste and pollution from upstream areas,” explains Palesa. The stream also flows into the…, Building connections from the ground up, In the process of environmental action, the ‘Enviro-Champs’ work with people from across society. “We engage with the community to come up with an idea on how we can solve problems,” says Thabsile, referring to their work in tackling solid waste dumping around the stream and the burning of household rubbish that affects air quality. Advocacy with…

The South African Youth Statement to COP 27 was created by the youth participants of the national COP 27 Youth Climate Statement National Model Government process. This was convened by Youth@SAIIA, the Youth Policy Committee (YPC), CAAP co-founded by the European Union, and WESSA, with the support of UNICEF South Africa, UNDP South Africa, and the…

UNICEF South Africa and the Water Research Commission of South Africa have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate, support, and implement joint Water Resources and Ecosystems, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Water Quality, Climate Change, Food Systems and Nutrition, Youth and Sanitation, and Citizen Science projects and…

 UNICEF South Africa and partners asked children and young people to express how they ‘reimagine’ the country beyond COVID-19. Using the proven ‘design thinking’ methodology, UNICEF in partnership with the South African Institute of International Affairs brought together virtually some 150 children and young people from across the country to…,   We, the children and youth of South Africa, see ourselves as the generation that will spark a wildfire resulting in young people actively taking up space in all spheres of our country. We envision a future that is conducive and favourable for young people to grow and prosper, freely and with dignity. We envision a future where young people are…, Economic considerations, We note with deep concern that the global COVID-19 pandemic induced economic crises which hindered poverty reduction and job creation efforts. As a result, the country's existing high unemployment rate has increased to 32.5% and this mostly affects the youth population. We acknowledge relief efforts made by the private sector to assist the public…, Environmental considerations, We welcome all advancements taken to enhance South Africa’s climate action through policy interventions including, but not limited to, the establishment of the Presidential Climate Change Coordination Commissions and the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. Furthermore, we eagerly wait for the South African Climate Change Bill to be passed…, Social considerations, We note with concern the deepening gender inequality gap that has further been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in the increase in the rate of gender-based violence, femicide, human trafficking, lack of access to reproductive healthcare, and sexual exploitation in the workplace. In addition, we are alarmed by the culture of…, Reimagine our Future Declaration We, the children and youth of South Africa, see ourselves as the generation that will spark a wildfire resulting in young people actively taking up space in all spheres of our country. We envision a future that is conducive and favourable for young people to grow and prosper, freely and with dignity. We envision a…