Who are the Enviro Champs?
About a year ago, visiting environmental activists from KwaZulu-Natal, Jim and Liz Taylor described the start of the Enviro Champs in Mphophomeni township next to Midmar Dam in 2009. Here is the explanation they provided:
An Enviro Champ is a publicspirited person who cares about local people and the environment around where they live. Enviro Champs provide linkages between issues faced, such as waste, water and sanitation, the community and the authorities. Enviro Champs serve to develop and strengthen a social fabric that can respond and inform when things go wrong or when they are going right in the environment!
Although the Enviro Champs function in a flexible and responsive manner, their daily jobs include:
Door-to-door educational visits. Enviro Champs visit community members at their homes to discuss issues relating to water, sanitation and waste management. Liz reported how, over the past few years, the Enviro Champs have visited more than 4,000 homes!
To become an Enviro-Champ one has to learn a lot. And the learning never stops! One day a week is therefore dedicated as a training day.
Training is undertaken to learn more about water and the environment. Liz described how everyone learns together. Topics include: water issues, waste and illegal dumping, climate change, sustainable living, healthy eating, Recycling, and even basic plumbing.
Enviro Champs monitor and report fresh-water leaks, and, where possible they fix the leaks.
They report spilling sewage inspection covers.
They attend important meetings in the community and undertake citizen science through which they monitor rivers and streams.
Enviro Champs also support youth clubs and through Saturday children’s clubs, many young people are learning about their local environment.
In their home base of Mphophomeni, the Enviro Champs movement’s achievements include:
The reduced number of spilling sewers
Fewer fresh water leaks. In one sixmonth period in 2016 the Enviro Champs helped save 10-million litres of treated fresh-water. This represents a saving of over R180,000 for the local water authority.
Engaging with leaders in the township, including the mayor and local councillors, around pressing environmental issues.
Movements such as Enviro Champs can play a helpful role in addressing service delivery issues in townships. By attending to local environmental issues and risks the Enviro Champs contribute to sustainable living.
Enviro Champs provide linkages between people, the issues they face, the authorities and the excellent policies that SA has.
Their work strengthens a social fabric that links community members with the excellent environmental policies that SA has, but which sadly are seldom realised.