One in eight people do not have access to safe, clean drinking water. In Africa, many women and children need to walk 6km each day to secure water that is then unsuitable for drinking. The Dow Live Earth 6km Run/Walk for Water event is happening worldwide on 18 April 2010 to highlight this plight and raise awareness around water scarcity, and the South African event takes place at Spier Wine Estate in Stellenbosch. A Parlotones concert will help draw the crowd and a water education village will be set up, with only 2000 tickets available.
Conservation NGO the Wildlands Conservation Trust are the event organizers and beneficiaries of the funds raised. Their Indigenous Trees for Life Programme enables vulnerable adults and children to grow a future for themselves. As “tree-preneurs” they grow indigenous trees from seed, and once they reach a certain height, they trade them back to Wildlands for planting into the community or they are used in reforestation programmes run by Wildlands. The credit notes received for the trees are traded for goods at “tree stores”. Food, clothing, school materials, uniforms and agricultural goods are purchased and even school fees are paid this way. Many tree-preneurs have also bought Jojo tanks for storing rainwater.
Zodwa Gumede, mother of four children, is a tree-preneur in KwaJobe, a poor rural community near Mkhuze Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu Natal. “The Jojos are very helpful because we don’t have water taps here in Jobe” says Zodwa. “So we collect rainwater with the Jojos. We use that water for drinking and for cooking because it is clean. The other water we can get is from the pan but it’s not right because the cows drink there and we have to sterilize it.”
In support of the programme, Jojo Tanks have come up with a scheme to help Wildlands and their tree-preneurs purchase Jojo tanks. For every 2500 litre Jojo tank purchased by Wildlands for tree-preneurs to buy, Jojo will match it with a donated one, up to 200 tanks. This frees up much needed funds for Wildlands to develop the tree growing programme further.
Rod Cairns, managing director of JoJo Tanks explains: “At JoJo we are passionate about the role we should play in conserving our planet’s limited resources. Our association with Wildlands gives us an excellent opportunity to make a real difference and to contribute to the global effort to raise awareness of the need to save water. Saving water should be a way of life and the preservation and utilization of rainwater by installing rainwater tanks could grant relief to millions of disadvantaged South Africans and provide a cost-effective and convenient way for tree-preneurs to care for their trees.”
Zodwa said of her Jojo Tank purchases: “We have to trade with 532 trees worth R 5 each. When the trees are ready you can buy a Jojo tank and have clean water. I will keep planting the trees so I can have more Jojo tanks.” The Wildlands Conservation Trust will be expanding the Indigenous Trees for Life Programme into three communities in the Western Cape towards the end of 2010.
WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust - IT No: 4329/1991/PMB)