The Women in Environment Awards run by the Kwa-Zulu Natal Department of Environmental Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Development saw two Wildlands Conservation Trust staff members winning awards which will enable them to expand the work they are doing in conservation.
The awards honoured women for providing everyday solutions to environmental challenges at the grass roots levels of our society. The competition started at District level where women submitted entries accompanied by a business profile. Nokuthula Mdletshe and Buyisiwe Nxumalo were amongst other women from uThungulu District who were then entered in the Provincial competition. The cash prizes awarded in various categories will be used towards procurement of essential tools for their projects.
Buyisiwe Nxumalo won third prize in the category for Education and Awareness. She is a facilitator with the KwaMbonambi Indigenous Trees for Life project, where she coordinates a group of 82 “tree-preneurs”; adults and children growing indigenous trees from seed who then trade the trees for goods such as food, school uniforms, water tanks and other items. In doing this work, she is creating awareness of the need for indigenous trees in our environment, and teaching people how to make a “green living” through the growing and trading of trees.
Her cash prize of R 10 000 will be used for materials to build a big nursery to store the trees collected from her tree-preneurs. She currently has 105 000 indigenous trees needing storage until they are distributed for planting in forest and wetland restoration projects.
“I am mobilising the youth to plant indigenous trees, and I show them how trees make our land beautiful and clean our environment,” said Nxumalo.
Nokuthula Mdletshe won second prize in the category for Rehabilitation and Restoration, in recognition of her work with the Wildlands Conservation Trust’s Green Teams. Green Teams work clearing alien vegetation and planting indigenous trees in order to restore forests and wetlands.
Mdletshe’s team has helped restore many wetlands in the KwaMbonambi, Sokhulu and eSikhawini area and her team has planted many trees at Lake Nhlabane. Her cash prize of R 20 000 will also go towards building a nursery, where they will store trees for planting by the Green Teams and grow seedlings for the project.
“This award has made me realise how important my work is. I know that what we do matters, but to be nominated means that our work is being noticed and appreciated. Developing a business plan has shown me what I can do that I never thought possible before.” Mdletshe said.
The Wildlands Conservation Trust runs many environmental community development programmes in the Zululand region with their vision of a “Sustainable Future for All”. These passionate women make the projects the success stories they are.
Caption:
Buyisiwe Nxumalo of the Wildlands Conservation Trust won third prize in the category for Education and Awareness in the Women in Environment Awards run by the Kwa-Zulu Natal Department of Environmental Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Development.
Picture credit: Wildlands Conservation Trust
WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust - IT No: 4329/1991/PMB)