Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
Skills Development for Community Youth
ECOaction has partnered with a local girls school, Nabisunsa Girls School, to motivate youth in the community to reduce, reuse and recycle! Reagan has described how their school grounds have been transformed into a colorful urban garden with greenhouses for growing crops. It is hoped that the skills that these pupils will gain through this experience will help the youth tackle unemployment.
Dr Grace Lubaale of Kyambogo University spoke to The Daily Monitor, a Ugandan newspaper praising Reagan's community work, outlining that:
“Instead of many educators clinging to old and increasingly ineffective methods of teaching, it is better to use innovative teaching methods. This will help to produce a type of students that think outside the box, who can use what is available to bring about something new,”
“The amount of rubbish we create is constantly increasing because we have no proper disposal policy and if all our students are trained on how to manage this waste, they can extend the knowledge to the bigger communities,” says Reagan Kandole of ECOaction village, Banda.
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On Tuesday 14th August, over 300 people attended SFA Botswana's workshop Creating Sustainable Community Partnerships.
The overall goal of the workshop was to establish the significance of Sustainable Community Partnership for addressing pressing social and economic needs using the Mmadinare Human-Wildlife conflict study as a case. This was to ensure that the findings of this study, conducted July 2017, are shared and taken forward for the benefit of Mmadinare, and many other similar communities. The event took place on Tuesday 14 August 2018 under the theme Creating Sustainable Community Partnerships. The turnout was fantastic, as over 300 people attended including the High Commissioner of Nigeria and Nigerian parliament officials, a representative from World Health Organisation and there was a great attendance from local parastatal organisations. Many Botswana Ministers were also in attendance including those from the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism led by the Director of Wildlife and National Parks and Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM), were among the many stakeholders who attended.
The local community of Mmadinare, a village in the central district of Botswana, came up with numerous suggestions to tackle the negative effects caused by Human- Wildlife interaction, among them were the following:
- Culling not killing of elephants.
- Awareness creation on how to live with elephants.
- Creation of wildlife camps
- Establishment of game reserve
- Tracking and monitoring of elephants’ movement-collaring
- Building of an educational park
The Director of Operations and Engineering, on behalf of all stakeholders, observed that the problem discussed affects infrastructure development as this is often damaged by elephants. The presence of the Wildlife Director helped in clarifying and identifying the possible options available raised through the community discussion. The Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Botswana underscored the significance of the University of Botswana and both industry and community partnerships in collectively finding a sustainable solution to the issues.
The SFA Hub in Botswana is happy with the progress made so far and plans to have a retreat to map the way forward.
Read the Research Trial Report Here:
‘Unearthing the Dynamics of Human Wildlife Interaction: The Case of Mmadinare Community in the Central Region of Botswana’
For more information visit The Patriot, Botswana's national Sunday paper, or the University of Botswana's website below:
Success for Abundance Fundraiser; eLearning Center secured for rural Malawi!
Abundance graduated from the GlobalGiving Accelerator program, becoming a regonised partner, through successfully raising $5,538 from 60 unique individual donors in 18 days in June 2018 to support their project, "Build an eLearning Center in rural Malawi!".
eLearning provides many benefits to rural community, as through this they can stay up-to-date with information that can help improve their lives. Abundance therefore sought help through GlobalGiving to fundraise for setting up an eLearning center at the village we work in. Donations were received from USA, UK, Canada, Malawi, Singapore, South Africa, India, Qatar, Swaziland and many more. Sustainable Futures in Africa network partners also donated to support this. The funds received will be used to purchase solar panels, Keepods, keepod-ready laptops, furniture and for holding training sessions at the eLearning center.
GlobalGiving is the first and largest global crowdfunding community that connects nonprofits, donors, and companies in nearly every country around the world. Having participated in the June 2018 Accelerator program, Abundance has been vetted and approved and are now recognized partners of GlobalGiving.
Here is the link to Abundance’s project: http://goto.gg/33386
A 'short and sweet' visit to the SFA Hub, Kampala
By Molly Gilmour, SFA Administrator, Glasgow
From the 14th to 17th May, Sustainable Futures in Africa Principal Investigator Dr Mia Perry and Sustainable Futures in Africa (SFA) Glasgow Hub Administrator Molly Gilmour traveled to Kampala, Uganda for what can only be described as the definition of a ‘short and sweet´ meeting.
Tuesday 15th May 2018: Makerere University
On May 14th Mia and I arrived to the University Guest house where we stayed during our visit. Arriving at almost midnight, we could still see the buzz of the city – people sharing meals by the road, small traders bustling around the city’s streets, a city that felt inviting, warm and friendly.
We spent the morning having coffee with Alex and Anthony, SFA Hub Coordinator and Administrator respectfully, when we then walked to the College of Education and External Studies. It was fantastic to see where my counterpart, whom I work so closely with, spends his 9-5. After having the privilege to meet many of the respective Makerere University Deans and Heads of School, we embarked on a SFA Uganda hub meeting. At this meeting we caught up with network plans which have developed, especially those that were made during the recent meeting at the University of Glasgow – which our Ugandan partners were unfortunately unable to attend due to (what I would describe as draconian) UK Immigration authorities. We looked back at recent events in order to look forward; how can the SFA network develop - concerning research as we ask ‘how can we develop methodologies through arts based practices’, and ‘how can we ensure the core coordination of this network continues’, as it was evident through our short visit how imperative SFA Administrator Anthony is to our Ugandan colleagues.
That afternoon SFA spoke at the weekly lunchtime seminar. It was attended by both students and academic staff from across the college. PI Dr Mia Perry spoke about the SFA Network and shared a presentation about the methodologies created and used by SFA. This had a fantastic impact on the attendees, as PhD students enquired as to how they could undertake a PhD placement with the network, and the Dean of Education outlining that he will introduce the SFA ‘Reporting Back Method’ to the Board of Directors for the Makerere University Graduate School.
Wednesday 16th May: ECOaction
One of the highlights for me - So many serendipitous moments, uncomfortable moments, moments of realisation … dancing and laughing moments...
Walking through the slum-like-squatted area of Kampala, the smell of burning plastics and the dust being kicked up by school aged kids reminded me of my former missions with Save the Children and Médecins Sans Frontières; Something I wasn’t expecting which brought both a sense of familiarity and discomfort. Yet, arriving to the bright, warm and safe space which is ECOaction, and hearing the music, seeing the dancing, I felt right at home! Reagan welcomed us wholeheartedly as we arrived; Mia, Anthony, Alex, Vincent, Richard and I. Reagan, as accurately reflected in his projects, is an energetic, warm and a colourful character.
Sitting in a room, one constructed by the community of recycled bottles, Reagan facilitated an introduction to SFA, SFA’s partners and introductions were conducted around this room. We met with Nilotika Cultral Ensemble, who performed for SFA partners alongside the community’s youth. Nilotika Cultural Ensemble shared their experiences of working with Western Organisations, and one member shared the challenges he endured during his previous partnerships with a quote ‘I am asked to sign at the expense of my culture’, that the financial stipulations by Western funding bodies allow for little/no autonomy for African partners. Being in this space as a University of Glasgow representative, an institution who have historically wholeheartedly embodied these extractive partnerships, I was faced with discomfort, but also the realisation that these partnerships must change: That there is a lot of work to do in building both trust and real relationships. There were countless examples of these damaged power relations throughout the three day visit which I experienced, and will continue to reflect and learn from.
The evening was spent conducting ‘strategic planning’ with key stakeholders at ECOaction. More will be shared come on this in the coming months!
Thursday 17th May: 32 Degrees East
Another cool, colourful and creative space in Kampala, SFA Partner 32 Degrees East is a multi-purpose resource centre including hosting artist in residence, meeting centres and art studios. Mia and Is final day, Thursday, was spent on future planning. What future research projects is SFA going to undertake next? What funding is best suited? What partners will be involved? Anthony and I, the SFA Glasgow and Uganda research administrators, created communications strategies and Impact toolkits for the research hubs.
Mia and I finished the day sitting by Victoria Lake with Richard, Alex, Twine, Reagan and Arnold conducting ‘Knowledge Exchange’ on ‘how to take the perfect selfie’
TEDx Reflections: HOW CAN I CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT?
by Julia Diachkova, SFA Volunteer
There are many ways I can contribute to the sustainable development of the community I live in– I can give money, I can volunteer, I can give away stuff I don't use, I can consume rationally, I can support local production, I can recycle, I can litter less, I can be a better person than I am now, be more considerate & less detached. I can remember the world is a shared space, and if I want to be happy with my surroundings, I should begin with my own practice.
What I've learned recently is that people can do more than they think. And they actually do. It is not about superpower or empowerment, neither it is about rights and opportunities. It's about personal values and relatedness. I've learned that people are actually willing to help beyond the walls of their own households, neighborhoods, and cities. Not only ‘willing’ … but taking action. And this was one of my most valuable discoveries as of recent.
Reflections from TEDx
Ignorant as it might seem, up to a particular moment I questioned people's altruistic intentions to help. I thought only professionally-involved individuals would seriously consider and try to tackle the social and ecological catastrophe the divided world was drowned in. All the more important it was for me to learn how wrong I was; the recent TEDx made me #rethink that previous perception of mine.
It was the first time I took part in such a sort of event. Truth to be told, I didn't expect to see many people willing to discuss sustainable development issues, especially those unrelated to their own country, never mind sustainability issues in countries as far away as Africa. Imagine my surprise (and embarrassment) when as soon as the event kicked off I realized that our team of four SFA partners struggled to handle the flow of participants willing to talk. And it wasn't idle talks of drop-in visitors, those people were great: knowledgeable, passionate, involved, experienced, curious; they were sharing ideas and insights, telling about their own projects and those of their friends, challenging our approach and inquiring on how to get involved. They were not indifferent
Looking through the sustainability initiatives that were suggested by Tedx delegates, I noticed that quite a number shared a distinctive feature-: use less plastic, eat seasonal food, consume rationally. All of a sudden the suggestions stand became a resolution board - what each of us can do differently, how each can change the behavior or attitude to improve the personal settings. And it all looked familiar.
'Doing Things Differently'
Here in SFA, members say the goal of the network is to ‘do things differently’ to promote sustainable development. From what I've noticed, this «Do Differently» stands for getting actual results through the work is done; results relevant to the community we're working with, results that address the needs of local people. The team is diverse, in age, geography, spheres of expertise, however, again from what I've noticed, apart from professionalism, they share this "It concerns me" approach. Just like those participants at TEDx. And that, I believe, makes all the difference – when people decide to take action, willing to make whatever contribution they can. When it begins with oneself, rethinking the habitual course of life, the desired results are just a matter of time.
Joseph Obadiora (Ph.D)
OBADIORA, Adebayo Joseph (Ph.D) is a lecturer in the Department of Arts and Social Science Education, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He has his first degree in Social Studies Education, second and third degree in Curriculum Development. Obadiora is working hard and making remarkable contributions in the areas of research through scholarly publications in reputable national and international journals. His research focuses on curriculum development, implementation, assessment and innovation (especially in the area of Environmental Education, Community Development and Hygienic Culture). He is a member of professional bodies such as Ife School Curriculum Improvement Group, Social Studies Association of Nigeria (SOSAN), Teacher Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) and General Coordinator of Population Welfare and Empowerment Foundation (POWEF).
Reflections from Glasgow
Reflections from Glasgow
I believe it was serendipity that lead me to work at the University of Glasgow this year. Two years ago, an unexpected e-mail from Mia Perry, a lecturer and leader of many projects at the University of Glasgow came into the mailbox of “Abundance” a non-profit organization in Malawi which I co-founded with some friends in 2016. She was searching for organizations working in Malawi and had stumbled across our website. Since then, Abundance became part of the “Sustainable Futures in Africa” network, an inter-disciplinary network of academicians and practitioners in UK and Africa working across disciplines for making research more relevant for the developing world. Through this network, I got an opportunity to do a secondment at the University of Glasgow for a few months early this year, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The time I spent at Glasgow was filled with interesting meetings at the University. But I also could enjoy some solitude, which gave me a chance to reflect on my experience. During my reflections, I jotted down five things I learnt and I am happily sharing them with you:
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The leap of faith
I was fully aware that to some extend I was jumping into the unknown as I agreed to take up the consultancy and residency at Glasgow. I was to connect researchers at Glasgow with organizations and researchers in Africa and also shape their research to be more development oriented and appropriate for the developing country context. While I had worked in Africa for over 17 years, I had not done this kind of consultancy before. However, when I looked within, I had faith and the work “felt right”. I became conscious that this is the work I love and am passionate about, so saying “yes” was easy. Furthermore, the opportunity came through Mia, whom I trust. The work went smoothly, particularly because I was working with a fantastic colleague Lynn McCorriston who went out of her way to ensure that the work and meetings went smoothly and that my stay was super comfortable. I feel satisfied that I made a contribution and I learnt that it’s okay to take the leap of faith.
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The power of networks
The networks I have made in my professional and personal life have always supported me over the years. Because I spend so much time in my work, I find that my professional colleagues become my good friends and mentors. The LEAD Network is one such network where I have mentors and friends in Malawi and around the world. Indeed, during the consultancy, I linked the University of Glasgow with former colleagues, organizations such as LEAD Southern and Eastern Africa as well as members of the LEAD Fellows network, who, as a result, would be undertaking collaborative projects with the University of Glasgow in the near future. In some of the projects, I am involved too, hence I would get a chance to work with people I love, what an amazing blessing from networking!
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Making most of the circumstances
The period I was resident at Glasgow, I witnessed a once in 33 years snow storm called “The Beast from the East”. Some reports said it was the coldest month of March in 100 years in the UK. I had hoped to see some snow, but being snowed in for three days was not exactly what I wished for. It would have been easy to brood and indulge in some self-pity or cabin fever, especially for someone like me who is used to the moderate and sunny weather of southern Africa. But, I decided to embrace the situation and following the hourly weather updates, I took a chance to step out when it was safe and soak in the beauty of the snowy cityscape. As a result, I got some stunning photographs and videos. Lynn and I braved the cold and visited the People’s Museum and Botanical Garden, which was just spectacular surrounded by snow all around.
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Change work routines
At Glasgow, I got a new routine of walking about 40 minutes to work every day, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Leaving a bit early from my apartment to explore a new route every day, I got a chance to appreciate the architecture and the many historical buildings in Glasgow. I also enjoyed people watching at Kelvingrove Park which was en-route to work. The cute dogs are taken on walks by their owners, the students cycling, school children rushing to school, elderly taking strolls and, the statues and fountains made this a wonderful morning routine to cherish. The University of Glasgow staff were extremely friendly and helpful. As the campus is big and many departments were spread out and a bit distant from each other, we held meetings at café’s which were located conveniently for colleagues. I felt we got a lot of creative ideas and discussion flowing more freely when we stepped out of the office for a bit and enjoyed a coffee and a light meal, surrounded by cutesy artsy café décor. I enjoyed the chats over coffee and meals about research projects, art, politics and philosophy with many colleagues including Lynn McCorriston, Mia Perry and Carlos Galan-Diaz.
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The power of technology
Not to sound like a gushing fan of technology, I do have to say that it touches my life on a daily basis. I walked to work every day guided by Google Map’s navigation lady’s voice. Through Facebook, I connected with a Glaswegian friend and attended her birthday party. I also connected with a classmate of mine after 20 years through facebook and booked my bus tickets online to spend a weekend with his family at Aberdeen. For travelling within the city, I used Uber and an app that allowed me to buy bus tickets online. Most of my meetings with people outside the UK was through skype or Zoom or Go-To-Meeting. During the snow storm, we continued to work and had skype meetings. I don’t know what I would have done without my daily evening video chats with my family through whatsapp. Not to mention the many minutes I save every day from doing simple things like checking in online for flights, or ordering gifts online and planning my day according to the weather forecast. As much as technology has its problems, I realised that we can’t do without it and it makes our lives so much easier.
The beautiful city of Glasgow, its museums, café’s, friendly and humorous people and the rich intellectual atmosphere at the University of Glasgow was an inspiring experience for me. Through this serendipitous connection with the University, I have made new friends, new connections and become part of new and exciting collaborative projects. There is an old African saying, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. I thank the University of Glasgow (Lynn, Mia and Molly in particular) for this walk together and making me feel part of a bigger team and a greater vision. Looking forward to the journey ahead!
Dr Nai Rui Chng
Nai Rui Chng holds a PhD in political science from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is currently a research associate in the Institute of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow.
His main research interest is the politics of health and environment, and he specialises in policy and programme evaluation. His cross-disciplinary research spans the fields of public health, social and public policy, comparative politics, political sociology, and international development.
A political ethnographer by background, he is also experienced in other qualitative research methods as well as mixed-method analysis. @nairuichng
Prof. Adrian Boyce
Adrian Boyce is Professor of Applied Geology at SUERC. He is a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG) and Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA) and a leader applied stable isotope Geoscience research in the UK and beyond.
Adrian has co-published over 285 peer-reviewed papers (h-index=40), many focused on the application of stable isotope geochemistry to hydrogeological processes. He has run the NERC Isotope Community Support Facility at SUERC for over 20 years, set in one of Europe’s leading stable isotope laboratories, through which he has been responsible for the isotopic aspects of over 120 peer-reviewed NERC projects, including over 75 PhD students. He has demonstrated the utility of underpinning stable isotope techniques on research from km- to sub-millimetre scale fundamental hydrogeological processes from crustal fluid flow mechanisms to ocean vents to major ore deposits to geothermal energy.
Dr Mercy Adeogun
Mercy Adeogun has a PhD in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development and Lecture at Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology, Lagos. His research work focuses on indigenous knowledge in fisheries and aquatic resources.
A change agent in local community with practical engagement for more than 15 years, Dr Adeogun focuses on small holder farmers/fishers with emphasis on gender using indigenous practices as basis for improving agricultural productivity and livelihood. Mercy is appointed a Team Leader by West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme, Nigeria for technologies transfer to end-users in adopted villages and Schools to increase productivity, income and reduce pressure on the natural environment.