The Eskom Energy and Sustainability Programme (the E&S Programme).

Name, organisation and contact details of executant.
Avril Wilkinson. WESSA. (036) 637 5616

Reporting period.
2005 .

Project summary and Introduction.
For the past 11 years Eskom and WESSA have formed a joint partnership for environmental education. In its early years, the programme was run as a national environmental education competition (the Eskom Enviro Competition). Since 2002, however, the programme has changed to meet relevant and appropriate requirements for environmental education processes within a changing South Africa. The programme presently manages a support programme for environmental active learning, centred on local issues, and based on school children accepting the challenge to learn and work on environmental sustainability issues within their local context.

Due to the responsive nature of the WESSA organisational structure to meet the needs of environmental education in a changing South Africa, and the existing network of regional co-ordinators within that structure, the E&S Programme is well-placed to support the objectives of both partners – that of vibrant, active learning, and project-driven education for young South Africans.

The regional co-ordinators for the E&S Programme are situated as follows:

Avril Wilkinson Overall co-ordinator
Avril Wilkinson Co-ordinator for KZN North
Cherise Acker-Prichard Co-ordinator for KZN North Coasts
Kristi Garland Co-ordinator for KZN South
Phillip Wilkinson Co-ordinator for Border-Kei
Pumla Koltana Co-ordinator for PE
Debbie Abrahamson Co-ordinator for EP interior
Lorraine MacGibbon Co-ordinator for South Cape
Patrick Dowling Co-ordinator for Western Cape
Liesl Kent Co-ordinator for the Lavender Hill area of the Western Cape
Leon Barkhuisen Co-ordinator for the Fee State
Sue Bellinger Co-ordinator for the Gauteng region
Alluwani Masikhawa Co-ordinator for the Limpopo region
Alan Mdaka Co-ordinator for the Lowveld region


Co-ordinators and service providers for the implementation of the programme meet in January each year for an orientation and planning meeting.

Summary describing the E&S Programme for 2005.

Throughout 2005, the programme has supported educators and participating schools to introduce environmental focus areas of energy and sustainability at their schools by working on a project using lesson planning within their curriculum.

In 2005, 104 projects supported by the E&S Programme were completed.

Areas of distribution were as follows:
Most of these projects were centred within the energy-related theme with an approximate even distribution of electrical efficiency projects and renewable energy projects.

Statistically the projects are represented as follows:

The projects under "Sustainability" were related mainly to issues such as ecological footprints; some water issues; and some community social issues. The projects under "Other" were focussed on issues such as recycling/reuse; community service provision; and energy policy development at schools

The E&S Programme is proud of the standard of the projects under its support. In the 2005 year, 18 of the 104 projects have been submitted for consideration of the eta "Young Designers" award. This is an independent national award programme sponsored by Eskom, and endorsed by the Department of Minerals and Energy. The award is given annually.

The E&S Programme also supported the project entitled "Electrical Efficiency for our town". This project was chosen to represent South Africa at an international award programme (Volvo Adventure) together with 15 other countries. The project was awarded first place, with Korea second and USA third. The following pages present a photo gallery of E&S programme work in 2005 The E&S Programme also supported the project entitled "Electrical Efficiency for our town".

This project was chosen to represent South Africa at an international award programme (Volvo Adventure) together with 15 other countries. The project was awarded first place, with Korea second and USA third. The following pages present a photo gallery of E&S programme work in 2005