DELTA ENVIRONMENTAL CENTRE WINS AWARD
KUDU AWARD from S.A. NATIONAL PARKS
Delta Environmental Centre (DEC) is truly honoured to have won a KUDU Award from S A National Parks at a prestigious function held at the C S I R Conference Centre in Pretoria on 16 October 2015.
The Award in the “Environmental Education and Capacity Building” category, was awarded to DEC “in recognition of our commitment and wide reach in developing young people and also imparting environmental knowledge to different communities and schools”. The Minister of Environmental Affairs, Ms Edna Molewa presented the Award to DEC, represented by Mr Malusi Vatsha and Mr Paul Lawrence.
In DEC’s 40th anniversary year, this Award inspires the organisation to continue, (whilst constantly improving and expanding its reach and scope), with its environmental education and training programmes.
On an annual basis, DEC interacts with approximately 20 000 learners, 5 000 teachers and learnership/intern candidates at the Centre and further afield, and 100 youth engaged in the Youth Environmental Service (YES) project in the North West Province and this has been implemented by DEC over the past 3 years (2013 to 2015).
A total of 300 youth (100 per annum) from the North West province have participated in this Project that is funded by the Department of Environmental Affairs. The YES project has offered the youth accredited short course training, an opportunity to become engaged in environmental community service and training/exposure to build their capacity to study further, to look at self-employment or entrepreneurial activities or to find employment, or to engage in a Learnership.
All of DEC’s school programmes have been developed in line with the curriculum requirements currently being implemented in our schools. DEC’s Education Officers are well trained and facilitate in an interactive, engaging manner. DEC also has a Collaboration Agreement with Rand Water’s Water Wise Education Team, with a permanent staff member (Water Quality Advisor – education) based at Delta. DEC’s Education Officers facilitate a wide range of Rand Water’s Water Wise programmes. The Gauteng Department of Education’s Subject Advisors in several subjects are always consulted on the content and approach and are fully supportive of the programmes.
DEC is also an accredited training provider with the ETDP SETA and offers an accredited National Diploma in Environmental Education, Training and Development Practice, too! This accreditation affords DEC the opportunity to offer a S A Q A accredited Course, especially to youth who are keen to study further in the environmental sector and become active in the green economy. This qualification is an accessible stepping stone to Higher Education, thus presenting youth with a viable career path.
Accredited Short Courses are also offered on a variety of environmental topics/aspects through the ETDP SETA. DEC also has an MoU with the University of the North West, enabling us to offer certified Short Courses, mainly to practising teachers. The Fundisa for Change programme (a nationwide consortium of organisations involved in teacher development, of which DEC is a partner) has afforded DEC the opportunity to train and certify teachers countrywide.
DEC is a registered Non Profit Company (1975/000010/08), a registered Public Benefit Organisation (18/11/13/2704) enabling DEC to issue 18A receipts for donations, and a Level 1 B-B-BEE Contributor with Enterprise Development and Socio Economic Development benefits available to donors (MDEN/QSE/02/04/2015/001). We also have a CSO: Beneficiary analysis of 95%.
For further details about the work we do and our programmes, please visit www.deltaenviro.org.za