“Our people are bound up with the future of our land. Our national renewal depends upon the way we treat our land, our water, our sources of energy, and the air we breathe. … Let us restore our country in a way that satisfies our descendants as well as ourselves.” Nelson Mandela
A passion and growing awareness for conserving the environment.
Andile Zungu, a Grade 12 student at Hillcrest High School in KwaZulu-Natal, has a remarkable passion and growing awareness for conserving the environment.
He attributes his awareness to the local conservation organisation, Jonny Lowe Memorial Trust, that has fostered his love of the environment. In 2019, the Trust organised an excursion, the Ifa Lethu project, that Andile and nine other students attended.
“I was captivated by the knowledge I gained on this excursion, both from the passionate teachers that accompanied us and inspirational speakers such as Dr Peter Ardington, Alisa Walley, Ian Gordon and veterinarian, Dr Dave Cooper, all of whom drew our attention to a variety of conservation matters and showed us what we can do to change the current situation.”
Earlier this year, Andile organised an eco-awareness event in Durban, with speakers that addressed a range of topics such as legalised rhino horn trade to aid the survival of our rhino species, soil conservation, and issues around game ranging and management of our game parks.
The environment can play a positive role in the economy.
He feels strongly that the youth must take more of an interest in their surroundings and the positive role it can play in the economy.
“I have learned that we should not take our environment for granted. We don’t have to be the smartest or the wealthiest to care what happens around us and how it affects ALL of us,” he said.
Most of the time people only associate ‘eco awareness’ with pollution – it’s about so much more.
“Guys and girls my age must become socially aware and ask the right questions about what is happening in their own space. At the end of the day, this is everyone’s home. Some of the things I have learned about are really important issues that I had no idea was happening, like the soil we are losing in the river catchment areas. Most of the time people only associate ‘eco awareness’ with pollution – it’s about so much more. The little we have is precious, and we need to ask ourselves what we can do to preserve it and keep it safe.” He added that people should also do more exploring and visit our stunning country for what it is and ask the right questions.
“If they go to things like lion sanctuaries, for example, ask questions like “where are they getting their lions from?” That is how organisations who raised awareness about “blood lions” came about. They started asking the right questions and found out that cubs are taken from their mothers at just 2 days old and used for petting zoos, and, when they grow up, for canned hunting. People need to ask the right questions to discover schemes behind so-called sanctuaries.”
Everything that happens in our environment affects everyone.
“You don’t need to be a specialist. No matter your age, gender, or job title, it doesn’t mean you’re stuck in doing just that. See the world for what it is around you. Everything that happens in our environment affects everyone.”
Even the famous General Jan Smuts, when asked by a botanist why he, a general, should be an authority on grasses, replied, “But my dear lady, I am only a general in my spare time. Everyone needs to be involved and put in their effort into preserving their environment and be a contributor to a worthy cause – it’s our future.”
Prepared by Nicky Kidgell, Marketing Manager of Hillcrest High School
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