“Students felt motivated by the orchard project and school garden, and with the various activities set up to find ways to improve the care of the environment”
Project Co-ordinator: Zary Feeney
Location: Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Summary
- A pilot programme to raise awareness of the importance of environmental issues and improve waste management within schools
- With this project at the Oscar Arnulfo School, Fundesoc is establishing a pilot programme to raise awareness of the importance of environmental issues and to improve waste management within schools in one district on the outskirts of Santa Cruz, Bolivia’s second city
- By developing a scalable, sustainable model that can be rolled out to other schools in this district & in other districts, FUNDESOC hopes in time to reach a much larger population.
Description of Project
Fundesoc is a Bolivian organisation founded in 2007 which works to improve socio-economic outcomes for young people . It works in schools and other educational establishments, providing workshops and coaching on life skills and interpersonal relationships to help young people succeed.
Solid waste management is a significant issue in the poorer areas of the city (as it is across the country) as no formal waste collection or recycling is in place, and the general population is uneducated as to the importance of proper rubbish disposal or recycling. In addition, there is little broader environmental awareness. Schools in these areas are a significant source of rubbish generation themselves and can become very dirty, and there is no environmental education taught. Fundesoc aims to change this culture and behaviour and create a scalable, sustainable model that can be rolled out to other school districts.
· Develop knowledge of and good practice in waste management within
schools and incorporate environmental education into the school curriculum.
· Develop a model for a more sustainable school environment through better use of resources
· Create alliances with other public and private sector bodies to strengthen the programme.
Fundesoc believes that education is key to changing behaviour, attitudes and practices. It is skilled in building alliances with public and private sector partners such as local government, citizens’ groups, businesses with CSR/volunteering initiatives, and foundations to amplify its message within the local community and enable the programme to be rolled out more widely in future.