Save Our Schools (SOS) non-profit organisation, based in Cape Town, is launching a new initiative called “Water in the Sky” on United Nations World Water Day, which falls on Wednesday, 22 March 2023.
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The initiative aligns with the 2023 World Water Day theme of “accelerating change” and aims to develop critical water infrastructure and water-conscious vegetable gardens to address food insecurity, safeguard groundwater resources and create employment opportunities for the impoverished.
With an estimated 14 million people in South Africa vulnerable to food insecurity, the country is facing a severe food crisis that negatively impacts the well-being of men, women and children. Over five million children in South Africa experience hunger daily. The food crisis is especially dire in Cape Town, where the Western Cape’s dam levels have dropped below 50% as of February 2023.
Access to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in countries like South Africa is still inadequate, with 33% of the rural population lacking access to basic sanitation services. Given the global pandemic, SOS has shifted its focus towards food systems, and its flagship project “Water in the Sky” reflects this change.
The initiative involves an innovative aerial pipeline solution that integrates a vertical garden and a rainwater harvesting scheme, designed specifically for informal communities worldwide.
The organisation’s “Water in the Sky” project is set to address water scarcity, food insecurity and inadequate sanitation facilities in South Africa.
The project, accepted under UNESCO’s “Green Academies: from rhetoric to action” mandate, has garnered support from Nestle, REMAX, Puma, AGT Foods, Hallmark, Lush and Earth and Co., and involves rainwater harvesting systems, vegetable gardens, and handwashing infrastructure to improve hygiene, preserve water resources and address the food crisis.
The initiative also includes an educational component that will create SOS Harvesters, a group of students at Bloekombos Secondary School who will tend to the gardens and learn about water preservation and agriculture practices.
The project launch will feature a planting event and growing billboards, followed by a six-month activation tour to monitor progress and provide water-saving agriculture tips. SOS aims to expand the project to other areas in the Western Cape and South Africa to create happy and healthy communities, improve access to water resources, prevent malnutrition and hunger, improve school attendance and contribute to environmental preservation.
The primary focus of Save Our Schools is to assist underprivileged communities and schools with water, sanitation and hygiene needs.
The organisation provides solutions such as alternative water sources, installation of water infrastructure, and assistance with sanitation requirements.
For updates on the progress of our projects, please visit our Instagram page at Saves Our Schools.
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Picture: Save Our School
