Iincreasing young women's participation in environmental activism

Arthi Sanpath writes that she catches a taxi every morning to work and drive along the Inkosi Albert Luthuli freeway. On the right hand side lies the Indian Ocean, which is always a welcome sight, even after 21 years of living two minutes away from it. To her left lie the neighbouring suburbs of Merebank and Clairwood, with Wentworth just to the side. This area is commonly referred to as the infamous South Durban Industrial Basin. And this is the area where Sanpath lives, in the town of Isipingo, on the east coast of Durban, South Africa.

SAPREF (Shell and BP South African Petroleum Refineries), Engen and Mondi continuously attract controversy and are the target of many environmental NGOs in the area. SAPREF is southern Africa's largest crude oil refinery, and Mondi is one of the largest paper manufacturing companies in the region. As a child, seemingly endless school days were punctuated by occasional ‘funny smells' coming from the area. As young girls, they treated it as a spot of good luck in that school would close for the day, to prevent learners from falling ill. The seriousness of such pollution was never quite explained to us.

South Africa's largest motor vehicle assembly plants, Toyota, and the South African Breweries are also situated nearby in Prospecton.

Sanpath explains that Isipingo is clearly not a tourist area. The closest the residents get to tourists is the airport on their doorstep where travellers pass through the industrial town on their way to the Blue Flag beaches of Margate and Hibberdene or the holiday havens of Durban North and other just-out-of-town reserves.

Because everything around her has an environmental implication, especially with regard to the heavy pollution that she walks and lives through each day of her life, Sanpath has become increasingly aware of the environment and her role in it. She find herself in a continuous process of evaluation and reflection, about her actions and their consequences.

She believes that 85 percent of young people who live in the southern hemisphere have a responsibility in ensuring that they claim back their environment and shape a future that does not disrespect nor degrade the planet in which all living creatures are treated equally..

In May 2006, Sanpath attended the first Africa Youth Environment Network (AYEN) conference held in Brazzaville, Congo, to plan a way forward in establishing this network that will unify the actions of African youth and their environmental activities. Existing environmental organisations will form the network, and it will be a common platform to bring together the work of young Africans, creating a unified force sustained by the efforts of youth themselves.

According to Sanpath, the importance of establishing an environmental network in Africa is that the work of youth organisations in the arena of protecting and fighting for environmental justice presently is fragmented, with work often being done in isolation. Some organisations are better resourced than others; some are not able to sustain themselves and have to close due to lack of funding or poor participation. Others cannot carry out the work they have to do because of financial constraints.

In this regard, a support structure is needed to provide assistance to struggling environmental organisations so that they are given a platform to learn from one another and find ways to progress the causes of the earth. Sanpath says the establishment of a network is important, as it pulls together all the different organisations that are doing great work at community level, with the network providing assistance in capacity building, advise and resources. This enables organisations to carry out their work more effectively.

Her journey in being part of the conference as a young South African woman made Sanpath realise how badly distorted the media's portrayal of countries, such as Sierra Leone or Guinea Bissau, were. It was eye-opening experiences to listen to young Africans speak about their lives and their countries, to see a different picture being painted to that which our South African media depicts. These discussions showed her, for example, that Sudan is not only a country of severe drought, rebel-held and mediating constant and civil war, but that the youth in Sudan actually leads similar lifestyles to youth in South Africa.

One of the problems raised and encountered among the youth present at the conference was the need for better communication with environmental experts in various fields. The young delegates felt the need for better access to people who would be willing to dedicate some of their time to speak to younger people and discuss with them the work that needs to be done.

Young people are a resource. They need to be given opportunities to improve their capacity to carry out their work. They have idealism, enthusiasm and determination, what we needed to create a unified force and ensure a voice for Africa's youth during environmental decision-making processes.

As part of the network's activities, looking at how environmental issues affect young men and women in different ways will be a key focus area. The reverse also applies as a look at how young men and women affect the environment differently is needed.

Writing about Millennium Development Goals, Sanpath says they still robs millions of young African women of acceptable living standards.

The AYEN conference participants were selected with the aim to have an equal representation of both young women and men, and this balance was achieved. Sanpath also felt that both young men and women were equally vocal in their views and opinions.

Yet, there are many environmental issues that affect young women to a larger degree than young men, such as land rights and access to resources. This is why gender mainstreaming at the level of AYEN will draw attention to actions that youth organisations need to take to be more gender-sensitive in their approaches. It will be important for them to include more young women in their activities who take on positions and roles of responsibilities.

If the challenge remains for young people to make environmentally friendly decisions, then a need arises for cumbersome environmental terms to be broken down into an accessible language. This is especially important for people who do not have a background in environmental issues. Although terms, such as global warming, are terms people are generally familiar with and that cause alarm, when it comes to individual actions, people need to know what they can do not to contribute to global warming and, at the same time, hold corporations, government and industries responsible for their practises.

This environmental network will then be a way of providing meaning to terms and phrases coined by experts. The network can pass down information to organisations and individuals, in the form of publications, brochures and booklets. The language will not be technical and written in the dominant language of the specific region, for example in kiSwahili in Kenya and French in the Congo.

Coming from a media background herself, Sanpath believes, terms, such as global warming, need to be explained in an understandable manner to a large audience. Expert information needs to be rewritten in a manner that makes it easy for the average person to understand.

This is one manner in which she aims to effectively contribute. Being a young media person involved in environment and gender issues, she often asks herself how she would translate all this information to the youth so that they are kept informed and understands the world they live in - how the environment affects us, and how we affect it.

For Sanpath, hearing the participants speak about their experiences and challenges made her question her role as a young female journalist in Africa. She realised that there are so many untold stories from the continent, especially from young women's perspectives, and this has prompted the idea of forming a youth news service, which will especially involve young women. The idea is for all AYEN member organisations to feed each other news stories and liase with their respective local media to highlight local environmental news and give them the presence within the general news coverage that they deserve.

Young people are a resource that needs to be invested in. Their future is being shaped right now, and they need to be provided with the platforms to express how they want the world to be and that claiming the environment and fighting for environmental and gender justice is important to us.

Inkomfa yolutsha yokusingqongileyo: Ukonyusa izinga lokuthabatha inxaxheba kolutsha lwaseTyhini kwiinkqubo zokusingqongileyo

UArthi Sanpath ubhala athi, ukhwela isithuthi sikawonke - wonke mihla le ukuya emsebenzini, nedlula kumgaqo othiywe ngenkosi uAlbert Luthuli. Ngasekunene kukho ulwandle lwaseNdia, olwasoloko lumamkela. Ngasekhohlo ngummandla waseMerebank neClarwood kwaneWentworth ecaleni. Le ndawo yaziwa njengommandla wemizi - mveliso kumazantsi eTheku. Kulapho ahlala khona uSanpath kwidolophu iIipingo kwimpuma yonxweme lwaseThekwini, eMzantsi Afrika. 

Iinkampani iShell, BP, Engen neMondi zisaqhubela phambi ukutsala umdla kumaqumrhu angengawo akarhulumente nalwela ukuphathwa kakuhle kokusingqongileyo kula ngingqi. ISAPREF (Shell and BP South African Petroleum Refineries) yeyona nkampani yokucoca amafutha, iMondi yona yeyena nkampani ivelisa amaphepha kula ngingqi. Njengomntwana obefunda kula ngingqi ivumba ebeliphuma apho ibelele mihla ngemihla. Eli vumba bebelithabatha njengelethamsanqa kuba, olo ngcoliseko lomoya lungazange lucaciswe kubo.

Inkampani enkulu edibanisa iintsimbi zezithuthi eMzantsi Afrika, iToyota, kwanenkampani eyenza utywala kweli (SAB) ikwakufuphi kwindawo ebizwa iProspection.

USanpath uchaza athi, Isipingo asiyondawo etsala abakhenkethi. Ngenxa yeengxaki zokusingqongileyo, ingakumbi ungcoliseko lomhlaba aphila phantsi kwalo uSanpath, ude wayiqonda indima afanelwe kukuyidlala ekukhuseleni okusingqongileyo.

Ukholelwa ukuba, ama85 eepesenti zabantu abatsha abahlala kumazantsi elizwe, kufuneka baqinisekise ukuba, babuyisela okusingqongileyo kwimeko eyiyo ukuze baseke ingomso elingbeki umhlaba nezinto eziphila kuwo emgciphekweni.

Ngenyanga kaCanzibe ku2006 uSanpath uye kwinkomfa yolutsha lwaseAfrika ebijongene nokusingqongileyo iAYEN (Africa Youth Environment Network) nebibanjelwe eBrazzaville eCongo, apho bekusekwa khona indibano yolutsha lwamazantsi eAfrika ukuze luzibandakanye ekukhuseleni okusingqongileyo. Amaqumrhu akhoyo okusingqongileyo azakuba liqonga lokuzisa imisebenzi yolutsha lwaseAfrica ndawonye.

NgokukaSanpath, ukubaluleka kokuseka indibaniselwano yonxibelelwano ngokusingqongileyo eAfrika, kukuba umsebenzi owenziwa ngamaqumrhu olutsha kwicala lokukhusela okusingqongileyo udla ngokwenziwa ngokuthe geqe. Amanye amaqumrhu ayakwazi ukuzimela ngokwezezimali, lo gama amanye esokola de avale.

Ukuba yinxalenye kwakhe kule nkomfa njengowaseTyhini omtsha waseMzantsi Afrika, kumenze wakuqonda ukungachazwa ngendlela kwendaba zamazwe afana neSierra Leone kungenjalo iGuinea Bissau. Kumvule amehlo ukuva ulutsha lwala mazwe bechaza ngobomi kumazwe abo, nekubonakele kwahluke kakhulu kunesikuva ezindabeni,

Enye yeengxaki ezivezwe lulutsha kule nkomfa, yimfuneko yokunxibelelana neengcali zokusingqongileyo kwiinkalo ezahlukeneyo. Abameli bolutsha babona kuyimfuneko ukufikelela kubantu abangazipha ixesha elaneleyo becacisela ulutsha ngomsebenzi ekufuneka wenziwe.

Ulutsha lingomso lelizwe nelifuna ukunikwa amathuba okuphucula indlela olungenza ngcono ngayo umsebenzi walo. Ukujonga iingxaki zokusingqongileyo nezichaphazela ulutsha olungamadoda ngendlela ehlukileyo kulutsha lwaseTyhini kufuneka kuqwalaselwe.

USanpath uthi, ulutsha lwaseTyhini lusasilela ekuphileni ubomi obububo eAfrika. Abathabathi - nxaxheba kule nkomfa bavumelana ekubeni abaseTyhini namadoda amelwe ngokulinganayo.

NgokukaSanpath, ukuva ngemiceli - mgeni namava olutsha kula nkomfa kumenze wayithandabuza indima edlalwa ngabaseTyhini abazintatheli eAfrika. Ufumanise ukuba maninzi amabali angachazwayo kweli lizwekazi, ingakumbi avela kwicala labaseTyhini. Injongao yeAYEN kukwabelana ngamabali nokusebenzisana nabendaba ukuchaza iindaba zokusingqongileyo.

Ingqungquthela yentsha yezemvelo ezwenikazi lase -africa iqinisekisa iqhaza lentsha yesifazane kulomkhakha

Owesimame ongu-Arthi Sanpath uthi uhamba ngetekisi njalo ekuseni uma elibangise emsebenzini.  Uthi endleleni yakhe uhamba agudle ulwandle nakuthokozelayo ukulubuka nakuba sekuyiminyaka aqala ukuhlala maduzane nalo njengoba akhe endaweni yase Merebank ngase Clairwood eningizimu yeTheku. 

USanpath ubala ukuthi lapho ehlala khona kubude buduze nezinkampani zakwa SAPREF (Shell and BP South African Petroleum Refineries), Engen kanye neyakwa Mondi nathi zihlale zisezinkulumweni kwabezinhlangano ezilwela imvelo kulendawo ngenxa yeqhaza lazo ekungcolisweni komoya.  Uthi kusukela esemncane wayehlala ezibuza ngephunga elingelihle eligcwele kulendawo.  Ubala ukuti nezinkampani zakuleli ezinkulukazi kwezezimoto eyakwa Toyota, kanye neyakwa South African Breweries nazo azikude nalendawo yase Prospecton.

USanpath ubala ukuthi lendawo ayikulungele neze ukuhanjelwa yizivakashi ezivela kwezinye izindawo njengoba inomoya ongcolile.  Ukholelwa ekutheni intsha yakulendawo inomthwalo ekuqinisekiseni ukulungiswa kwesimo sayo.  Ngenyanga ka May kulonyaka uSanpath uhambele umhlangano wabe Africa Youth Environment Network (AYEN) eBrazzaville, Congo.  Uthi kulengqungquthela kwakudingidwa ngezindlela zokuthi yini engenziwa yintsha yase Africa ukuvikela imvelo emazweni ayo.

USanpath, uthi kwakhulunywa ngokubaluleka kokusungulwa kohlaka oluzobhekela luqikelele ukunakekelwa kwemvelo.  Uthi ukusungulwa kwaloluhlaka kwabalwa njengento engasiza nezinhlangano zemvelo ezikhona kubunzima ezihlangabezana nazo kulomsebenzi.  USanpath uthi ukusungulwa kwaloluhlaka kungenza abezemvelo bakwazi ukucobelelena ngolwazi ikakhulukazi ngoba vele kuthiwa indlela ibuzwa kwabaphambili.

Uthi kwezinye zezinto ezabalwa kwaba udaba lokuthi abezokusakaza babuye basabalalise ulwazi olungesilo iqiniso ngamanye amazwe ngasohlangothini lwezemvelo.  Lapha ukhala ngezinto zokuthi kunamazwe ekuthei njalo uma kukhulunywa ngawo kumbe kuvezwa imifanekiso yawo kumane kuvezwe leyo enezindawo ezingezinhle ngokwemvelo.  Utusa ukuhambela kwakhe lengqungquthela ehlanganisa amazwe ehlukene nathi kwamvula amehlo ngokwezemvelo kwamnika ithuba lokucobelelana ngolwazi olumqoka nentsha yakwamanye amazwe.

Uthi kwezinye zezinqumo ekwavunyelwana ngazo kwaba udaba lokuthi kutshalwe imali kwezemvelo emazweni.  Uthi zonke izithunywa zavumelana ngazwi linye ekutheni kumele kusukunywe manje kwenziwe izinguquko ezozoqinisekisa ukuthi umhlaba wenziwa ube sesimweni esingeke sanikeza intsha yanamuhla izinkinga kusasa uma sekuyiyona engamele izikhundla zokuphatha emazweni ayo.

Seboka sa batjha ba Afrika ka tsa tlaho (Africa Environment Youth Network Conference): karolo ya basetsana ditabeng tsa tlhaho

Arthi Sanpath o re o palama tekesi ka mehla hoseng ha aya mosebetsing. O tsamaya mmileng o moholo wa dikoloi o bitswang Inkosi Albert Luthuli. Ka letsohog le letona la hae ho na le Indian Ocean (lewatle), leo e leng pono e kgahlang mahlo. Lehlakoreng le letsheadi ke torotswana tse pedi Merebank and Clairwood, mme Wentworth e ka thokonyana fela ho tsona. Tulo ena e tsejwa ka lebitso le lebe South Durban Industrial Basin (sediba sa indasteri sa Durban e ka Borwa).  Ke mona he moo ho dulang Sanpath, torotswaneg e bitswang Isipingo, lebopong le ka botjhabela la Durban, Afrika Borwa.

SAPREF (Shell and BP South African Petroleum Refineries), Engen le Mondi di hlola di hohela diphapang le nyediso ya dihlopha tse lwanelang tlhokomelo ya tlhaho.  SAPREF ke tulo e kgolo ya tlhwekiso ya oli Afrika e ka borwa, ha Mondi e le e nngwe ya kampani tse kgolo tse hlahisang pampiri karolong ena ya naha.  Ha a sa hola matsatsi a hae a ne a tletse monko e mobe o neng o tswa mona.  Ha e se e le barwetsana ba ne a e nka e le tulo e ba tlisetsang lehlohonolo ka hore sekolo se ne se kwalwa tsatsi leo ho sireletsa baithuti se kule.  Ha re ya ka ra hlalosetswa ka ho tota ha ho silafala ha moya.

Sebaka se seholo ya ho tlhahiso ya ditho tsa dikoloi, Toyota, le sebaka se hlahisang jwala  South African Breweries di haufinyane le mona Prospecton.

Sanpath o hlalosa hore Isipingo ha se tulo ya bahahlaudi.  E batla e ba pela bahahlaudi ka hore boema-fofane bo haufi le yona mme batsamai ba feta torotswaneng ena e tletseng diindasteri ha ba ya lewatle Margate kapo Hibberdene, kapo lehodimong le lenyane la ho phomola  Durban North kapo tulong tse ding tsa boithabiso/phomolo tse kantle ho toropo.

Hobane sohle se mopotapotileng se amana le tlhaho, haholo ho tshilafala ha moya oo a phelang ho ona ka letsatsi, Sanpath o hlokomela tlhaho haholo esita le karolo eo a e bapalang ho yona.  O iphumana a hlola a hlahloba, a nahanisisa ka diketso tsa hae le ditholwana tsa tsona.

O kgolwa hore dipesente tse 85 tsa batjha ba dulang karolong e ka borwa ya lefatshe ba na le boikarabelo ba ho netefatsa hore ba kgutlisa tlhaho, mme ba aha bokamoso bo sa telleng le ho senya lefatshe moo tlaho le dibopuwa tsohle tse phelang di tshwarwang ka ho lekana.

Ka Mmesa wa 2006 Sanpath o ile a nka karolo sebokeng sa pele sa tsa tlhaho [Africa Youth Environment Network (AYEN)] se neng se tshwaretswe Brazzaville, Congo.  Seboka sena se ne se tshwaretswe ho rera bohato bo ka nkuwang ho etsa maqhama a ho kopanya batjha ba Afrika le mesebetsi ya bona ho  tsa tlhaho.  Mekgatlo e teng ya tsa tlhaho e tla etsa maqhama e be tulo e tlisang batjha bohle ba Afrika ho aha sehlopha se tiileng se ntshetsang matsapa a batjha pele.

Ho ya ka Sanpath, ho bohlokwa ba ho aha maqhama pakeng tsa batjha ba Afrika hobane  mosebetsi wa mekgatlo ya bona e tshireletsang tlaho e qadikane, mme ba e etsa ka maqolwana.  Mekgatlo e meng e na le disebediswa tse ngata ho feta e meng, ha e meng yona e sa kgone ho tswela pele mme e tlameha ho kwala menyako ya yona ka lebaka la ho hloka tsheetso ya tjhelete kapo ho hloka ditho.  E meng ha e kgone ho phetha mesebetsi eo e tlamehileng ho e etsa ka lebaka la ho hloka tjhelete.

Ka mokgwa ona, ho hlokeha ho be teng sebaka se tla fana ka thuso mekgatlong e lwanelang tshireletso ya tlhaho hore e tle e be le monyetla wa ho rutana le ho fumana tsela tsa ho tswelapele.  Sanpath o re ho aha maqhama ho bohlokwa hobane a kopanya mekgatlo e fapaneng e etsang mosebetsi o tsweileng matsoho setjhabeng, mme a fana ka tsheetso ya ho aha, ho eletsa le disebediswa. Sena se thusa mekgatlo ho phetha mesebetsi ya yona hantle.

Ho nka karolo sebokeng sena jwaloka motjha wa Afrika Borwa ho entse Sanpath a bone hore  dinaha tse ding di hlahiswa hampe ke diphatlalatso tsa ditaba jwalo ka naha ya Sierra Leone kapo Guinea Bissau. E bile ketsahalo e mmutseng mahlo ho mamela batjha ba Afrika ha ba bua ka maphelo le naha tsa bona, le ho bona setshwantsho se fapaneng ho seo ba ditaba ba Afrika Borwa ba se hlahisang ka dinaha tsena.  Dipuisano tsena di mmontshitse hore, mohlala Sudan ha se naha e bolawang ke komello fela, e tlasa taolo ya mabotho a tsohetseng mmuso  matla, dikenelleo le ntwa ya selehae, empa batjha ba Sudan ba phela bophelo bo batlileng o tshwana le ba batjha ba Afrika Borwa.

E nngwe ya mathata a hlahisitsweng le ao batjha ba kopanang le ona e ne e le tlhokeho ya metjha ya ho buisana le ditsebi tsa tlhaho makaleng a fapaneng.  Batjha ba bone ho na le tlhokeho ya ho fumana menyetla ya ho kopana le batho ba tla ipha nako ya ho bua le bona jwaloka ka batjha, mme ba bue ka mosebetsi o lokelang ho phethwa.

Batjha ke dibetsa tse kgolo.  Ba hloka ho fuwa menyetla ya ba nyolle matla a ho phetla mesbetsi.  Ba na le dipono, tjheseho le maikemisetso. Re hloka ho thea sehlopha se kopaneng se tla netefatsa hore lentswe la batjha ba Afrika le ya utlwahala  tulong tsa ho nka diqeto.

Mosebetsi wa kopano ena ke ho sheba hore ditaba tsa tlhaho di ama batjha ba banna le basadi jwang.  Hape re lokela ho sheba hore bahlankana le basetsana bana ba na le tshusumetso e feng tlhahong.

Ha a ngola ka ‘Millennium Development Goals' (Maikemisetso a meleniamo a kaho), Sanpath o re di thibela batjha ba Afrika ho fumana maemo a lokelang a bophelo.

Ba nka karolo sebokeng sa AYEN ba ne ba kgethilwe ka sepheo sa hore ho be teng boemedi bo lekanang ba basadi le banna. Ho leka hona ho ile ha fihlellwa.  Sanpath o re bahlankana le barwetsana bana ba ne ba ipuella le ho hlahisa maikutlo a bona ka ho lekana.

Ho na le ditaba tse ngata tsa tlhaho tse amang basadi ho feta banna, jwaloka ditokelo tsa ho ba le mobu le ho fumana disebediswa.  Ke ka hoo tlhahlobo ya bong AYEN e tla sheba hore diketso tseo mekga ya batjha e di etsang di hlokomela taba tsa bong.  Ho tla ba bohlokwa hore ba kenye basetsana ba bangata mesebetsing ya bona, mme ba be ditulong le mesebetsing e nang le boikarabelo.

Maqhama ana a ahuweng ka tsa tlhaho a tla fetisa tsebo mekgeng e meng le bathong ba bang ka diphatlalatso, dipapetlwana le dibukana.  Leleme le tla sebediswa ha le no ba thata, di tla ngolwa ka leleme le sebediswang ho feta a mang naheng ka nngwe, mohlala, Swahili naheng ya Kenya, le French naheng ya Congo.

Sanpath o sebetsa diphatlalatsong mme.