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On Friday the 1st of April 2022 the Green Anglicans Movement in Southern Africa together with the Anglican Diocese of Cape Town launched the “Green Teens Climate Activist” programme aimed at empowering teenagers from Cape Town and surrounding areas on issues of climate change and how they can become future Eco-warriors, who advocate for the protection of our environment both for this generation and those to come.  The day started of with some singing which led to the opening devotion led by Rev Shaun Cozett (Diocese of Cape Town Environmental Coordinator), under the theme of ‘Joining the trend so others might know’, we then moved on with getting to know each other by means of  an ice-breaker led by Ms Mel Awu, who is from St Paul’s Rondebosch and part of Toastmaster International and a very good public speaker.  The teens had to introduce themselves , tell us about their favourite bible verse and hints on how to save our planet and fight Climate Change. Amongst other things the teens warned us to stop burning our waste as the fumes are very toxic and dangerous, others encouraged buying of good quality second hand clothing which in turn saves us money and avoids clothing waste, many other ideas were shared and what came on top was community urban transformation clean ups (most of our teen are from communities which have illegal dumping sites).  Ms Mitchelle Mhaka from African Climate Alliance blessed us with a wonderful talk on why we are called to serve and to fight climate change and what the bible calls us to do. That Jesus in his own right was a radical activist. Caring about social and political reforms that helped the oppressed. It was inspiring to hear how God called so many teenagers in the Bible! The day was closed with a vote of thanks and what is expected from the teens by Rev Dr Rachel Mash. Story – J.P Roberts

Today ,02.04.2022, the green Anglican of Inhambane in Mozambique  held an activity that featured more than 200 children, for the knowledge of the importance of groundwater, the activity was held at the Primary School of the 1st and 2nd Grades Josina Machel de Malane, a talk  on the topic mentioned above. Led by our sister Gentilda Naftal, a member of the Green Anglican of Inhambane, it was very quickly that we carried out the activity Always taking care of the environment #groundwater #worldwaterday   

World Water Day – Educating The Youth On Groundwater.   In celebrating of World Water Day, The Water Disciples visited Eluvukweni Anglican Church in Crossroads. We were given the opportunity to reach out to young and bright children of the Eluvukweni Anglican Sunday School. We took this opportunity to educate these bright stars about the importance of conserving water particularly groundwater. This was an amazing experience for the Disciples as we enjoyed the day to the fullest. We began our program for the day with a presentation based on the entire water cycle and the importance of groundwater. The children listened very attentively and were very much present and entertained by the presentation and couldn’t wait to ask questions. It was heartwarming. The presentation on the water cycle was followed up by a quiz based on the presentation and almost everyone participated just as we were hoping. It was amazing to see such energy coming from the children. They seemed very happy and excited about everything. They answered so many questions and brought their full participation which says a lot about them. The quiz was followed up by a Bible verse as we always keep it spiritual and wanted to keep the Sunday school connected to God. We also had a segment for some fun and games to entertain the Sunday school. It made the Water Disciples very happy to see the children so happy, excited and energetic. The day was ended on a high as the entire group of Water Disciples were invited into the church service and we were given a standing ovation. We were given multiple hands, they sang for us and sang a birthday song for me as I celebrated my 21st birthday along with one of my fellow Disciples, and most importantly we were prayed for by Reverend Rachel. What an amazing experience this was. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend my day. I love and appreciate my fellow Water Disciples from the bottom of my heart and I cannot wait to work together again to raise awareness on water conservation.                  ⁃             Gino Fabio Thomas   We are grateful for the support of WWF South Africa for this program  

On World Water Day the Green Anglicans joined the Executive Mayor of Cape Town,Geordin Hill-Lewis and his water team for a World Water day paddle. The event was organised with the University of Cape Town, Dr Kevin Winter and the Khayelitsha Canoe Club We paddled along Zandvlei, an important estuary and nature reserve, to underscore the need to improve  our inland water quality. Partnerships between the City of Cape Town and community, stakeholders and industry are key to addressing chronic pollution in our waterways and working together towards becoming a water sensitive city. ‘A water sensitive city of the future is a place where people want to live and work. It is a place where a healthy natural environment enables a range of social, ecological, health and economic benefits. It is a city that consists of water sensitive communities, where citizens have the knowledge and desire to make wise choices about water, are actively engaged in decision-making, and practice informed, responsible habits that protect water related infrastructure. Our commitment is to do even more, together with our residents, to clean up Cape Town’s waterways and safeguard the environment – a difficult task, but one we can tackle with the necessary commitment, innovation and compassion,’ said Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. ‘We can’t do such a journey on our own. The city of Amsterdam inspires us today by sharing their own journey and dream of a swimmable and liveable city, which was accomplished in 2014 with a yearly City Swim,’ said Mayoral Committee Member (Mayco) for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien. Dr Kevin Winter from UCT , who is a member of Christ Church Kenilworth said it was encouraging to have the Mayor, Mayco Members and officials from the City’s Department of Water and Sanitation actively participating in the World Water Day paddle along with other stakeholders. ‘If we can paddle, and even swim in our waterways, then we can safely say that Cape Town is becoming a healthy city – we are assured of its safety. It can’t become an aspirational call only, but a firm resolve from the City and its citizens. The paddle today is symbolic of a journey that is going to be arduous and challenging, but not without long term rewards in helping to make Cape Town a city with a future for all and place where we want to live,’ said Dr Winter. An important awareness program is   “Bin It, Don’t Block It” (because illegal dumping into the sewer system, stormwater network and our waterways is an ongoing concern, which can be prevented. Illegal dumping into the system is the primary cause of blockages and pump station failures, which result in overflows which drain into the stormwater system and into water bodies.. During 2021 calendar year, the City’s Water and Sanitation Department cleared more than 118 000 sewer blockages across Cape Town, the primary cause of which were misuse of the system. More than R280 million was spent on efforts to address this chronic – yet largely avoidable – problem. Any litter dropped on the ground or dumped on the street can be washed into rivers via the stormwater pipes. This year over R300 million was also budgeted for clearing of illegal dump sites, which can pollute nearby waterbodies. Churches and faith communities have a key role to play in spreading awareness and getting involved in clean ups and caring for their communities image : City of Cape Town  

This year the theme for World Water Day is Groundwater Please find a resource for this year World Water Day 2022 – Groundwater