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GREEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN LESOTHO   Mpho Nkonkoane and Mathakhoe Nkaota were the winners of a Green Entrepreneurship Challenge run by Green Anglicans. They started a seedlings nursery . They are making great progress! They are enthusiastic about agribusiness and caring for the environment. Initially there were lots of challenges as the area had to be cleared from weeds and stones and the weather was very changeable . They then had to put in poles to create the shadecloth for the seedlings, they dug them in really deep because of the strong Lesotho winds, but this meant that they did not have to use cement . It wasn’t easy as everything was a learning curve! But they were able to get the seedlings nursery up and running. They have also been give a space at the Lesotho Durham link which is close to the lake, where they can access water for free, and have been growing vegetables. The beans have grown very well! They also grew ten boxes of tomatoes and green pepper which was their pilot study to see what grows best.  They were able to donate to various church projects So now they will not only be selling seedlings, but can sell vegetables as well as they go to scale! And plans for the future? They will start growing trees to sell and donate. They plan to have two workshops  about caring for the environment and encourage young people to engage in Agribusiness. They  will also offer support to young people who will show interest in starting their own gardens in their own homes. These two are going places!! #Greenanglicans #greenentrepreneurs!

THE ANGLICAN CHURCH CALLS FOR A BASIC INCOME GRANT At its Provincial Standing Committee in 2020, the Anglican Church of Southern Africa called for the ‘implementation of a basic income grant to reduce abject poverty and malnutrition” The Corona pandemic has exposed the deep health and economic inequalities in our nation. “The virus has done the country a ghastly favour by exposing the unsustainable foundations on which it is built… that must be urgently fixed,” said Archbishop Desmond Tutu. We cannot go back to ‘business as usual’ once COVID-19 is under control. We need a new vision. Our call is for a more just and fair world, for humans and for the web of life on which we depend. The challenge is to envision a different post COVID19 society “a more equitable future, a more just future, a gentler future”. (Archbishop Thabo). We need to use the post COVID19 rebuild period to implement goals of wellbeing and sustainability, ending inequality and environmental destruction Our present lifestyle and economic system is severely dysfunctional, resulting in environmental destruction, causing climate change and extinction of millions species. The resultant breakdown of our life support systems is causing increasing inequality, poverty and migration. Resolves to: Call upon our Governments to implement the Basic Income Grant to reduce abject poverty and malnutrition. Call for post COVID-19 Government spending to prioritise job creation in green jobs in the following areas: Clean power. Invest in local small scale renewable mini-grid energy solutions. End fossil fuel subsidies immediately Invest in public transport.Increase funding for safe, efficient and affordable public transport, which includes electric vehicles. Deliver energy efficient homes.Build new houses which are energy efficient and retrofit existing buildings. Food security: Invest in more sustainable and nature-based climate resilient solutions.Encourage farmers to move away from industrial farming practices to agroecological systems, supporting small scale farmers and promoting home food gardens. Avoid rollbacks of environmental protection legislationand ensure foreign economic assistance is used to support resilient and carbon neutral recovery and development. Land and marine sanctuaries: Support the call for 30% of land and coastal waters to be set aside as sanctuaries to save critically threatened terrestrial and marine life.   

The Environmental Team of the Diocese of Katanga in DRC, held an environmental day in Lubumbashi. They had a service, environmental education and then a clean up The activity took place with their new  Partner CARF from the Catholic church on Friday July 9th  Rev. Jean Jacques Bukasa.

TRANSFORMING COMMUNITY SPACES ON JUNE 16th To celebrate June 16th, youth day, members of different churches who are part of the “Water Disciples” programme spent the day working with community members to turn a dumpsite into a community garden in New Crossroads. Lerato Khalipa reflected on the experience “Coordinators of Water Disciples had met with community members to share the vision that our organisation came up with as to how we wish to celebrate our national youth day. It was enormously important that we get reminded of the importance of planting and maintaining a healthy and green environment. It was an incredibly unique and special Youth Day seeing children from the community keen on helping and being responsible by taking care of the environment we live in. The environment is very fragile and if we  do not take care of it , the future generations will not be able to enjoy it, if we continue destroying it. Pope Francis once said “ we are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmenta.l “   It was good to witness how community members worked together with Water disciples from different communities to restore God’s Creation , under full adherence to  Covid-19 protocols. This whole experience taught me that it is the greatest of all mistakes is to do nothing because you can only do a  little  to try and maintain a  healthy environment. My advice to young people is DO WHAT YOU CAN.   Lerato Khalipa The Water Disciples Programme is part of the WWF programme which values water and groundwater in Cape Town.  

CELEBRATE YOUR BIRTHDAY WITH A #BIRTHDAYTREE     Why not this year try something new and plant a tree or spekboom for your special day. Whether passed or still to come, bond with creation and help in restoring the environment.   Trees are the lungs of the earth. Let us build for the future. Join in regreening our environment. Plant a tree and take a photo and share it with following hashtags #BirthdayTrees #4TheFuture #ecosystemrestoration #greenanglicans

“The leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations” Rev 22:2   Many of us have lost loved ones in 2020 and because of COVID regulations, we were not able to attend funerals or say our final farewells.   The Anglican Church of Eluvukweni in Crossroads has planted memorial trees to honour those who passed away in 2020. Each tree will be looked after by the organisation that they belonged to, Mothers Union, Bernard Mizeki or St Mary Magdalene May their memories be blessed   Photos : Kgosietsile Phetlho (KG)