Eco Ubuntu Project Workshop for Green Delegates
Thirty-nine green delegates and animators of the ‘Eco Ubuntu’ project of Salesian AFM Vice province of Blessed Michael Rua gathered at Lumko retreat house in Johannesburg for an animation workshop from January 15-18. The 3-year-long project inspired by the Laudato Si’ Encyclical of Pope Francis and deliberation of GC28, will involve most of the 18 Salesian network schools in eSwatini, Lesotho and South Africa.
Workshop participants included a large variety of Eco Ubuntu project stakeholders: leadership of our schools, green delegates (mainly school teachers) and experts in the following 5 green pillars of the project: renewable energy (solar technology), water access, waste management, hydroponics and sustainable cultivation. Although the participants of the project are about 15000 young people from Salesian schools, the impact aims at their ‘communities’ – larger society—through four project areas – green skills training, green interventions, capacity building, and establishing project pillars.
The animating presence of 4 Salesians from all 3 AFM countries, including their provincial, Fr Vaclav Klement and AFM provincial economer Fr Alberto Villalba, offered a good opportunity to build relationships between the delegates from 7 different locations, most of them didn’t know each other before this event – Cape Town, Johannesburg, Delft, Manzini and Malkerns, Maputsoe and Maseru.
This ‘getting-on-board’ workshop was guided by experts in the respective 5 pillars of the project (university lectures, civil activists, experts in solar technology, hydroponics, waste management and sustainable agriculture) and with the good practice sharing and creative inputs from a variety of green delegates, questions and open forum.
What are the expected fruits of this large project which is 75% funded from Germany (BMZ)? The Salesians aim through the Salesian education institution youth training (Eco camps, Eco debates, Eco festivals) to reach out to the communities, by forming a ‘green mindset’ and through easy-to-understand ‘green interventions’ with solar workshops, borehole installations, developing hydroponics sites, foster waste management local units and promote sustainable gardens.
This project also may help the Salesian family get more involved in the Laudato Si and Don Bosco Green Alliance movements, to foster the Salesian school network within the 3 countries of the AFM Viceprovince and the holistic formation of the educators and youth.
At the end of the Workshop, each participant received not only a small souvenir but also a newly printed copy of the Memoirs of the Oratory written by Don Bosco, to become more inspired by his dream about his Mission.
- St Benedict of Nursia: A Man who Changed the Catholic Church - July 11, 2025
- St Benedict’s College Wins Big at Drama Festival - July 9, 2025
- A Special Year of Hope & Mercy - July 9, 2025