WET-AFRICA ORG Waterway & Environment Transformation

Commitment to Action

WET-AFRICA ORG Waterway & Environment Transformation

Commitment by

Soul Foundation

In 2009, The SOUL Foundation, parent NGO of WET-Africa.Org, committed to rehabilitating 67km (42 miles) of the endangered Jukskei River, a dangerously polluted dead watercourse in Johannesburg, South Africa. The river catchment houses more than 5 million people, 43 percent of whom are unemployed and living in inhumane conditions. The WET-Jukskei program will create 500 green jobs and nine community-based green enterprises. Estimated to take two to three years, the project will transform this natural resource into clean water and restore its biodiversity, developing a waterway conservancy and eco-tourism green corridor from the source of the Jukskei River to its confluence with the Crocodile River.
The Soul Foundation has established several key partnerships since starting the commitment, including ones with St. John Houghton Johahannesberg, UC Berkeley, the Center for Resource Development, the Jane Goodall Institute, and the University of Witwatersrand. The '1000 Schools & Churches Recycling Campaign and Collection System' was launched in February 2010; and a local, regional and global Roundtable were established in March 2010.

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Tabs

Overview

Summary

Commitment

WET-AFRICA ORG Waterway & Environment Transformation

Launched

2009

Est. Duration

4 Years

Estimated Total Value

$15,239,655

Region

Africa

Countries

SOUTH AFRICA

Commitment by

Soul Foundation

Partner(s) of the Commitment Maker(s)

Republic of South Africa, Ashoka: Innovators For The Public, Bloomberg L.P., Norton Rose Fulbright, Plastics Federation of South Africa, Recoup, University of California, University Of Johannesburg, University of the Witwatersrand, Water Research Commission

Details

- Establish the WET-Jukskei River, South Africa Flagship program to restore 67km of river and create an integrated waste management program leading to 500 immediate community jobs and skills development program for township communities;
- Establish rel

Background

In December 1997 Kim Kieser, a successful clothing manufacturer and entrepreneur, had a life-changing visionary dream which showed her the state of our rivers and planet at a deep level, and also showed her that anything is possible. The message of the dream was to unite humanity through nature, clean up the garbage and unclog the rivers. South Africa, as in most places in Africa, faces critical water shortages, poverty, unemployment and unmanaged pollution threatening biodiversity and community health. Over the past ten years, through practical implementation case studies and lessons learned, The Soul Foundation, founded by Kim in 1998, has developed a Waterway Restoration and Integrated Waste Management and Enterprise Development Model and has become recognized as an effective trailblazer and leader in its field, influencing behavioral change in society and demonstrating visible transformation.
WET-Africa is a sustainable integrated model for Water and Environment Transformation, developing waterway conservation corridors. The program activities include removing solid waste from the watercourse, water quality testing and bio-monitoring, owner/driver waste and recyclables transport vehicle services, managing buy-back centers, sanitation, water purification, forestation, greening, composting and vermi-composting, eco-agriculture, fruit orchards and return of pollinators, recycling products, nature conservation, biodiversity, eco-market and retail store for eco-products, sustainable energy, eco-tourism including adventure operators, bridle paths, cycle paths, walkways, fishing, canoeing, children's educational adventure programs, field trips for post school learners and Ph.D students, green hospitality bed and breakfasts, tented camps and eateries, river cleaning, integrated waste management, recycling, bank stabilization, de-siltation, producing scientific papers on results; forestation and extensive skills development and sustainable job creation for the local communities taking ownership of the program.
All programs are based on a basic wage-per-person employed and incentive-driven bonuses on measurable deliverables in all disciplines and levels.
In South Africa, 82% of rivers are endangered due to human impacts including solid waste pollution, yet more than 10 million tons of recyclable waste, worth billions of Rand, are dumped annually to landfill and the environment. At the same time, millions of South Africans targeted in the MDG program are unemployed (RSA average 43%), have no income (</day) and suffer extreme poverty, hunger and disease.
In recognition of the work carried out and vision of The Soul Foundation PBO, Ashoka Global Association for Social Entrepreneurs elected Kim as a Fellow in 2003. Ashoka's 'Water Innovations Africa 2008' Initiative led to the Soul Foundation establishing WET-Africa.org (www.wet-africa.org) as a collaborative knowledge-sharing and implementation platform. The aim is to 'change the way business is done' regarding the critical water-related issues facing Africa, exacerbated by climate change and impacting particularly vulnerable, marginalized community groups.
WET-Africa.org adopts a Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) to 'water-related issues', crosscutting the social, economic, environmental aspects of the UDHR and MDG program. WET (Waterway Environment Transformation) programs are aligned with the MDG program and other progressive high-level protocols and focus on the poorest-of-the-poor groups targeted in the MDG's.
WET-Africa.org provides the knowledge-sharing and collaborative implementation platform for Partnership Building, Resource Mobilization, Implementation, Dissemination and Advocacy. Our website (www.wet-africa.org) is a widely-viewed platform linking potential Partners amongst Funders, Practitioners, Researchers, Government, Civil Society, Policy-Makers, Business and Communities.Other partners include: Townships such as:
Alexandra - Johannesburg, Gauteng
Diepsloot - Midrand, Gauteng
Zewenfontein - Tshwane, Gauteng
Thembisa - Johannesburg, Gauteng
Soweto - Johannesburg, Gauteng
Residents of Ascot Villas Sandton, Johannesburg
Bezuidenhout Park
Bedfordview
ANGEL INVESTORS (IN-KIND AND FINANCIAL) RSA
Steve and Eugene Banhegyi of Storytelling
The Bateleurs: Aerial Mapping Watercourses
Richard Strever: Aerial Photography
Ithungalesizwe: Project Management
Brylyne Chitsunge: Africa Expansion
SOUL FOUNDATION ANGELS:
Kim Kieser, Margie Kolver, Mike Beea, Daniel Mkhari, Dickson Monare, Greg Steenveld, the Steenveld family, Heather Booysens, Sarah Key, Lettie Mosondo, Frank Kieser, Mr and Mrs. van Herwerden, Steve and Eugene Banhegyi, and the Community of Alexandra Township, Gauteng RSA.
REPLICATION PARTNERS:
Beahrs ELP Alumni
Ashoka Fellows in Africa/ worldwide.

Partnership Opportunities

SEEKING: financial assistance, implementing partners, best practice information, media and marketing opportunities. We have secured most core expertise partnerships required to succeed in our commitment.
Require holistic Green Building Experts/Architects
We do however desperately require funding assistance.
OFFERING: implementing partnership, best practice information, media and marketing assistance. To share best practice information on all components of the WET model via the WET-Africa website www.wet-africa.org.

Progress Reports

April 2010
- Launched the '1000 Schools and Churches Recycling Campaign/collection system' at St. Johns College Houghton Johannesburg in February 2010.
- Established relevant partnerships and collaborations with key global innovators through February 2010.
- Established a local, regional and global Roundtable through March 2010.
- Established, through February 2010, academic collaborative partnerships with UC Berkeley and Center for Sustainable Resource Development, as well as links to local universities in implementing countries.
- In process of establishing platforms for replication in three provinces in South Africa. Commenced with Community-based Implementation Membership Roundtable for Nelspruit Mpumalanga in March 2010.
- In process of building the WET-Africa.org knowledge-sharing and implementation platform for water-related issues across Africa. Several partnerships have been established to date worldwide.
- Eco-design WET Training Institute/ sustainable knowledge transfer. Established collaboration with Jane Goodall Institute and University of the Witwatersrand for a 99 year lease for 287Ha open space for Green Eco education and tourism-Hub development through Feb. 2010.
- Commenced development in October 2009 for the GMSE (Green Market Stock Exchange) for sustainable, investment-based, eco-financing globally. Partners include: Berkeley Sustainable Resource Institute and UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, Max Rutten (Alliance Bernstein NYC), Shares Online RSA.