HUMANLIVE & LEARN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Issue 23, January 2012

NATURELive & Learn Environmental Education is anon-profit, non-government organisation thataims to promote greater understanding ofenvironmental and human sustainability througheducation and communication.

A Live & Learn Environmental Education Publication Issue 23, January 2012

www.livelearn.org

Environmental EducationLIVE LEARN&

This year, Live & Learn will focus on empowering women, children and community members, particularly in grassroots communities by promoting actions that will “Reduce Poverty” and “Advance Sustainable Development”. Action programs will focus on Resource Management, Building Sustainable Resilience Communities, Peace Building and Human Rights Empowerment. The action programs include the use and development of education toolkits, training, workshops and monitoring of activities throughout the year.

In setting the stage for REDD+, Live & Learn will be implementing action programs that focus on the conservation of the environment monitoring activities in the forests and sustainable resource management in our communities.

The “Building Resilience to Climate Change” project promotes Water Secure Communities and generates communities to adapt to the effects of Climate Change. With resource training sessions, communities will be able to practice Sustainable Land-Use and Water Management.

Live & Learn will enhance Peace Building and Human Rights Empowerment through the “Strengthening the Participation of Children

Kids to Forest

in Peace Building in Small Island Nations with High Prevalence of Violence, Ethnic Discrimination and Tribal Conflict” (Children in Development), the “Water, Sanitation and Hygiene” (WASH) and the “Building Grassroots Democracy in Fiji” projects.

The organization will promote children’s rights, working in collaboration with teachers. A series of Teacher’s Professional Development workshops is planned to begin in March. A Regional conference for children is planned for December to strengthen regional children’s network and allow them to express their views and share their stories with stakeholders.

An assessment of WASH facilities will be conducted in 40 disadvantaged schools in Fiji. This will look into providing alternative cost-effective, child-friendly, safe and hygienic sanitation facilities and systems.

A National Youth Forum to culminate the actions of young people will be held in February. The forum will strengthen youth networks between youth leaders, local authorities, government and non-government agencies and the international communities.

Inside this issue

5

1 Welcome 2012

2 Strengthening the Participation of Children in Peace Building & Youths Initiate own Eco-Tourism Project

3 Live & Learn REDD+ Fiji & Promoting Good Sanitation and Hygiene Malake

4 Communities adapt to Climate Change & WASH Facilities Assessment

5 KidstoForest&PacificForestryWeek 2011

6 Picturesfromthefield

“Kids To Forest: Imagining Tomorrow, Forest for All” is a pilot project, funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations through the National Forest Facility program and supported by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

The project engaged children of Mataso Primary School in Ra and Nakavu Village School in Namosi.

It aims to have children learn about the forest through a hands-on learning experience, exposing them to the multiple values of the forest and promote sustainable management and use of the forest.

The project implemented a forest camp in its education program. Classes Six, Seven and Eight students of Nakavu and Mataso Primiary Schools attended the camp.

The event saw the overwhelming support of more than 200 community members, which included parents, village elders and youths.

Through this, knowledge from elders was passed to the younger generation, reaffirming and broadening their perspectives about Forests.

Understanding the significance of plants and trees, their medicinal properties and totemic values to certain tribes were teachings passed on during the camp.

The camp provided the opportunity for children to understand and establish a special connection that forests were not a separate entity but a part of who they are. Many of the children confessed that it was their first real experience in a Forest, despite living near it.

“Today’s excursion has taught children some traditional cooking methods. Children now also know of plants, trees and animals they have never seen,” says a village elder.

“We can truly identify and testify that the efforts of forest conservation are important. By seeing and experiencing its provisions

in abundance, we now know why it is so important to conserve forest,” commented Mataso Primary School Head Teacher.

“Education for Forests” was culminated at a Forest Day Fair organized at Nakavu Village School. The fair was dedicated to children to showcase what they had learnt throughout the project.

Children presented traditional dances, displays of educational materials, medicinal and native plants. Some also shared poems and personal reflections on the day.

“My Forest is my Life, My forest is my Identity, My forest is my Culture, We will protect our forest from today onwards, I love my forest” is a slogan recited by the children of Mataso titled- “I Love My Forest”

These children took ownership of the event. It was seen that they were empowered to continue the message of sustainable forest conservation and management for all.

An elder passing on traditional knowledge to the children of Mataso Primary School

Chief guest, Mr Cenon Padolina of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community with children at the forest day fair

Children performing the traditional dance based on the forest at the Forest Day Fair.

Picturesfromthefield

Farewell dinner forAlexander & Senikarawa

The Live & Learn family hosted a farewell dinner for two of its staff members; Alex Wilson and Senikarawa Mar on the 20th Dec 2011 who have been field trainers for Live & Learn. Senikawara employed since 2009 and Alex since 2010 have both left the organization for further studies. They are well known for their dedication, leadership and hard work into the organization and will be greatly missed. To the two gentlemen, we wish you the very best.

Welcome toNew Staff

Live & Learn welcomes Ruth Kuilamu the new Regional Project Manager for the European Commission funded project: Strengthening the Participation of Children in Peace Building in Small Island Nations with High Prevalence of Violence, Ethnic Discrimination and Tribal Conflict. Four other staff include - Shachindra Singh (Finance Manager), Waisea Votadroka (Senior Programme Coordination: Non-formal Education) and Karen Boseiwaqa and Ratu Timoci Naivalulevu as Field Trainers.

Fiji52 Imthurn Road, Domain. Private Mail Bag, Suva, Fiji.Phone: +679 3315 868 Fax: +679 3305 868Email: fiji@livelearn.org

VanuatuP. O .Box 1629, Port Vila, Vanuatu.Phone: +678 27448 Fax: +678 27455

Solomon IslandsP.O. Box 1454, Honiara, Solomon Islands. Phone: +677 23697 / 24453 Fax: +677 24454

Papua New GuineaP.O. Box 844,Kimbe WNBP, Papua New Guinea.Phone: +675 98344237

MaldivesP.O. Box 3007, Male, Maldives. Phone: +960 773 3348 / 332 4861 Fax: +960 332 2286 CambodiaG.P.O. Box 91, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.Phone: +855 23 224053

VietnamNo 30, Lane 32/26, To Ngoc Van Street, Hanoi, Vietnam.Phone: +844 37185930 Fax: +844 37186494

IndonesiaJalan Banteng No.9, Mataram 83121,Lombok, IndonesiaT: +62 370 636404

AustraliaRoss House, 4th floor, 247-251 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Vic 3000, Australia. Phone: +613 96501291 Fax: +613 96501391

Live&LearnOffices

Welcome to New Staff

Karen BoseiwaqaField Trainer

Ratu Timoci Field Trainer

Sachindra Shingh Finance Manager

Waisea Votadroka Senior Programme Coordination Non-formal Education

Ruth KuilamuRegional Project Manager

PacificForestryWeek2011In collaboration with the Secretariat of Pacific Community (SPC), Live & Learn was part of the second Asia-Pacific Forestry Week held in Beijing, China between 7-11 November. The theme of the event was “New Challenges, New Opportunities”.

Through SPC, Live & Learn was able to channel the demands for innovative forest education methodologies of children, across the Asia-pacific region.

The Asia-Pacific Forestry Week was a milestone event, uniting the most important participants in Asia-Pacific Forestry for 5 days of dynamic exchange.

The week centered upon daily, plenary sessions and partner events led by a range of high profile keynote speakers and sector leaders.

Asia-Pacific Forestry Week 2011 targeted bringing together around 1500 delegates, representing the full spectrum of organizations contributing to forests and forestry in the region, making it the most important forestry related event in 2011.

The partnership with SPC provided a tremendous opportunity for countries to share and learn from each other, and build

innovative approaches to education for children especially.

Presenting at the event was a good platform to showcase actions, views and aspirations of children from the Pacific from the actions taken with children of two primary schools in Fiji.

A general comment was made by the Kids To Forest – Live & Learn coordinator: “We have seen how the Kids To Forest initiatives provides benefits not only specific

to meeting the needs of one particular group, but cuts across all ages and has the potential to build more than just the physical environment. We have seen that the Kids To Forest initiative can lead to developing valuable skills in children, link and value the wealth of knowledge that also exists within local communities. Such an initiative also sends out messages of the importance of sustainable forest management practices and how education around forests must integrate social, cultural, economic and environmental perspectives.”

Issue 23, January 2012Issue 23, January 2012 Issue 23, January 2012 Issue 23, January 2012A Live & Learn Environmental Education Publication A Live & Learn Environmental Education Publication A Live & Learn Environmental Education Publication

Communities adapt to Climate Change

WASH Facilities AssessmentPromoting Good Sanitation and Hygiene Malake

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Live & Learn launched its ‘Water, Sanitation and Hygiene’(WASH) resources on Malake Island in the Ra Province on the 24th October 2011. The launch was part of the Australian Aid funded project ‘Modeling and Testing Sanitation Marketing and Hygiene Behavioral Change in Rural Communities in the Western Pacific’.

The WASH resources would benefit communities by the establishment of sanitation enterprises to support and strengthen hygiene promotion.

The chief guest for the event was Mr Tukatara Tangi of the Australian High Commission. In his speech mentioned that the project is consistent with Australia’s approach to help Fiji’s Public Health.

“It is our hope that these new sanitation business will create long term income for all those who are involved and help improve the health of the community by reducing the risk of diseases outbreak and provide more clean water for drinking and cooking,” says Mr Tangi.

Other guests included the Assistant Roko Tui Ra, representatives from the Ministry of Health, Fiji Co-operative and from the Office of the Commissioner Central and community members from Naganivatu, Veinuqa and Nakalawaca villages from Naitasiri and Tailevu.

Last year, Live & Learn in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Department of Environment’s and the Land Use Planning Department of Fiji embarked on the “Building Resilience: Strengthening Community Adaptation Measures to Effects of Climate Change in the Fiji Islands.”

The AusAID funded project aims to protect and improve coastal ecosystem services and supporting long-term food security, livelihoods and the well-being of Fijian communities.

Live & Learn is responsible for the ‘River care, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene’ component of the project.

The Live & Learn team carried out the RAP research in early December in 9 target

Josefa of Live & Learn during the RAP sessions in Drawa

Officers from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community preparing for a Carbon Inventory in Drawa

RAP conducted in Korowiri, MacuataCarbon inventory undertaken in the forest of Drawa

RAP conducted in Drawa, Vanua Levu.

communities in the provinces of Ba and Macuata.

The focus of the RAP was to understand land use practices, utilization of rivers, the status of the water, sanitation and hygiene of Fijian communities.

“An aspect of the RAP will look at how the communities’ behaviors and environments have changed over time and identify what factors contributed to these changes. Looking back into the past allows communities the opportunity to document traditional knowledge and practices on how they had managed their environment. The solution to climate in Fiji may not lay in the discovery of new technology but in rediscovering traditional knowledge and practices,”

Commissioned by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Live & Learn assessed existing WASH facilities in two schools in Nadroga and Navosa. The assessment was made in the form of the Research of Aspirations and Perceptions research.

The RAP in Waicoba and Naqalimare District School was carried out to help improve the current WASH facilities, ensuring that they were cost-effective systems, child-friendly and met local authority standards. The RAP activities were conducted with students, teachers and parents of the two communities.

Participants identified problems that hindered having better WASH services as well as safe and good hygiene practices.

Students highlighted that they were not comfortable with the current systems in the school. They reveal that there is a need for good hygiene practices, however could not practice it due to water shortages.

Teachers and parents brought similar sentiments. They provided that it is important they have professional development trainings to help them develop good action plans that will guide them in the utilization and maintenance of the sanitation systems.

The RAP participants highlighted that sessions of good hygiene practices in schools and

explains Vasiti Qionimacawa, Project Coordinator- Live & Learn.

Information gathered from the RAP will be used to measure how vulnerable these communities are to climate change. It will indicate ways the project can complement aspirations of the community.

RAP Findings will be formulated to build local capacity, enhance local awareness on setting new approaches to climate change adaptation planning and implementation and aligning them with national coastal development and management policies.

Live & Learn REDD+ FijiPreserve our forest to protect our future.

The “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation” (REDD+) project aims to reduce the effects of climate change through the protection and conservation of forests. It focuses on enabling people to understand climate change and how good governance benefit forest dependent locals and indigenous people. The project also allows people to make wise decisions about their natural resources.

The REDD+ team conducted the project’s Research of Aspirations and Perceptions (RAP) in the targeted six communities of the Drawa block in Vanua Levu from the 26th-30th September. The communities include villages of Drawa, Lutukina, Vatuvonu, Keka, Batiri and Narailagi.

Makereta of Live & Learn with Navatuvula Youth

Laisiasa Kubu, Committee Chairperson

Two officers, Prudence Reveli of Live & Learn Solomon Islands and Michael Taiki of Live & Learn Vanuatu joined the Fiji REDD+ team in the RAP research.

The RAP focused mainly on identifying the communities’ perceptions on climate change and the different land use activities that deal with the natural environment. The RAP also identified assets, risks, responsibilities and different decision-making processes within the communities that link to the REDD+ project. Participants defined the forest as their natural environment abundant with resources, a place where they get their food, water, building materials and a source of income.

“Forests contain living things that is a gift to

Live & Learn currently facilitates a project that aims to build children’s meaningful participation in understanding their rights and to empower them to express their rights as a way of building peace in their communities.

The project - “Strengthening Participation of Children in Peace Building in Small Islands Nations with High Prevalence of Violence, Ethnic Discrimination and Tribal Conflict” is funded by the European Commission.

There are four countries in the Pacific involved in this project: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. October - November 2011 saw two of Fiji’s Live & Learn office staff, William and Susie, travel to the four countries to collect data for the Research of Aspirations and Perceptions (RAP).

A youth group of Navatuvula village in Naitasiri, the Team Committee, made plans in 2011 to spearhead an Eco-Tourism Project in their community. This initiative came about from village consultations between youths and elders with Live & Learn playing a supporting role under the “ Building Grassroots Democracy in Fiji project since 2009.

The Team Committee is made up of representatives from two existing youth groups in the village. The committee represent the young people and presents concerns and issues of young people.

The Team Committee see the project as a mean to educate the younger generation and visitors, the importance of the Environment.

The Team Committee chairman, Laisiasa Kubu, knew that the project was a positive move and encouraged youths to take part.

‘2011 - The Year That Was’

Strengthening the Participation of Children in Peace Building

Youth Leaders Taking Action

The research tools for the RAP focused on the level of participation of children in their own communities and schools. The tools also looked at how much parents, teachers, community leaders, media fraternities and faith-based organizations, were involved in the children’s lives. The RAP tools were developed and trialed in Fiji before it was used in the other countries.

One such tool included “focus group discussions” focusing on children’s rights and child participation. Opinions from these discussions will make changes to circumstances that affect children’s lives.

The project will see the development of resources for children and stakeholders in understanding children’s rights and promoting peace as well as forming child-led groups.

Community members from Tailevu and Naitasiri have set up Sanitation enterprises and were in the process of duplicating the systems in their communities. The launch provided them the opportunity to share anecdotes with officials.

A 3-day training on Finance Management workshop for the Sanitation Enterprises from Veinuqa, Nakalawaca, Naganivatu and Malake Island was conducted after the launch. The training provided women in grassroots communities an opportunity to set up community based Sanitation Marketing Enterprises. It is hoped that the training will help the nation achieve its Millennium Goals for 2015.

WASH school resources were also launched during the event. WASH posters, Teacher’s Guides, Student Workbooks, Stickers and Games were presented to the Head Teacher of Malake Island School.

In March and April last year, Live & Learn conducted professional development trainings for teachers at centers in the Central, the Eastern, Northern and Western Divisions. 160 schools were part of this training. The WASH resources will also be delivered to those schools.

WASH resources will also be made available to the interested public.

RAP sessions conducted with students in PNG

Teachers focus group discsions conducted in Vanuatu

Teachers focus group discsions conducted in Vanuatu

Analysing data in the Solomon Office with Solomon’s team. L- R ; Francis, Wilson, Susie and Sophie.

Participatory activity with children in PNG - Catholic Diocese Hall.

“We take up this role because we are young and strong. The village elders are relying on us and they support us by providing advice and financial assistance. There are responsible young people in the village. Some young boys have completed the ‘lali’ shed for the church and are now doing some logging to build a house in the village,” he stated.

All community members are involved as this is a village project. The project gives young people an opportunity to provide community service. This helps build character, setting good examples of how youth can be supported to develop as leaders.

“We try and make a difference in our Eco-Tourism project. The preparation for this involves everyone in the village, as it brings everyone together. It is also something that enables the elders to put their trust in us and we will try to maintain this trust by giving our best in the execution of the task.”

us from God,” said an elderly woman from Batiri village.

Through this RAP research the REDD+ project team were also able to determine where and how to channel project activities as well as creating awareness and education programs in a more comprehensive and efficient manner that will directly benefit the forest-dependent target communities.

Members of the Veibatiki Sanitation Marketing Enterprise of Veinuqa village discussing during Finance Management Training at Malake.

Group discussion - Sanitation Marketing Entreprise Carpenters during the Trainer of Trainers workshop held in Malake

Chief guest, Mr Tukatara Tangi being garland at the celebration held on Malake Island

A snapshot of all the WASH resources that were launched on Malake Island.

Children designing their school map

Children’s perceptions of their ideal toilet facilities.

within communities would develop respect and responsibility for the sanitation systems in the schools.

Recommendations were put together to develop ways of improving WASH facilities and strengthening WASH education in schools in Fiji.

Support such as this will allow a safer and healthier learning environment for children.