By Cale Nuttall
As part of the ongoing efforts to foster environmental awareness, the City of Cape Town recently hosted a conference at the Helderberg Environmental Centre (HEC) in Somerset West on August 12, 2024. Building on the momentum of previous initiatives facilitated by Ikapa Impact, like the beach clean-up, this event highlighted the power of local storytelling in driving environmental action. It also emphasised how community journalism can amplify the voices that matter most in pursuing environmental sustainability.
The conference’s main theme centred on the role of community journalism, particularly how we, as student journalists with diverse training, can tell stories that reflect the environmental challenges and successes within our communities. We also explored the efforts of the Helderberg Environmental Centre and Helderberg Nature Reserve in promoting sustainable living.
Guest speakers representing Whale Coast FM, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Syracuse University in New York, and members of the Helderberg Nature Reserve shared thought-provoking insights during this event.
Background and overview of the Helderberg Environmental Centre (HEC)
The Helderberg Environmental Centre was officially opened in 2022 as an educational centre where students from the Western Cape can learn about the environment. It also stands as an example of alternative building techniques that incorporate the repurposing of recyclable and non-recyclable materials.
Olonthando Mshweshwe, a people and nature conservation officer shared some information on the Helderberg Environmental Centre as well as some of the efforts made by the Helderberg Nature Reserve towards more environmentally sustainable living. Olenthando spoke about the eco-bricks and other recycled and repurposed materials that were used in the construction of the building. Eco bricks are plastic bottles tightly filled with plastics used as an alternative building block.
“One of the interesting things about the building is that they did not use [traditional materials] such as cement. They took the rubble that was underneath the ground, which is what the walls are made of, we call them rammed earth walls.” Olonthando added that most of the materials used in the construction of the HEC are recyclable stating that “more than 9000 eco bricks were used to build the HEC”.
There are various other ways the HEC has managed to minimize its carbon footprint, including minimizing its reliance on electricity. This is achieved with large windows to let in natural light as well as sensor-operated lights, reducing the amount of electricity used. Instead of making use of power-intensive aircon, the HEC has a roof garden which absorbs the heat and keeps the building cool. The little power the building does use is generated by solar panels.
Guest Speakers Highlight the Power of Community Journalism and Storytelling in Environmental Advocacy
Throughout the day, the urgent need for community journalism as a tool for environmental advocacy was repeatedly emphasized. John Matthews from Whale Coast FM underscored the importance of “real” community journalism, stating, “Community media people on the ground in their communities, telling the true, verified stories of those communities are more important than ever.” His words resonated with the conference’s focus on empowering local voices to shape environmental narratives that inspire action.
Our very own, Dr Brian Pindayi, a journalism lecturer in the Media Department, gave the main lecture on the importance and interviews in journalism. The objective was to broaden the students’ understanding of storytelling and information gathering. Dr. Pindayi emphasized that interviews are crucial for gathering first-hand information and providing direct access to unique perspectives and personal stories. He highlighted how interviews add a human element to stories, making them more engaging, while also stressing the importance of diverse perspectives to enrich reporting.
The presentation was concluded with an exercise in which the students broke up into groups and conducted mock interviews. The subject was the Miss SA finalist, Chidimma Adeshina’s scandal. This allowed the students to explore different angles and questions that they may focus on if they were to conduct an actual interview with her.
Zoë Hendricks, a second-year journalism student at CPUT had this to say, “During the activity, I found it fascinating how different each group’s perspective on the Chidima interview [activity was]. The aspects that each group touched on were so interesting to hear, how some perceived a more personal interpretation while others more a social interpretation.”
The intervention highlighted the importance of community journalism as well as sustainable living, by combining the power of storytelling with tangible examples of sustainable living. This event served as a powerful reminder of the collective responsibility we all share in preserving our environment for future generations.
Thank you for sharing. It is great to see that there are initiatives out there which embrace sustainable architecture, focusing on eco-friendly building practices that promote harmony with the environment and reduce our carbon footprint.