Mamelodi is home to over 500 000 residents, many of them living in booming informal settlements, and the community generally has a low socio-economic status with high levels of poverty and unemployment.
Poorer communities are more directly dependent on natural resources and bear the brunt of environmental problems such as poor or no waste removal, air and water pollution and soil depletion. This is compounded by poor knowledge about our eco-system services and its critical importance to our long-term sustainability, and the growing effects of our changing world weather patterns.
The JNF Walter Sisulu Environmental Centre plays an important role in instilling a sense of environmental responsibility in this community that has few opportunities to interact with the environment in a natural and beautiful way.
Our community programmes also highlight the importance that the environment in particular plays directly on the health of individuals and their community, and how healthy environmental practices can significantly influence a healthier lifestyle.
