Waterford Kamhlaba UWCSA says that as it celebrates 60 years of existence in 2023, the school is accelerating its sustainability efforts.

The school adds that its strategic intent is to be the leading African school in sustainability education, planning to go solar and be 100% off the grid by 2030.

Other environmental projects in place include:

  • water purification and harvesting
  • greywater recycling
  • a bio-digester, and
  • a permaculture garden.
Jackie Otula, principal of the school, says, "We are committed and excited by the journey ahead driving our vision to be the leading school in sustainability education and practices, promoting sound environmental practices and doubling our efforts to achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals. We aim to be carbon neutral by 2030."

The school is inviting individuals and organisations to partner with it in the sustainability programme. Among other sustainability projects, the school is already actively engaged in:

Water harvesting

Waterford Kamhlaba looks forward to being completely self-sustainable, water-wise and having no carbon emissions. Its top dam was the first dam built at the school. As the school grew larger the dam capacity was not sufficient to supply the needs of the school, so a second dam was built to increase the supply of water.

As well as the extra dam, sumps were built to capture the underground water that is pumped into the dams. It also harvests the rainwater from the larger roofs on campus, the classroom block and the cafeteria.

The harvested water is directed into the dams. The school’s tank capacity is 340 000 litres and it has nineteen 10 000 litre tanks and one 150 000 litre storage tank. The school says that it uses approximately 120 000 litres of water a day.

Biodigester

The bio-digester produces burnable biogas and a nutrient-rich slurry. The bio-digester was the result of a student-led project — funded by the students who won the Zayed Future Energy Prize in 2015.

The function of this bio-digester is to use the left-over food from the school's cafeteria to fuel the heating of water that is then used to wash dishes in the cafeteria kitchen.

The food waste is fed into the bio-digester and is broken down into a burnable gas. This gas fuels the gas geyser which heats the water. A by-product of this process is a liquid fertiliser which is used in our vegetable garden.

Any extra food waste from the cafeteria is also used by the permaculture gardener to make fertiliser, and the balance is given to staff members to feed their dogs and pigs. This bio-digester serves as a producer of sustainable power, a responsible method of discarding our food waste, as well as an educational tool, according to the school.

For more information, visit www.waterford.sz. You can also follow Waterford Kamhlabato on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.