My Social Action Project

The idea to start the Eco Bricks project during my service learning was sparked by the school principal's request for something to help address the litter problem at the school. It was as a result of my preparation for my lesson on pollution that I was introduced to the concept of ECO BRICKS. Eco Bricks are made by filling plastic bottles with non-recyclable material to make bricks that can be used in the construction of houses and classrooms in much the same way as conventional bricks.

Once I had presented the idea, the planning, marketing, and selling of the idea to the teachers and children fell to me. I had to explain the process of constructing the bricks and the benefits it would mean to the school and the environment. I decided to involve all the foundation phase classes from Grade 1 to Grade 3, of which there are 15 in total and turned the project into a class competition among the foundation phase classes.

From a personal point of view, I have never sold anything in my life, so the marketing and selling of the concept were all new skills I had to learn. I also had to provide the logistics to arrange the collection of the completed Eco Bricks and liaise with a local NGO to help me deliver the bricks to the site where they were needed in Diepsloot. These types of skills and knowledge were also new to me, and once I had taken responsibility for the project, I had to make it work. I needed buy-in from the other teachers and their support for the project to carry on after my initial service period. By the time I came to leave and return to Varsity College, the children and parents had bought into the project, and by the time I returned to assess the progress they had collected over 650 bricks.

On completion of the initial competition period, I arranged a prize giving during assembly just before the holidays. I was on hand to announce the winners and present the prizes. From the excitement and the reception of the children, I have no doubt that they all enjoyed participating in the ECO Brick project. The school will continue to benefit from this program as they now have the methodology and contacts in place. The school grounds have benefited and the message about pollution has made an impact on the children.

My in-service learning apart from helping my classroom skills, gave me some valuable insights into school administration and how to navigate the correct channels to get my project approved. Personally, dealing directly with the Diepsloot community was a huge eye-opener and I observed firsthand the conditions and the economic and social challenges of many of our learners in South Africa.