Jungle Theatre Company touring the Overstrand
Whale Coast Conservation (WCC) has hosted the Jungle Theatre Company for three days, the 13th to the 15th of February. The theatre company performed a play called Jungle Jive at all the eco-schools; in Zwelihle: Zwelihle Primary; Lukhanyo Primary; Qhayiya Secondary and Mount Pleasant Primary. Shows were also performed at Hermanus Christian Academy for both themselves and Bosko Christian Academy. Tuesday the 14th the play was shown for the Zwelihle Community in the Zwelihle Community Hall.
The learners from all the schools were very responsive and enthusiastic and thoroughly enjoyed the story of the ‘Baby Jungle’ who needs help from people dominated by a robot. Learners from grades four to nine experienced the joy of theatre through music; mime; puppetry and storytelling, while being encouraged to be agents of change. The story aimed to remind learners about the importance of trees and urban greening; succeeding every time.
The play was followed by a tree planting session at each school after the show, where the learners were engaged in the whole process while singing a tree planting song. All learners residing in Zwelihle were issued with a tree application form, which they have to hand in back to the school. WCC will follow each application up by facilitating the tree planting at all the successful applicants’ houses. The possibility of more trees and the start of a vegetable garden are also envisioned in the future for the iKamva Lethu (Our Future) Zwelihle Community Project. The only requirement for an applicant is to keep their property clean of rubbish and to look after the tree by watering it regularly. The growth of the trees will be monitored by WCC. There are trees growing in residences across Zwelihle , but WCC has received hundreds more applications through this latest effort to encourage even more people to apply. People from Zwelihle are still welcome to apply for trees by getting application forms from schools or from the WCC offices above Gateway Spar. A pamphlet to inform residents about the use of grey water will also be issued.
The trees were donated by Global Wheeling, a registered South African NGO started by Environmental Activist and Founder Kayden Kleinhans, who cycled through four continents covering 31000km on a bicycle. He is also planning to cover the other continents on his two wheels. He also wants to make all South Africans aware of what we can do to help our environment, hence donating the trees and showing us how it is possible to cross desserts in a bicycle, while we use a car each time we visit the café down the road.
WCC use this tree planting initiative as a pioneer project, planning to take it to other communities. We encourage the residents in Zwelihle to apply for their trees and to make this investment in the future of our children.
We are forever grateful to The Jungle Theatre Company and our sponsors to have made this event so successful. We thank The National Lottery Distribution Fund; The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; The Overstrand Municipality; The Traffic Department in Hermanus; Hermanus Rainbow Trust and Red Door. A sincere thanks to Whale Coast FM for their support and enthusiasm as well.
