Lesotho Change Projects

The focus of the Change Projects is on strengthening the implementation of ESD in teacher / TVET education and basic school curriculum with the aim of contributing to the achievement of SDG 4.

The different institutions are enthusiastic about the Change Projects and have continued to emphasise the importance of constant Change Project peer review meetings as enablers to their Change Projects.

All participants see potential in their Change Projects for contributing to SDG 4, Target 4.7.

Namibian Change Projects

Change Project: Production of herbs for Home Economics Department using organic manure

Mafata Ts’iame​, Lesotho Agricultural College

The gap identified by the CoP  was that herbs were required for food related courses and this was an expense to the college. The CoP realised that this was an opportunity to introduce a transformative pedagogy (participative, innovative, creative) and an income generating opportunity for students, and it would ensure a sustainable supply of herbs. One of the early insights of the CoP was, “As a result we no longer keep on complaining  about things we cannot change instead we see challenges as a platform to bring change in our environment and workplace.”

The CoP undertook various activities to bring their change project to life, for example, they collected plastic bottles to make a greenhouse, they cleared land, prepared the soil, planted the herbs and took care of them.

One of the Potential Values (social capital) was that the change project changed the working relationships within the department and enabled new relationships and network building with other stakeholders like the Nutrition Office and the Lesotho College of Education. The CoP also faced significant challenges as the construction of the greenhouse failed due to strong winds and so the herbs were grown in pots or in seed beds instead. Some of the herbs were destroyed by animals and frost; and the CoP discovered that some herbs, like basil, favoured pots and warmer weather. The Reframing Value which resulted from the successful production of herbs was a supply of herbs for Home Economic lessons and an income stream for students. The students also learnt how to extract essential oils from the herbs and they learnt about the medicinal properties of the different herbs. The change project also ushered in a transformative way of teaching which was practice orientated and participative.

Change Project: Review of curriculum to include ESD

Neria Ntoi​, Lesotho College of Education

The challenge identified by the CoP is that the curriculum does not include an understanding and practice of ESD, nor does it encourage transformative pedagogies and learning content that respond to producing a quality education in various courses. The intention of the CoP was to develop ESD competencies in the student teachers through the inclusion of ESD in both theory and practice. Each course synopsis would highlight the SDGs 2030 relevant to that course and would include ESD teaching and learning practices to ensure that the ESD portion of the courses became ‘mainstream’.

The CoP held consultation meetings with the institutional stakeholders, namely the intra- and inter- faculty members, the quality assurance officer and the college management. The CoP also planned to have broader consultation with external stakeholders in Early Childhood Development, the Department of Education and NGOs. The curriculum review workshops which were led by the CoP were successful and a first draft of the transformed curriculum was produced for approval. The CoP reported that the Reframing Value of the Change Project was that the,

Change Project had improved the learning activities that the lecturers and student teachers engage in. We are aware of how our natural resources can be useful in our teaching and learning activities. It allows us to appreciate our environment and to take care of our natural resources and be able to preserve and appreciate our environment. Our courses would instil in student teachers the importance of sustainable development in education.

Change Project: Polystyrene-free Lesotho College of Education

Mapulane Lehlokoanyane and Mantoetse Jobo, Lesotho College of Education

The CoP members observed that the growing use of foam packs was causing a litter problem on campus and was also a health risk to the users. The foam packs are not biodegradable and there were also insufficient bins on campus to dispose of the volume of foam packaging waste. The CoP response was to initiate a change project to promote a Polystyrene-free Lesotho College of Education.

The actions which the CoP took were firstly, to meet with the cafeteria staff to present the idea of using alternatives to polystyrene and this engagement was well received. The second action taken by the CoP was to divide the students into three groups and assign them each a project: Group 1 investigated the health dangers to humans of putting hot food into Styrofoam containers; Group 2 focussed on the dangers to the environment of burning Styrofoam containers; and Group 3 studied ways of repurposing Styrofoam containers.

The students were required to research their topic, write individual papers and, as a group, embark on a campus-wide awareness campaign. One of the Potential Values (human capital) of the change project was that as soon as the Early Childhood Development student teachers understood the dangers of the foam containers they elected to bring their own containers to collect their food from the cafeteria. This resulted in the Potential Values (social capital) of teaching their young learners to do the same. The CoP had planned to enlist the help of the chemistry lecturers and to embark on an awareness workshop with the Heads of Department and Deans, however, the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic put a stop to these activities. A Reframing Value of this project is that the student teachers became agents of change themselves and continued the impetus to reduce foam containers on campus even though the change project ended prematurely.

Change Project: Building a botanic garden to restore indigenous plants

Mulela Beauty Matengu, University of Namibia (Primary Education focus)

Matengu aims to undertake Namibian curriculum policy review, at the theory, practice and institutional level. Working with SDG 15, Matengu will focus on Indigenous Knowledge (IK), curriculum, written materials and stories. Matengu would like to use presentations, field trips and excursions as methods.

The purpose of the Change Project is to educate and train students and learners on how to conserve the natural resources, reduce poaching and human wildlife conflict through cultural practices. Matengu envisions that students will gain indigenous knowledge through interacting with community members, and that this knowledge will enhance their ability to make informed decisions in the future.

Change Project: Building a botanic garden to restore indigenous plants

Maisaiah Phakisi​, Lesotho College of Education

The change project was directed at reducing excessive biodiversity loss whilst preserving indigenous plants and including Indigenous Knowledge (IK) into the curriculum. The response of the CoP was to embark on creating a botanical garden. The intention is that this garden will be used as demonstration site for the social science, biology and agriculture. They also aimed to embark on campus-wide campaigns to raise awareness on Sustainable Development and ESD.

The CoP members began research on how to identify the indigenous plants, their growing locations, the ideal soil type, harvesting methods and seasonal variations. This research was done with the considerable help of the community herbalist and village chiefs. The medicinal uses of the indigenous plants were also explored.

The area of the botanical garden was identified and some planting took place before lockdown. The meetings planned between the CoP and the whole community college sadly could not take place due to lockdown. Despite this, the CoP reported the Potential Value: Transformed ability to learn (learning capital) of the change project as follows,

Awareness of the richness of indigenous knowledge related to sustainable development that exist in our local communities and need to make use of such as our resources e.g. village herbalist in telling us about different uses of plants; Documenting these information and knowledge and keeping it in college libraries and exhibiting the botanical garden to our management and community will help them see the need to include this into our curriculum. This will become a learning centre for all.

Change Project: Construction of bio-gas digester for Green Energy

Mafata Ts’iame​, Lesotho College of Education

The sustainability challenge identified by the CoP was the high use of fossil-fuel energy used in the Department of Technological Studies, for example, metal work; and problematic sewage disposal. The CoP aimed to train up sample populations from the college community and nearby external community stakeholders on the potential benefits and the importance of a biodigester to mitigate the energy and sewage challenges experienced. The plan included using bio-waste produced by the poultry and pig farming operations; and recycling the water to irrigate crops. The gas produced would be used to contribute to the energy requirements of the Department of Technological Studies.

At the time of going to report, the activities achieved so far were the following:

  1. The CoP had engaged the college management on the utilisation of college facilities where necessary, for example, land use, access to the parts of the sewage system and other assistance required. Permission had been granted.
  2. A demonstration site for the bio-gas digester had been identified and permission had been granted for the use of the site.
  3. Sessions were held to orientate the sample population of staff and students who had been identified.

Despite the vision of the project and the energy injected into achieving their targets, the plans of the CoP were severely disrupted due to Covid-19.

Change Project: Developing local historic trails for community identity and entrepreneurial benefits

Julia Chere-Masopha​, Lesotho College of Education

The CoP identified a need to establish transformative learning pathways using ESD for the purpose of addressing national development priorities. The CoP planned to do this through a process of curriculum review and co-engaged teaching and learning processes that would lead to curriculum transformation. The change project which the CoP decided to do to bring about this transformation was to develop local historical trails which would foster an appreciation of Intangible Cultural Knowledge (ICK) in surrounding local communities and lead to entrepreneurial benefits for the teachers and students as eco-tour guides.

To achieve their aims, the CoP engaged with in-service trainee teachers to firstly, identify learning outcomes in the Grade 8 social sciences syllabus which requires learners to a) use practices that maintain and sustain the environment; and b) and to engage in entrepreneurial activities. Secondly, to design modules that integrate ESD objectives into the curriculum and to provide teaching and learning tools to help the students apply what they learn in real-life situations. Julia Chere-Masopha commented,

Therefore, our change project requires teacher trainees to work with their learners  to identify a list of five historic places in the local environment of their schools and to develop historic trails. Local community members will participate as resource persons and informants.

Before Lockdown, the CoP were able to workshop the topic of the change project and agree upon how to go about it; they were able to meet with the student teachers to plan out the activities; and, together, they identified suitable learning objectives from the Grade Eight Social Science Syllabus.

Change Project: Redefining success: Revisiting indicators of success to include ESD

N. Ntoi, Lesotho College of Education

The challenge the CoP identified was that ESD was not considered in their programmes. To meet this challenge the CoP engaged in a departmental review of a suitable programme in order to integrate the relevant SDG 2030 Goals into the learning material and teaching practices. Their aim was to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge and, in addition to this, to assess the learning environment to make it more friendly to ESD. 

As the CoP observed, “The incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge is complimentary to ESD teachings and has the potential to create innovative systems thinking in curriculum development and subsequently teaching and learning within the classroom.”

The activities the CoP were able to achieve before Lockdown stalled in-person meetings was to organise and facilitate broad multi-stakeholder engagement with the Ministry of Education, various NGOs and members of the College. The purpose of the meeting was to review the draft programme which had been transformed by incorporating both ESD into the programme’s content and teaching practices. The greatest challenge facing the CoP came “… From the other stakeholders whom we consulted. They could not easily grasp the main intention of incorporating SDG’s into the proposed programme. However, the change project has changed the way we approach our teaching.” The CoP suggested that the transformation of learning activities has promoted an appreciation of the environment, a ‘duty of care’ of our resources whilst instilling the importance of ESD in the College education offering.

Change Project: Developed eco-system trails on the National University of Lesotho (Roma Campus)

Joalane Marunye​, National University of Lesotho

This CoP consisted of two members who identified that ESD had neither been included in the Development of Science Technology and Society nor the Environmental Natural Resources Management courses . These courses are offered to BSc Education 3rd and 4th year students. The Team explained that,

The change project was focussed at promoting environmental education activities by improving teaching practices. The main aim of the project was to shift towards action-orientated learning and teaching. Student teachers were [going to be] given the opportunity to develop the ecosystem trails through the practical work that they were going to do in the courses.

The CoP completed the review of the outlines of the courses mentioned above. They had also planned to include a practical activity component which was to create eco-system trails on the campus and deliver the courses in-person. Sadly, due to Lockdown these courses were given online and lost some of the transformative power envisaged by the CoP.

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