Inspiring Young Minds: Kabega Primary School Teacher Champions Environmental Education
- Dean Weiss
- Aug 31
- 5 min read
Dr Adéle Botha
Upon first meeting Dr Botha, her enthusiasm and passion for the environment and Kabega Primary School are immediately evident. She mentors various groups, including her students, their parents, colleagues, educators from other schools, and many adults she inspires to start recycling efforts. By enabling and providing opportunities for her students, she motivates and promotes positive change.
Dr Adéle Botha began teaching at Kabega Primary School in Gqeberha in 2012. She was subsequently given the chance to start a recycling initiative. Today, in her role as the Enviro Co-ordinator, Dr Botha oversees a range of the school's environmental initiatives, including glass recycling, beach clean-ups, planting indigenous trees, and organising recycling projects.
Dr Botha feels fortunate to have been mentored by Mrs Corrie van Eck, who was serving as Deputy Headmaster at the time and had extensive experience in combining education with environmental activities. Her work emphasises the importance of recycling in the community, encouraging students from other schools and adults to promote recycling initiatives. She believes that the support from her teacher colleagues and the school principal, Mr Andrew Jonas, makes her efforts more effective.
Dr Botha was recently recognised with the 2024-2025 Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) Teacher Award in Education for Sustainable Development for her commitment to environmental education. The FEE is the world's largest environmental education organisation, active in 81 countries. Dr Botha was honoured with this prestigious award for her work in promoting environmental stewardship among young people.
Dr Botha believes that fostering passion in learners requires creating an environment where children can thrive, and she successfully achieves this. While Dr Botha oversees the environmental initiatives at Kabega Primary, she firmly reiterates that the success of their green activities is a result of the collective support from everyone at the school, who actively and consistently encourage the learners. Kabega Primary has established a highly effective green program, backed by the Principal, the School Management Team, fellow teachers, support staff, and parents.
“The earlier we awaken learners' environmental awareness, the
better. " - Dr Adéle Botha.
Kabega Primary School
Kabega Primary is a dynamic and environmentally conscious school, proud of its positive impact on the environment. The school utilises solar panels, water tanks, and energy-efficient lighting to minimise its carbon footprint. All students are actively engaged in eco projects starting from Grade 1. The school follows a syllabus, as suggested by WESSA, making it a WESSA Green School. The given syllabus covers the following themes:
Waste
Water
Energy
Marine and coasts
Improving school grounds
Community and Heritage
Health and Well-being
To make environmental stewardship enjoyable for children, they organise fun celebrations on selected days from the environmental calendar.
What does Kabega Primary School recycle?
Pupils bring glass, bottle caps, bread tags, SASKO bread bags, and newspapers to school for recycling and incorporate recycling into their classes by creating mobiles, musical instruments, and many other items from the recycled materials. All learners are included, and they even inspire their parents, extended families and businesses to recycle. In 2024, Kabega Primary distinguished itself as a genuine green champion by collecting over 43,000 kg of glass, thereby securing the esteemed title of Overall National Winner. This remarkable achievement awarded them a total of R50,000 in prize money. The majority of these funds were reinvested in improving the school grounds. Students have benefited from recycling by learning about the circular economy and energy conservation through the process of glass recycling. All students have the opportunity to participate in Glass Friday each week, and sometimes win prizes for their efforts.
Beach and Community Clean-ups Are Used for Environmental Education
Students from Kabega Primary, in partnership with Pick n Pay School Club, Sustainable Seas Trust, and WESSA, actively engage in beach clean-up activities at Hobie Beach, Summerstrand, and Bluewater Bay, among other locations. The Baakens River has also been a site for previous clean-up efforts. These clean-ups have a positive impact on the environment, and students enjoy witnessing the difference they can make through their efforts.
Facebook posts promoting beach clean-ups
Groenspore
Groenspore is a group of grade 6 students who are actively involved in the school's green initiatives and advocate for recycling and environmental conservation. On Fridays, the Groenspore lead the glass collection team, wearing protective gloves and bright bibs, working with the support of teachers and support staff. To encourage students to get involved in environmental initiatives, an annual trophy is awarded to the Groenspoor Prefect of the Year. Every term, they recognise the leading recyclers, who are also awarded a Top Recycler badge.
WESSA (Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa)
In 2024, Kabega Primary School was honoured with the WESSA Group Award for its exceptional, sustained environmental conservation and education efforts, which include pioneering recycling initiatives and community clean-ups over the past twenty years. The school also earned a Bronze Decade Award for its 11-year status as a WESSA Eco-School and received the Diamond Decade Award for its ten-year dedication to environmental action. In its 12th year as a WESSA Eco-School, Kabega Primary has been awarded an International Green Flag Award.
The Recycling Kid
Ethan Fourie, a grade 4 student at Kabega Primary, is among the many pupils who have flourished under Dr Botha's guidance. Known as "The Recycling Kid," Ethan is a young environmental advocate who Pick'n Pay's Hero Awards have acknowledged for his dedication to recycling and raising environmental awareness. Through the annual Hero Awards, which feature an "Environmental Awareness" category, Ethan has participated in community activities, including beach clean-ups. He has been highlighted on Pick'n Pay's School Club social media channels, demonstrating his commitment to sustainability. Ethan is the third student from Kabega Primary in the last five years to receive the Pick'n Pay Hero Award for Environmental Awareness, which surely reflects the school's ethos and its promotion of recycling.
Ethan Fourie, "The Recycling Kid"
The Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
Kabega Primary also participates in the Enviro Awards 2025, organised by DEDEAT, the Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism. For this, Dr Botha wrote a play, with the theme 'consistently environmental', which was performed by 5 of her students. She also had to submit a portfolio of evidence. Kabega Primary were placed third overall.
“Kabega Primary School provides a setting in which both teachers and learners can thrive and pursue their passions," - Dr Adéle Botha.
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