SoetZim Magazine September Edition - Issue Number 4/2021

ISSUE 4

SEPTEMBER 2021

SOETZIM INSIDE STORIES 1. ITS ALL ABOUT VOLUNTEERING 2. POLLUTION AND THE ENVIRONMENT 3. PURE DISASTER 4. FOOD SOVEIGNTY:SUPPORTIN G SUSTAINABLE AGROECOLOGY 5. POETRY CORNER 6. WILD FIRES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRNMENT Secondary Story Headline

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ITS ALL ABOUT VOLUNTEERING!!!

SOURCE VSO ZIMBABWE

Benefits of Volunteering Volunteering is a great way for people to get involved in the community and make a positive contribution. In addition, to the satisfaction of helping for the benefit of others, there are many reasons people volunteer.

VOLUNTEERING? There are many definitions of volunteering used nationally and internationally by government departments, VIO, ILO. The Government of Zimbabwe will use the following definition which states that ‘volunteering is time willingly given for the common good and without financial gain’. This definition includes both formal and informal volunteering.

The benefits of volunteering are significant for our nation, for our local communities and for individuals.

The benefits are economic, social, cultural, and environmental Volunteers play a significant role in local communities across the country. Zimbabweans contribute their time, energy, and expertise in many sectors, but particularly in the community development, education, religion, and sport sectors.

Volunteers’ assistance during natural disasters and pandemics is crucial, as is their contribution to the arts and environmental sectors

Global Standards for Volunteering in Development Background of the Global Standards The Global Standard for Volunteering for Development was produced by VSO and members of the International Forum for Volunteering for Development (Forum).

The Global Standard is the result of a year-long period of consultation, developed in a participatory way, by experts from Forum members and nonmembers, as a resource for any organisation involving volunteers in development. They listened to the voices of community representatives, volunteers, staff, hosting and sending organisations, government and others from over 80 countries.

The Global Standard is a voluntary standard, with the aim of improving the outcomes of volunteering for development activities, ensuring organisations that work through and with volunteers are both impactful and responsible in their practice.

Purpose of the GS4V4D GS4V4D aims: •To guide VIOs on how to partner with communities to improve their quality of life, their own Capacities, address the significant challenges facing them, and embrace opportunities for the future.

•To help organisations to be impactful, responsible, well planned, transparent and respectful, and comes (outcomes-focused)

have genuine partnerships and measurable out-

•To improve the quality of life of vulnerable communities To strengthens the work of volunteer involving organisations, provides guidance & reassurance which assists the broader Volunteering for Development

Global Standards Themes 1.Designing

and Delivering

Projects

2.Duty of Care 3.Managing Volunteers 4.Measuring Impact

Link to Global Standard for Volunteering for Development

Pollution and the Environment Article by Charles Mabika Environment - in environmental studies, the term environment refers to the circumstances, objects, the complex of abiotic (physical, chemical), and biotic factors (such as climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival.

Pollution-the term "pollution" refers to any substance that negatively impacts the environment or organisms that live within the affected environment. Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat, or light. Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign substances/energies or naturally occurring contaminants. Pollution is often classed as point source or nonpoint source pollution. In 2015, pollution killed 9 million people worldwide. Thermal oxidizers purify industrial air flows. The litter problem on the coast of Guyana, 2010 .

Major forms of pollution include air pollution, light pollution, litter, noise pollution, plastic pollution, soil contamination, radioactive contamination, thermal pollution, visual pollution, and water pollution.

Major forms of pollution include air pollution, light pollution, litter, noise pollution, plastic pollution, soil contamination, radioactive contamination, thermal pollution, visual pollution, and water pollution.

Negative effects that air pollution is causing worldwide: ·Global Warming. ·Climate Change. ·Acid Rain ·Smog effect. ·Deterioration of fields. ·Extinction of animal species. ·Respiratory health problems. ·Deterioration of building materials.

Eutrophication Eutrophication is an enrichment of water by nutrient salts that causes structural changes to the ecosystem such as: increased production of algae and aquatic plants, depletion of fish species, general deterioration of water quality and other effects that reduce and preclude use”. Harmful algal blooms, dead zones, and fish kills are the results of a process called eutrophication — which occurs when the environment becomes enriched with nutrients, increasing the amount of plant and algae growth to estuaries and coastal waters. Oxygen depletion, or hypoxia, is a common effect of eutrophication in water. The direct effects of hypoxia include fish kills, especially the death of fish that need high levels of dissolved oxygen. ... In extreme cases hypoxic conditions promote the growth of bacteria that produce toxins deadly to birds and animals. The most common nutrients causing eutrophication are nitrogen and phosphorus.

Acid Rain Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. These substances can rise very high into the atmosphere, where they mix and react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form more acidic pollutants, known as acid rain. Acid rain is a result of air pollution.

Power stations, factories and cars all burn fuels and therefore they all produce polluting gases. Some of these gases (especially nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide) react with the tiny droplets of water in clouds to form sulphuric and nitric acid. The ecological effects of acid rain are most clearly seen in aquatic environments, such as streams, lakes, and marshes where it can be harmful to fish and other wildlife. As it flows through the soil, acidic rain water can leach aluminum from soil clay particles and then flow into streams and lakes.

PURE DISASTER!!!

By Moreblessing Gwaze (Hodzeko) With a pathetic eye, peeping into the future, Off guard, my world diminishes From dynamics man think is technology Wars and bombs, Drives temperature high Toxic farming and mining chemicals Climatic change changes in total Wild fires and high daily temperatures, The order of the day Icecaps melt Floods ooze onto the unsuspecting mother earth Loss of homes and lives, the end product Men left in awe,

Climatic change, adaptability and mitigation, the key I used to think the change would be for the best, But Lo! It is for the worst When i look around and see a patch of dry mud flakes Where ripples used to be Natural conviction!

Cyclone Elnino, cyclone Japhet and cyclone Idai, All comes by, leaving us in absolute loss and pain Incessant drought strikes in our midst Why not mitigate, replace, and recycle, To preserve our dear environment?

Emit less smoke into the sky And avoid speeding up changes in climate Which brings not only floods?

But pure disaster.

Edited by Dumisani Ndlovu

Food Sovereignty: Supporting Sustainable Agroecology

By Nqobizitha Nyakunu (VSO) How many elements are there in a plate of your meal? How many can you say you self-provided and did not have to buy? These are critical questions that one can ask themselves in the terms of food provision and agricultural sustainability.

The current climate change has posed extreme challenges in the standard agriculturally production. There is a need for the adaptation and innovation of agricultural technologies, but, in consideration, conscious of the natural resource and how we protect them. The importance is given to the food sovereignty, ensuring that people have enough food to meet their physical needs. With the project of Transforming Fragilities, Volunteer Service Overseas (VSO) goes beyond just supporting food provision but also the sustainability of the diverse agricultural activities and the benefits there after. What’s of importance are the ecological concepts that are adopted in creating farming practices that mitigate climate change and put indigenous farmers at the forefront in leading food production and sustainability.

VSO has the plan to develop training materials and demo land for training local farmers in practicing sustainable agriculture, understanding and harnessing relationships between plants, animals, people, and their environment. We have been working with Towards Sustainable Use of Resources Organization (TSURO), a community-based organization in Chimanimani Zimbabwe that focuses on empowering rural communities to engage in sustainable and profitable agriculture based on proper natural resource management. The partnership has been beneficial to our primary actors in building resilient livelihoods and supporting communities to be self-sufficient in producing food sources to sustain adequate provision.

The peasant families in Shashe are members of the Zimbabwe Small Organic Farmers Forum (ZIMSOFF), which represents peasant families practicing organic, traditional and agroecological agriculture in Zimbabwe, are part of the communities we seek to engage as well. This will provide the exchange of knowledge and professional support for the broad database of farmers we seek to capacitate. The adaptation of the establishment of seed banks, has been an innovation that’s sustainable and hopeful to see through the continuous and nutritional food provision. These have helped to preserve genetic diversity in increasing yield, disease resistance, drought tolerance, nutritional quality, taste of food.

In such a movement, the importance of self-sustainability, food sovereignty, diversification, and the climate challenge, have to be prioritized and the nation’s continual supply to prevent the effects of global hunger and poverty.

The question still remains; How many elements are there in a plate of your meal? How many can you say you selfprovided and did not have to buy?

POETRY CORNER Doomsday.

The temperature is through the roof, All the mortuaries are booked and full.

Death becomes easy to come by, assembly and association drifts away.

Infections and death tolls becomes breaking news, Self-isolation and unemployment rules.

VIOLENCE Violence at all angles.

Eroding, corroding, silting the once abounding water bodies

From respiratory failure to high temperatures and flue,

The robust water that removed the tears off the faces of the young men and women.

Covid 19 has changed its mastery strategy of harvest.

The waters that fuelled the wealth and life.

Humanity remains divided, with all but survival of the fittest.

The waters are fast residing.

Scientists are pulled and pushed back to the drawing board,

Listen ooh oh young and old.

And yet the virus continues to plunder and torment the world into a gorge.

Environment responsibility is for us all.

The better we take our share.

The faster the we receive the finest yields from it.

Every open space is now a burial site,

BY RUTENDO CHARANGA (SOET)

All closed doors are but unreported deaths.

Will we ever find peace?

Or this is the inevitable conclusion of it.

In the name of optimism, huge chunks of money have been spent.

From toddlers to elderly, no soul has been spared.

Trapped in the comforts of our homes, We sadly await to hear the untimely demise of others.

In these fearful times, We resort to divine means.

By Angela Matongo (SOET)

Wild fires and their effects on the environment

By Tapiwa Mutasa (SOET) Fires play a pivotal role on the environment as they can determine the structure and ecosystem function. Majority of wildfires are ignited by lightning which can produce sufficient heat to ignite any vegetation or any fuel type. It is of importance to point out that during the 5 year period of 2007-2011, NFPA estimates that US local fire departments responded to an estimated average of 22,600 fires started by lightning per year. Other wildfires are caused by humans either intentionally or accidentally. Fires are important on the environment but however can be deadly in destroying wildlife habitats among others.

Positive impacts Ecological benefits of fires include clearing invasive weeds, insects and the affected trees leaving the younger and healthier ones. In addition they remove alien plants that compete for nutrients with native species and remove undergrowth thereby allowing solar radiation to reach the forest floor, thus supporting the growth of native species. Moreover the ashes that remain are also of great significance as they add nutrients to the soil which is vital for vegetation growth. It is clear to note that fires are catalysts for promoting a healthy and well functioning ecosystem.

Negative impacts Wild fires also pose threats on the ecosystem for instance the loss of carbon from destroyed vegetation. Trees are a huge store of carbon and their removal results in an increase in carbon dioxide concentration leading to global warming and climate change. Nitrogen is also lost due to severe fires which destroy nitrogen fixing organisms for example azotobacter. Wildlife loss together with reduction in vegetation is another severe threat caused by fires. Trees destroy habitats which in turn results in the extinction of species.

How can we manage and control fires?

It is a major concern to manage and control fires for the protection of biodiversity. Effective fire management is important and development of fire management policies is crucial. in order to reduce the risks caused by fires. The use of geographic information systems and remote sensing plays an important role in detecting and mapping burnt areas so as to identify the areas which are prone to fire.

CONTRIBUTING PARTNERS

Good Deeds Day Zimbabwe gooddeedszim@gmail.com

Hodzeko Arts and Culture Hodzekoinfo@gmail.com 7th Street, Gweru Main Post Office

Save Our Environment Trust 23rd school avenue Gweru http://saveourenvironmenttrust.com

Nqobizitha Nyakunu Advocacy and Communications Advisor Nqobizitha.Nyakunu@vsoit.org

SAVE OUR ENVIRONMENT TRUST SOETZIM Our Environment our concern

SOET is a publication that promotes a green culture within Zimbabwean homes, schools, work places and everyday lives. It aims to disseminate information about our environment, raising awareness on how to maintain our beautiful environment. The magazine seeks to showcase initiatives that have been done already by the trust, community, individuals, groups and different civil society within and out of our region.

PARTNERING We are open to work with individuals, organizations and the government in implementing different projects in Zimbabwe.

If interested in partnering with us contact us on our: Email address- soetzimbabwe@gmail.com Contact number- 0717 485 521/+263 774 407 464 CONTRIBUTIONS—soetzimbabwe@gmail.com

ADVERTISING A rate sheet is available on request Contact details +263 717 485 521 +263 774 407 464 Email: soetzimbabwe@gmail.com

KEY PERSONEL EDITOR: Vivian Nheya PROJECT COORDINATOR: Tanaka N.M Marewangepo.

DESIGN AND LAY OUT: Nomvuyo Mathe, Angela Matongo, & Tendai Maregere PROGRAMMES DIRECTOR: Edwin Moyo EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Oswald Chishanga

DISCLAIMER The information, opinions and views set out in this journal are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinions of SAVE OUR ENVIRONMENT TRUST or any of their partners. Rights to the photographs and articles remain with the photographers and the authors respectively. While all care has been taken during proofing, errors and omissions may slip through and we sincerely apologies.