EcoLink is a non-profit, non-governmental environmental education trust situated near White River in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. It was established in 1985 by Dr Sue Hart after a five year period of pioneering environmental education within the then KaNgwane, now called KaNyamazane, area. EcoLink was set up in response to community requests for a widening of the education process at grassroots level.
In 1985, Nestlé teamed up with EcoLink to launch an innovative programme known as Earthcare.

A practical example …
When the project was implemented in the district of KaNgwane, acres and acres of land were littered with plastic bags, metal cans and refuse. Not only was this a depressing sight, but it was also a potential public health hazard. This presented a challenge to the EcoLink team to put their skills to use and show the people of KaNgwane how to turn this environmental liability into an agricultural asset.
After collecting the cans and refuse, the team showed community leaders how to dig a 45cm-deep trench, about the width of a standard door. They then took the cans they had gathered and placed them at the bottom of the trench, laid the paper and refuse on top of the cans, replaced the soil, and planted vegetable seeds. The first vegetables sown in the KaNgwane trench gardens were carrots, lettuce and other easy-to-grow vegetables. No fertiliser was used since the refuse added at the beginning of the process served as natural compost.
Villagers were delighted to discover that they could feed a family of five for four months with what they produced from just one of these gardens. By creating more gardens, they could feed the same family for a whole year. Once the potential of this exciting new methodology was realised by the villagers, they established more gardens, resulting in surplus food which they sold to earn an income.
The programme combines sustainable, environmentally-friendly techniques with practical skills for the benefit of the community, while taking into account local conditions, which have gradually deteriorated over time. The programme includes activities such as trench gardening demonstrations, permaculture, health and nutrition workshops, the use of appropriate rural technology, HIV/AIDS awareness and recycling. Over 105 000 people benefit from this programme every year.

Improving nutrition and earning an income
The programme has proved to be so successful that EcoLink has held numerous workshops, attracting participants from all over Africa. Requests for information are also pouring in from other parts of the world, including Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka and South America.

Harnessing water resources
To complement the Earthcare programme, a water management and sanitation project (which encompasses activities such as the harnessing of natural springs and instruction in the building and maintenance of water tanks and waterless toilets), was implemented in 1993 to assist those crippled by the hopelessly inadequate water supply facilities in the Mpumalanga region. In many areas rural women have to walk many kilometres before dawn in order to queue for a bucket of dirty water from an unprotected source.
Consequently, there are numerous requests for water tanks and toilets. EcoLink does not merely provide these facilities, but trains members of the community in the relevant construction methods. Participation is encouraged so that communities can develop a greater sense of responsibility and commitment towards their own environment.