Zambia Festival of Action

Greenpop is an award-winning social enterprise on a mission to (re)connect people with our planet - and have fun doing it! Greenpop plants trees through urban greening and reforestation projects, spreads environmental awareness wherever they go, and runs leadership and eco-education programmes in Southern Africa.

In Livingstone, Zambia deforestation is a daily reality. But rather than seeing this as an insurmountable obstacle, Greenpop sees an opportunity to learn. Each year during June and July, Greenpop runs the Zambia Festival of Action - a three-week service learning project which brings together hundreds of high school students and adults from all over the world to learn about sustainability and active citizenship and plant hundreds of trees at schools and community farms near Livingstone.

About Greenpop’s Schools Programme

Every June/July, the Greenpop Zambia Festival of Action in Livingstone brings people together from around the globe to learn, connect, give back and get active.

Greenpop’s Schools Programme is an eco-education adventure for budding leaders and active citizens between the ages of 13 and 19 who believe that the future is in our hands.

Week 1: 25 June - 2 July 2017 (Schools)

Week 2: 2 - 9 July 2017 (Schools)

Week 3: 9 - 16 July 2017 (All ages)

Weeks 1 and 2 are specifically for high school students. In week 3, Greenpop welcomes participants of all ages. School students are also welcome to join in week 3 - it is a different and inspiring experience learning alongside adults passionate about the environment.

At the Zambia Festival of Action you are more than just a tourist. You will learn valuable skills to carry with you into the future and you’ll give back too (you’ll receive a community service certificate to prove it!).

You will learn through doing - together with local and international participants, you’ll plant trees, build using eco-friendly methods, brighten up schools with environmental murals, grow food forests, and help to set up recycling and upcycling systems. You’ll also learn about environmentally-conscious living, climate change, conservation, biodiversity, sustainability, alternative technologies and active citizenship.

This programme is all about activating change through:

Active leadership - actions speak louder than words.
Courage - “courage is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it.
Teamwork - through cooperation we can do so much more!
Initiative - putting our imaginations and resourcefulness to good use.
Value - learning that we are valuable; all our choices make an impact.
Authenticity - aligning our thoughts, words and actions.
Troublemaking - in a good way: becoming an everyday activist.
Exchange - sharing with people from other countries and cultures.

There’s also a whole lot of fun that goes into the project, and Livingstone has a lot to offer, including visits to Mosi-oa-Tunya (Victoria Falls), shopping in local markets, town bicycle tours, game drives in nearby national parks, river safari cruises and Livingstone Island adventure walks. There are also very exciting adrenaline-packed activities such as bungee jumping and white water rafting for thrill-seekers!

Participants are accommodated at the Greenpop Village, a lodge just outside Livingstone. There you will be sleeping in a beautiful tented camp area and have access to an indoor dining area, ablution blocks and other lodge amenities. Greenpop serves three well-balanced meals per day (vegetarian with meat options twice a week), with snacks in between, striving to live as sustainably as possible by buying from local farmers, eating seasonal food, and using alternative cooking methods like wonderbags and solar cookers.

Become a Human Doing. Join the Treevolution!

Why Zambia?

Zambia has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world. The country has seen rampant deforestation, mainly as a result of bad land management, slash and burn agriculture, unsustainable logging, and the cutting down of trees for charcoal production. According to the UN-REDD Programme, Zambia has approximately 50 million hectares of forest, with an estimated deforestation rate of 250,000 to 300,000 hectares per year.

The Greenpop Zambia Festival of Action is hosted annually in Livingstone as part of Greenpop’s ongoing environmental project there. Greenpop aims to be part of the solution to Zambia’s environmental challenges, while also teaching skills and lessons that are relevant to everyone across the globe - sharing and learning in a place that highlights some of the challenges that our entire planet is facing.

How you can join the Festival of Action

You are welcome to join the programme for one, two or three weeks.

On your own - Greenpop welcomes active citizens who aren’t afraid to embark on an adventurous solo mission!

In a group - Get a group of friends together and make lifelong memories that will bring you even closer! Bring five or more friends together, and bring a chaperone along for free!

With a school - Greenpop sometimes organises trips to the Festival of Action through schools, with classes or groups of peers joining together to make the journey. For every 5 to 10 students attending the programme, a teacher can come along for free!

The first step to attending the Festival of Action is to enquire about the application process by contacting zambia@greenpop.org.

Greenpop encourages resourcefulness and teamwork right from the start. Through the Trees for Fees programme, you can choose to fundraise for trees and get your programme fee discounted or FREE by activating your network of friends and family. For more information email zambia@greenpop.org or visit www.greenpop.org

Safety

Greenpop has facilitated five Festivals of Actions in Zambia since 2012, hosting more than 800 people aged 12 to 78! Greenpop has also hosted 15 tree-planting festivals in South Africa, as well as holding tree planting days at more than 450 schools with learners, teachers and adults. There is a designated medic on site at all times during the Festival of Action, as well as 24-hour security at the Greenpop Village outside Livingstone and an experienced team of more than 25 facilitators. Greenpop also updates parents twice a day during the event, maintaining contact. Zambia is also a very friendly country with a stable political landscape, and Livingstone is a bustling tourist town close to Mosi-oa-Tunya (Victoria Falls).

Testimonials

“This programme is truly special and it helped me develop a set of values and lifestyle goals that I can be proud of. Every moment has been fun, learning and positive.” Lucy, Grade 11, Westerford High School, Cape Town.

“The programme was, all round, an unbelievable experience and possibly the best week of my life in terms of the bonds I made, people I met and things I learned.” Maverick, Grade 12, Wynberg Boys High School, Cape Town.

“During the Festival of Action my daughter learnt that she is more capable than she thought. She is now more confident and making friends, which is great!” Charlotte, parent of student at Reddam House.

“My daughter loved the locals and she loved the team. She had never been out of Cape Town before and to do this by herself was amazing. Thank you for taking care of my child.” Beverly, parent of student at Bergvliet High School.

Pack your bags, you’re about to change your world!

Watch the Schools Programme video.

Watch one student’s perspective on the 2016 Festival of Action.

Check out Greenpop’s Festival of Action 2016 photo album.

Website: www.greenpop.org

Facebook: Greenpop

Twitter/Instagram: @GreenpopSA

Email: zambia@greenpop.org / info@greenpop.org

Phone: +27 (0)21 461 9265