Swaziland: Swaziland-Green Living Movement

Green Living Movement Swaziland (GLM Swaziland) is an idea that was developed in Zambia in 2000 and was adopted into Swaziland in 2009 under the Swaziland Companies Act no 7 of 1912. It is a registered NGO committed to ensure environmental protection, sustainable community development and to help eradicate all forms of poverty. GML focuses on uplifting community members for sustainable livelihoods and healthy environments. GLM Swaziland also works with communities to ensure training on dry sanitation, waste management in terms of the 3Rs, climate change, sustainable use of natural resources organic gardening, grey water usage and agroforestry. Other underlying benefits of GLM Swaziland include education of the participants, especially the youth, about HIV/AIDS and the support of initiatives that aid poor communities.

The main aims of the project are to improve sanitation and waste management and promote environmental health and sustainability. To support community income generation, self-help initiatives as strategies for poverty alleviation and promote participation among communities. To fight against HIV/AIDS through creation of awareness by providing education to young people on preventions and strategies for mitigating the effects of HIV/AIDS. The main activities:

• Conducting workshops on environmental health and hygiene which are the introductory level of the project and dialogues on GMO usage in agricultural lands.
• Hold training for trainers of environmental health and education on cross-cutting issues which is followed by certificates of attendance and participation.
• The construction of dry toilet follows and then.
• Strengthened community groups through follow-up sessions.

The project has benefited a total of 8 beneficiaries, of which 4 are direct and also the other 4 are indirect beneficiaries through other networks. Budgetary resources allocated by the council is $6575. Activities taking place under each objective set in the strategic plan are monitored based on continuous reporting both for internal and external purposes. Key stakeholders are involved. The organization also act on transparency and accountability in regards of resources utilization.

Many of the participants are faced with the challenge of the cost of construction of the dry toilets; many people cannot afford the price and there is stigma and a hostile attitude towards farmers utilizing feacal matter and urine as fertilizer. There is also a division amongst farmers in Swaziland because they see each other as competitors rather than affiliates which causes tension, especially for women whose social status is already low in many communities within the country. The poverty which engulfs most communities in Swaziland is also a challenge that is faced by the project. Regardless of these challenges, GLM Swaziland has measures set aside to ensure that there is transparency with resource allocation more so because external stakeholders require this. In addition, evaluation is done through records of the meetings and other gatherings that they hold.

This project has enabled women to get into business ventures and delve into them which helped to improve the perspective that many have of women as just people who are incapable of supporting themselves. Beneficiaries of the project are also able to participate or be nominated for awards such as The Woman Farmer of The Year and Business of the year which are also incentives for women who are in business to continue in this route. Many households are now sharing responsibilities because men realize the fact that women are also working now and expecting them to carry out domestic chores is impossible. After the 50-50 campaign in 2015, women are also slowly becoming community leaders who lead training sessions in their communities which also springs a desire for them to tap into politics as well.

A training system is used which provide training on dry toilets construction. The organization further introduced youth clubs to educate on organic gardening, environmental health and hygiene as well as permaculture and urine fertilisers.