Children's views at Camp Sizanani Life Skills on mitigating environmental risks and poverty for a sustainable future

Abstract

Environmental risks and poverty are prevalent and have negative effects on all community members, including children. Children are exposed to health risks such as asthma, airborne diseases and lung diseases caused by environmental hazards. The goal of the study was to explore and describe children’s views at Camp Sizanani Life Skills on mitigating environmental risks and poverty for a sustainable future. The study was applied qualitative research and an instrumental case study design was adopted. Purposive sampling was used to select five participants between the ages of 12 and18 years who were registered with CSLS for holiday camp and youth clubs in Orange Farm and Alexandra. Data was collected through photo-voicing, and one-one-one interviews guided by semi-structured interview questions. Data was analysed through thematic analysis. Voluntary participation, informed consent and assent, anonymity and confidentiality, no harm and debriefing, no deception as well as data dissemination were ethical considerations the study employed throughout the duration of the study. Findings showed that participants have lived experiences of poverty and how environmental risks and poverty manifest and influence the participants' communities. They want to participate and have very specific contributions to make in mitigating poverty and environmental risks in their communities if they are afforded the opportunity to do so. It can be concluded that children know what living in poverty implies and the relatedness between environmental risks and poor living conditions. Furthermore, children have an urgency to contribute their knowledge towards addressing environmental risks and poverty in their communities. They also understand the role of the broader community, organisations like CSLS, and government in mitigating poverty and environmental risks in their communities. The photo-voice method was critical in aligning children’s knowledge, experiences and understanding of environmental risks and poverty in their communities. Strategies recommended to address environmental risks and poverty include: child participation, community education and awareness, mentoring programme, environmental justice programme, government and local authority intervention as well as skills development training.