.Taking care of Earth
We need to develop the capacity to heal our home – to become stewards through the way we live our own lives, go about our business and care for our communities.
Building capacity
Gondwana Alive offer mentorship and support that help individuals and institutions to grow and become stewards of our planet. Participants learn by applying the information to improve their own livelihoods and then developing mentoring skills to share what they have learned with others.
Mentorship & Training
General – helping young environmentalists to develop their careers in the sector, such as in the Groen Sebenza project.
Supportive – such as helping the Board and Management at !Khwa ttu to strategically develop and grow the organization.
Specific – such as helping develop a young, local team to develop and operate a network of trails for the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve.
Sustainable livelihood training for Earth stewards
Formal courses and studies are designed to teach certain fundamental knowledge and skills. Our on-the-job practical training and mentorship is often a semi-structured extension of more formal studies and courses – designed to put key fundamentals into practice in the work place or real life contexts, thereby further embedding and growing what has been learned.
Mentorship can be offered face to face or via distance mentoring.
Our full sustainable livelihood mentor training process and workbook is well integrated to work with whole people and systems but can be broken up into a series of modules:
Nature Connection – series of experiences guided by skilled facilitators and designed to connect people with nature.
The Art of Nature – This module in basic ecology is designed to provide an understanding of how nature works, where we fit into that picture and the importance of how we make decisions and go about our lives and work. At its core, are several nature connection experiences. It is meant for anyone with an interest in nature – basement to boardroom.
The Art of Practice – This module in basic project development, management and implementation is designed to help the mentee get a new project off the ground and maintain (institute) the results.
The Art of Growth – This course in basic business is designed to instil entrepreneurial spirit and behaviours that help someone to find and keep a job, get a new business off the ground, and make the ensuing wealth work for them.
The Art of Sharing – this train the trainers module in basic facilitation and mentorship is designed to help community stewards share what they have learned, thereby helping to develop more community stewards.
Our intention is to offer this training via online, App and distance mentorship, and to pilot a mechanism to develop a network of grassroots mentors improving livelihoods, ecosystems and biodiversity.
Why we support Earth steward development
Formal courses and studies are a fine way to gain more knowledge and an important part of personal growth and development. However, they seldom prepare students for implementing knowledge in the work place or in real life contexts. Mentorship can help to develop the skills and behaviour required to put knowledge into practice.
How we support Earth steward development
By offering mentorship and support to facilitate growth and development of environmentally conscious individuals and institutions.