ABOUT US
Mission
Our mission is to promote healthy people on a healthy planet, to reduce the income disparity between rich and poor and to cultivate sustainable practices in the developed and developing world.Objectives
MamaEarth employs a holistic approach that encompasses advocacy, education and project implementation in the fields of ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT and SUSTAINABLE LIVING. We attempt to influence actions and outcomes in these fields towards sustainability, with equal attention to people, planet and profit. The overall objective is a hopeful future and better health.What we do
Our activities include ENVIRONMENTAL and LIFESTYLE EDUCATION, CAPACITY BUILDING, COMMUNITY, ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT and building SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS. By promoting job creation, social development and income generation in an environmentally friendly way, we address unsustainable practices that contribute towards:
Depletion of natural resources.
Deforestation and Desertification.
Environmental pollution and degradation.
Climate change.
Disease.
We organize hearings for Members of Parliament and we hold roundtables to better understand how to navigate the legislative environment around sustainability. We organize workshops, demonstrations, talks, produce courses, offer training and disseminate information to promote our objectives in the fields of ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT and SUSTAINABLE LIVING We partner with others to implement projects in recycling, food gardens, rain water harvesting, healthy lifestyles, use of alternative energy, carbon friendly technology, computer literacy and wireless technology.
Why we do this
MamaEarth responds to the world as an ecological system in which everything is connected. Enabling legislation is the first step towards building a sustainable world; education about issues, such as inefficient use of energy, and ways to deal with them is the next step; implementing projects to help people change the way they think and act completes the cycle. Our activities encompass all of these areas.We are guardians of our common home, Earth, at a critical time in her history. We face the threats of global meltdown, a global depression and an earth scarred by unsustainable practices. We must both mitigate and adapt to Climate Change.
South Africa is under pressure to increase energy security, to reduce demand on Eskom power, and to respond to 25% unemployment. Our government is also committed to changing our status as the 13th largest carbon polluter in the world.Electricity prices have increased substantially and will continue to do so putting a heavy burden on ratepayers and industries. An ideal solution would be to reduce dependence on Eskom generation and provide as much distributed electricity generation as possible, utilizing cogeneration and alternate energy sources. Our water systems are threatened and communities are struggling with changing and erratic climates. Food security is a major problem, fueled by the high cost of living and unhealthy lifestyles among the majority of people.
The public has not demonstrated significant behavior change in response to Climate Change. Conspiracy theories abound confusing the issue. Whether or not human behavior is responsible for global warming, sustainable living is not an option. It is essential. To this end we will work to change behavior towards environmental health and sustainability with all the means at our disposal.
Ethos
Our initiatives are aimed at cultivating a society in which there is give and take, and where freedom of choice is balanced with responsibility. We desire actions that make a real difference, as opposed to talk shops that produce papers and postulates. Our ethos is underpinned by Ubunthu, which translates as “I define what I am through the way I behave towards you”. It implies integrity, compassion and respect for all of life and for one another. We desire open honest communication and embrace pluralism as a guiding principle for processes and solutions. No single individual or seat of power can eclipse the wisdom that lies within the minds and deeds of millions.