In honour of indigenous wisdom and practices, on how to take care of waterways and the environment a “floating princess” was launched at Princess Vlei on Saturday 12 October.
Learners from local schools performed nature inspired dances while the Jungle Theatre Company performed plays with the themes saving the ocean and rivers, climate change and plastic pollution.
Secretary of the Princess Vlei Forum Emma Oliver, organisers of the event, said the project was aimed at tackling issues such as plastic pollution.
“The project involved working with schools in a creative way with performances and dances,” she shared. “The performances brought to life issues of climate change and pollution and how it affects animals.”
Living waters
Explaining how the project was born, Oliver said the “living waters project” was funded by the Department of Arts and Culture.
“The Princess Vlei Forum received funding from the Arts and Culture Department to do all sorts of arts and culture, so we decided on the living waters project.”
On Saturday, the “floating princess” created with soft wood was released onto the waterway.
“We created the Floating princess with biodegradable material such as soft wood and built a floating platform with plants,” she said. “It was quite a big effort to create the platform and to get the princess in the water.”
The ceremony included the erection of a signboard to explain the presence of the floating princess.
“So many of our ancestors knew how to take care of the land and there is so much we can learn from people,” said Oliver. “The land around Princess Vlei is the children’s future so they need to be connected to it in order to take care of it.”
Ward 72 councillor Kevin Southgate commended the Princess Vlei Forum for hosting a successful event. “The ongoing education regarding the indigenous wisdom gained from the Khoisan community in caring for our waterways as well as message conveyed through the drama was very encouraging,” he said. “I would like to encourage more schools to get involved with the initiative so we can build a lasting legacy that will ensure that people take ownership and responsibility for the environment so it can be preserved for generations to come.”
