300 South Africans from diverse worlds - corporates, NGO’s and general do-gooders - descended on the beautiful wine estate of Backsberg in Stellenbosch last night to toast the 20th Anniversary celebrations of the WWF Nedbank Green Trust.
Green Renaissance, the environmental arm of African Renaissance Productions, was proud to be asked to film five documentaries to highlight some of the successful projects and the communities and people that have been empowered. The short films showcase the catalytic and pioneering role the WWF Green Trust has played in bringing nature and people together for more than 20 years.
Behind the scenes at Abalimi Bezekhaya Christina Kaba, Field Operations Manager Abalimi
"We are really excited as environmental documentary filmmakers when asked to produce a series of short authentic films for this noble cause” says Michael Raimondo, director at Green Renaissance. Raimondo added the project was not without challenges, “the timeframe was tight – we had an editor on the road with us and filmed and edited all 5 films in three weeks”. But having just wrapped filming the crew is left feeling inspired, “these short films really showcase ordinary people who go out of their way to make things happen. What is even more impressive is that there are another 164 projects out there whose stories have not yet been captured on film” remarked Raimondo.
The documentaries covered 5 key areas in the Green Trust portfolio: The Biodiversity Wine Initiative (BWI), a sustainable agriculture model to preserve the Cape Floral Kingdom for Industry Change; Eco-school, Noqhekwana in Port St Johns, Eastern Cape for Environmental Leadership; Enkangala Grasslands Project spanning KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and The Free State for Water- the source of life; The Sokhulu Mussel Management Project, a sustainable subsistence fishery programme for the Sokhulu community living near Durban for Healthy Oceans and Abalimi Bezekhaya, an organic micro-farming project in the Cape Flats that teaches locals how to grow their own food in a cheap, sustainable manner for Empowering Communities.
Thembalina Sibiya, Subsistence Mussel Farmer Sokhulu Mussel Co-management Project
Of course it was an environmentally responsible evening – the event was held at Backsberg, Africa’s first carbon neutral wine estate, gourmet snacks were sourced from local producers and guests were treated to African style ballet dancing narrated by revered South African actor John Kani. Guests not only wore a touch of green in support but were asked to log their travel miles and will be given the opportunity to buy carbon credits to offset their carbon footprint!
Long before ‘green’ became the new black, when green was nothing more than a primary colour or perhaps the begrudged morning shot of wheat grass, Nedbank recognised the need to put corporate clout and capital behind conservation in our country. The bank embraced the environmental cause years before it gained prominence as a world view. Today, the partnership with one of the leading conservation organizations in South Africa, WWF, has helped raise over R100 million to fund more than 170 diverse conservation projects throughout South Africa since 1990.
Shooting in the great outdoors - fun times! Waverley Hills Organic Wine Estate, BWI
