Monash South Africa, in support of the Department of Water and Sanitation, recently successfully co-organised the 2014 National Youth Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Summit brought together over 1,000 learners and educators from different parts of the country to celebrate the involvement of young people in water conservation and management. Monash was represented at the summit by Prof. Bimo Nkhata, Ms. Linda Downsborough and IWSN-funded students. Monash’s participation was made possible through funding from the International Water Security Network.
The IWSN-funded students participated in a number of sessions at the Summit including a career expo and a session in which they gave motivational talks to learners. They were also involved in gathering notes from the various sessions, which will be used in preparing the proceedings of the Summit.
The Summit also provided an opportunity for Monash’s academics and IWSN-funded students to interact with key players in the water sector including the Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, representatives of various water utilities, and hundreds of learners and educators. Deputy Minister Pam Tshwete was particularly pleased to see her department working closely with Monash South Africa. She thanked Monash South Africa for being a key partner in the hosting of the Summit.