Boston Media House – Sandton Campus 2014 CSI

Boston Media House has an annual CSI programme which is run by the third year Public Relations students. The CSI is handled by the students from conception to execution.

With the recent statistics and talks about the state of the South African education system, its quality as well as the ability of the learners, Boston Media House PR students only found it fitting to do a CSI related to education. There is a link between a learner’s ability to concentrate and perform in the classroom and the meal they have before school therefore, planting a vegetable garden was the route best taken for the 2014 CSI programme – “Growing Green: Helping Plant Tomorrow’s Meal.”

There are many children in our communities that go to bed hungry and wake up to go to school still on an empty stomach but that does not stop them from attending school to learn regardless. The eagerness to learn and build a better future is what drives some of these children despite the hunger; however, the eagerness can only take them so far. An empty stomach affects a child’s ability to concentrate and take in what is being taught at school thus resulting in poor mark and in turn a hinder in progress.

People are often not aware of what is happening in their surrounding communities and the general consensus is that as people do not care about anyone other than themselves especially the youth. The youth of today is often seen as a generation of selfish, technology obsessed and greedy group of people who are not aware of what is happening around them let alone care that there is a hungry child a few minutes away. However, 2014 PR3 students at Boston Media House have taken to break this stereotype.

A vegetable garden in one school may not seem like much but it is a start and may have a ripple effect to create greater change. The vegetable garden will be planted at Emfundisweni Primary School in Alexandra on Saturday 11 October 2014.

Reasoning for the vegetable garden is that it is sustainable and can be continued and grown even after Boston Media House has left. The vegetable garden serves as a source of nutrition because although some children may eat at home, the meals may not necessarily be nutritious due to inability to afford vegetables. Not only will students be fed but they will receive a nutritious meal and the vegetable garden may grow to feed the community. The vegetable garden also serves as an educational ground because the learners will have a practical field for natural sciences and can learn how to grow vegetables and maintain them. What is learnt at school can be transferred into the home and further into the community and will hopefully encourage the community to be self-sustainable and grow their own vegetable gardens.

2014 final year PR students at Boston Media House felt that it was time to walk the talk and stop complaining about the current situation of our country and rather do something about it – be the change we want to see. Thus far, the students have been campaigning around campus to raise funds to supplement the generous donations of seeds and seedlings by Montrose Nursery in Sandown. The aim is not only to raise funds and plant the vegetable garden but also to create awareness and educate others about the importance of not only being aware but also taking action and this can be achieved through media.