The ESD Okayama Award has been held since 2015 by Okayama City and the ESD Okayama Award Steering Committee, with the aim of honoring good practices of ESD in Japan and abroad, thereby enhancing the activities of the organizations that implement the projects, and contributing to the spread of ESD.

After the final selection, Okayama City (Japan) and ESD Okayama Award Steering Committee are pleased to announce the winners of ESD Okayama Award 2021.

This year, two award-winning projects have been selected for the ESD Okayama Award 2021 from among 10 projects (48 countries/regions, 118 applications) that passed the preliminary selection process.

The winners in 2021 are “Streets to Schools” (Republic of the Philippines) for its project “Ladders to Literacy” and “Triple-P – Partners for People and Planet” for its project “Wise Wayz Water Care” (Republic of South Africa).

Streets to Schools (Republic of the Philippines)

Ladders to Literacy project organized by the non-profit youth organization “Streets to Schools” has focused on empowering local communities to take action for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project’s primary aim is to bring quality education to all children regardless of their social status. The project promotes dynamic collaboration among the community members through creating SDGs-oriented storybooks. The storybooks have different themes ranging from women empowerment, to public health, community peace and order, children’s rights, leadership development, and poverty alleviation, which vary depending on their needs of the focus areas.

Streets to Schools

Triple-P – Partners for People and Planet (Republic of South Africa)

The Wise Ways Water Care project led by a non-profit company “Triple-P – Partners for People and Planet” in South Africa is a community development initiative that holistically addresses social, economic and environmental issues in water catchment areas in Durban city. The project’s main objectives are to improve the health condition in the historically disadvantaged communities, enable the community to co-manage their local river systems and improve the local green economy. It includes waste management, skills and enterprise development, community engagement, water and sanitation infrastructure monitoring, aquatic monitoring, alien vegetation removal, and agriculture.

Triple-P – Partners for People and Planet

For more detailed information about the two award-winning projects, please visit the website of Okayama City.

The award rewards outstanding practices on ESD in local communities around the world. The aims of the award are to support the organizations carrying out ESD activities and to promote ESD to the communities globally through showcasing their initiatives.  The award has been carried out since 2015 annually. It can possibly also encourage sustainable community development through capacity building.

During COVID-19 Pandemic all over the world, it has been affecting many activities and people’s lives, however many ESD activities have been contributing not only to education but also environmental preservation and SDGs including Resilience in various regions inside and outside of Japan.

ESD Okayama Award 2021 Ceremony was taken place as a part of the hybrid event “Okayama ESD Forum” on November 20, 2021.  In Okayama city, the local high school and university students and representatives from ESD related organizations participated, and representatives from organizations all over the world including the Philippines, South Africa, Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, the Kingdom of Spain, Republic of Indonesia, and Republic of Malawi also participated.  The mayor of Okayama city, Mr. Masao Omori, delivered the congratulatory speech, and the Chairperson of the ESD Okayama Award Steering Committee (Chairperson of the Okayama ESD Promotion Commission), Mr. Hiroshi Abe, explained the factors that each project won the award.  Ms. Ntswaki Ditlhale, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of “Triple-P – Partners for People and Planet” and Mr. Qjiel Giuliano Mikhl Z. Mariano, the founder of “Streets to Schools” made presentations about their projects.

Now you can see the award ceremony and their presentations in English on YouTube.

If you have any questions, please contact us at the office of ESD Okayama Award Steering Committee (esdokayamaaward@city.okayama.lg.jp).

※ ESD (Education for Sustainable Development)