The environment is very much in focus, with global warming and climate change threatening livelihoods and life itself. Sustainable development is key but explaining the problem is not easy, especially to people living in rural or remote parts of the country and eking out a living without even the basics such as safe drinking water, electricity, or roads; and what solutions exist for them to contribute to sustainability while making improvements in their own potential to earn a living?

ADPP projects in Huambo work with just these questions. Teacher Training School ADPP Huambo, ADPP Polytechnic Huambo and Frontline Institute all have a tradition of cultivating vegetable gardens using conservation farming methods, both as a learning tool as well as a means of supplying the school kitchens with fresh healthy produce. Frontline Institute is closely involved in a project to help communities develop a sustainable charcoal industry, promoting tree planting, improving methods of producing charcoal, and providing training for traditional leaders and members of the community in conservation. EPP Huambo is collaborating with a project to produce and promote efficient charcoal stoves and to make briquettes from charcoal residue.

All these efforts received official recognition when the Ministry of the Environment's coordinator for the charcoal project, UNDP and IDEF visited Quissala on September 18 2021. During the visit, the guests enjoyed displays at ADPP Polytechnic Huambo about the EPP programme and demonstrations of stove production. They tried their hand at producing charcoal briquettes and posed many technical questions.

At Frontline Institute, the guests learned about the work with the forest management and charcoal project, about the participating communities, tree planting, tree nurseries, Community Action Groups and training for traditional leaders.  They visited the vegetable garden and the nursery with more than 3000 plants as well as tree saplings to distribute in nearby communities. At TTS ADPP Huambo, the students had prepared a display of drawings from a primary school drawing competition on the environment, and they explained about the microprojects they carry out during long-term teaching practice.