Primary School kids from schools around Kumi district have challenged many ugandan adults as they expressed commitment taking a front position when it comes to environmental conservation activities.
Steven Emol Akol Senior Educational Officer Kumi district handing over seedlings to pupils of Adesso Primary School.
While participating in Climate Change sensitization campaign and Debating Competitions, majority of these kids were blaming ignorance of their parents as one of the key factors which has led to increased deforestation and swamp reclamation in Kumi district.
“Having learnt alot from the engagement which has been held at our school, i will teach my parents the benefits of planting trees and i will ask them to give me atleast a portion where i can grow some trees. I commit to plant atleast ten trees annually on my birthday.” Grace Akello revealed a pupil from Kapasak Primary school.
The Children also committed themselves that they will pass on the knowledge acquired to their other colleagues at school to ensure that they protect trees and green vegetation at school as well as their home communities.
Akol Janet Head teacher Adesso Primary School in Kumi Municipality, Kumi District applauded Action Aid and partners for providing them with tree seedlings which she says that each child in the school will be given an opportunity to look after atleast a tree.
“These tree seedlings have come in the right season, we are going to plant them as soon as possible. Once they have grown , these trees will provide us with shelter especially at the school football pitch, act as learning aid and they , contribute to climate change around the school and they will the high population here to get enough oxygen.” she added
Nseko Anthony , the Deputy Resident City Commissioner (RCC) for Kumi noted that involving children in environmental conservation is the effective way of conserving the environment since the young ones are still active and can instill the same knowledge to generations.
“Kumi is one of the districts which have been affected by Climate change and the president on several occasions haa been calling upon the members of the general public to conservation and environment restoration. We are ready to support Action Aid International Uganda and Youth Go Green in all their environmental conservation programs in Kumi.”
Andrew Onapito, the Communications officer of Action Aid International Uganda emphasized that schools have been a starting point in the sensitization and tree planting exercise but they will be including other stakeholders in future.
” In Adesso Primary School we planted trees and donated 2000 seedlings, at Kapasak Primary school we donated 2000 seedlings , 300 seedlings were given to district headquarters and 2000 tree seedlings were given to a model farmer who will act as a change agent. Our target is to plant a million trees in the Teso region.”
Tree planting exercise being launched at Adesso Primary School.
Mugoda Rogers , Youth Go Green Regional Manager for Eastern Uganda revealed that they decided to partner with Action Aid in this intiative after finding out that that Teso region has been greatly affected by Environmental drgredation.
“We started with schools becausd its where we can many young people in one area and sensitize them once on mitigation factors . We are aiming at creating a new generation that appreciates nature.”
Mugoda added that they are looking forward to ensure that all the trees planted are well maintained to serve their intended purposes
During this activities, Environmental Clubs were also launched in Kapasak and Adesso Primary School.
Debating Competitions
Nine Primary schools around Kumi district participated in the debate competitions held at the district headquarters, these were debating on topics around environmental conservation.
The Debating style was ‘World Schools Styles of Debate’. This format is a
globally employed style of debate that paves way for better presentations by debaters with minimal but well-structured interventions that enhance critical thinking and effectiveness of the
debate.
Pupils expressed the knowledge and love they have towards environmental protection as well as means through which they will use in preaching this gospel to their communities.
The overall winner of these competition Atuitui Primary school and it walked away with a Prize of modern Institutional stove (Energy saving) from Action Aid and partners. The best speakers also were given energy saving cooking stoves.
The motions for the debate were;
This house will leave decisions concerning the environment
to be made by young people.
This house will make Saturday a mandatory day for cleaning the environment in Uganda.
This house should pay pupils who plant their own trees.
This house as a young people’s parliament resolves, ‘National Environmental Management Authority has failed.
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