By Zandisile Howe
(Miss Ecotourism 2022/23, UNESWA graduate)
Climate change is an issue that affects all of us, in one way or another. This is despite how much one has contributed to the problem. This is why we must all be involved in finding solutions to the problem or adapting to it. This is especially true for young people who will be around for much longer to endure the problems that are caused by climate change.
Scientists have already argued that we need to take action. This is so that some of the activities we carry out daily to meet our needs heavily rely on us having a healthy environment.
“The climate crisis is both the easiest and hardest issue we have ever faced. The easiest because we know what we must do. We must stop the emissions of greenhouse gases. The hardest because our current economics are totally dependent on burning fossil fuels, and thereby destroying ecosystems in order to create everlasting economic growth,” said Greta Thunberg.
This is a quote from one of the world’s best known female climate campaigners. Her small campaign of protesting outside the Swedish parliament helped spark global action for many youths around the world, to not only rely on their governments to help fix the climate crisis but rather take matters into their own hands. She helped spark a generation of doers rather than speakers for change. This global movement for the better has also been seen in Global South countries, including Eswatini. Many youths have been standing up and taking action and this can be seen by the remarkable school going children who attended UNESCOs Education and Sustainable Development awards.
Children in communities that have contributed the least to global emissions will face the greatest impacts of climate change; this is why it is important to build social programmes for children that will help teach them how to adapt to the changing climate. It is further important to support young climate champions on their ideas and projects and one of the aims for the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) programme is to support the youth and help them grow in quality education that will equip them with skills to fight the climate crisis. The ESD Awards were given to student projects that show commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability by addressing integration of social, economic, and environmental dimensions. These children did not disappoint as they passionately presented their environmental projects that have not only had a positive impact in their schools but as well as the communities they are found in. St Marks High school, Zombodze Primary School, and UTech High school were some of the schools that presented their projects.
Motshane Primary School, being the overall winners of the competition, presented their outstanding work and inspired many of the people attending the awards to be climate smart too, with their day to day activities. The children in the school help raise indigenous chickens which they then sell to their community. These backyard chickens are eco-friendly because they provide a better alternative to the excessive environmental impact of factory farming. They produce a fraction of the manure in a much smaller footprint and their waste can be managed properly by returning it to the environment in an eco-conscious manner. This could be by using it as manure, as the children in the school have done. They have also learned how to plant climate smart crops and even called the community members of their area to come learn with them on how best to plant crops that will be sustainable and resilient.
Young and old community members learnt the importance of planting indigenous trees and sustainable ways to plant crops that will also be climate smart in the changing weather systems. Before the start of school, they clean up any litter in the area and the children have been taught that if there is any litter they see on their way to school they should pick it up and throw it in the nearest dustbin.
The children personally presented their projects and one could see on their faces how proud they were of their work. It is very critical to equip young children with the knowledge on how to fight the climate crisis for they will be the ones left to take care of the environment. Once these practises are instilled early, they can be carried for one’s entire lifetime. In the process, a society that is very conscious of their environment and wants to take care of it is created. The solutions to climate change actually come with many benefits as they demand that everyone should actively participate. Women, children, old and young all need to come together and hold hands and in the process. This gives rise to employment opportunities, acknowledgment and implementation of equal rights and empathy and care for the next person as well as the environment. The small green steps we take today can make a happier and greener tomorrow.
