As the growing cry for climate reform slowly wakes up the continent of Africa, the impact of climate change is more visible now in issues like the displacement of people due to flooding, loss of livelihoods in agriculture, increased health risks from air pollution, and other climate-related impacts which has led to increase in poverty, inequality, and social unrest in and around the country.
As parents and guardians, we should all in one way or the other, be climate activists, getting more involved in the changes affecting the future of our children.
At Bethesda, our vision has always been to create an enabling environment for disadvantaged children; empowering them to thrive, grow and develop to their full potential; and so when the chance came to partner with the ‘Preserve our Roots’ initiative and expose our students to the Climate Education Camp Program from 15th -16th April 2023, we were more than willing to be a part of it.
What better way to advocate for climate change than by teenagers talking to other teenagers, amidst games and group activities, as the two-day event opened the eyes of our students to the dangers of ignoring the climate at the expense of their collective futures.
Day 1 of the event kicked off with an ice breaker activity, then a short lesson on climate change, a group challenge project and finally a video on how to build a reuse culture.
Day 2 featured a conversation on ‘how to become a climate change champion’, the plastic bottle debrief, and an engaging session on ‘how to identify a problem around you and proffer a solution’. The day’s activity ended with the 2019 inspirational drama, ‘the boy who harnessed the wind’ starring Chiewetel Ejiofor; a movie that tackled themes like the pursuit of knowledge in the midst of mounting challenges, as well as innovative climate reform.
More than the fact that the 20 students who represented Bethesda at the event had loads of fun, they went home more passionate about looking for ways to be better advocates of climate change and their future.