UPHOLDING ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION THROUGH EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES
By Noel Chatepa
Young Davie Kalau, at the tender age of 14, stands tall with pride as he gazes at a tree he planted back in 2020. “I planted this tree in 2020 when I was in standard 4 and I have taken good care of it since then and now I am in standard 8, I feel very proud of myself”, says Davie who is a learner at Kapenda primary school in T/A Mwaulambya, Chitipa.
Kapenda primary school is one of the 34 schools in Chitipa and Karonga districts which were part of the Intergrated Rural Development project afforestation component which saw over 200,000 tree seedlings being planted in the two districts.
Reflecting on the impact of this endeavor, Deputy Head Teacher for Kapenda Primary School Chancy Chambo shared, “We are now reaping the benefits of the trees planted in 2020 as we have good shade where the children can rest when temperatures rise in classes and the landscape of the school has improved. We have continued to plant trees every year in accordance with what CADECOM Karonga Diocese trained us in and we wish we had more seedlings so that we plant more trees around our school every year”.
In a recent interview, Elijah Banda, project coordinator for the Integrated Rural Development project, shed more light on CADECOM’s strategic approach towards fostering environmental sustainability through collaboration with schools and communities. According to Banda, the decision to engage with schools was driven by the youthful enthusiasm of students towards environmental conservation.
“We have found that young learners exhibit a remarkable eagerness to preserve the environment,” stated Banda. He emphasized that research indicates trees planted within school premises tend to thrive better compared to those in community settings. This success is attributed to schools having existing land use plans that incorporate tree planting initiatives.
Looking ahead, Banda outlined CADECOM Karonga Diocese’s future endeavors to further promote afforestation efforts within schools and communities. In a visionary move set for 2025, a new project component aims to encourage the cultivation of pine trees in communities for economic sustenance alongside environmental preservation. Additionally, the initiative will prioritize the planting of fruit trees within school compounds to instill a culture of environmental stewardship among students.
The Integrated Rural Development is being implemented by CADECOM Karonga Diocese in Chitipa with funding from Misereor.
