Voice of Nature (VoNat) and Meg Wah (My Earth), Cameroon-based environmental non-profit organizations recently launched the 2023 edition of their EcoKids Programme in Bamenda and Buea. EcoKids is a flagship kids climate action programme of VoNat and Meg Wah dedicated to raising young climate and environmental ambassadors in Cameroon. This year’s edition of the programme aims to guide and mentor up to 120 kids, who have been part of this climate action programme for the past 2 years, to independently develop and implement at least 10 micro projects to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and other related environmental challenges in the Bamenda Highlands and Mount Cameroon Area.
In Bamenda, where the programme is being carried out in collaboration with the North West Regional Delegation of the Ministry of Environment Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED-NW), VoNat and Meg Wah engaged the youngsters in a 2-day experiential training on project ideas identification & development. This training culminated in the identification, development and presentation of 5 key projects, each targeting a specific climate change or environmental challenge in the Bamenda Highlands.
The kids, who gained new skills in project idea identification and development process, were happy to part of the solution to climate change and environmental challenges in their communities. “I am so happy that I can now identify environment and climate change problems in our community, analyze them and transform them into a project idea. In our group called ‘Nkwen 1’, six of us developed a project, using the skills and knowledge acquired during this training, which we will be implementing to solve the problem of poor waste management and air pollution in Ghana Street, Nkwen-Bamenda,” said Nanga Serena, 14 years old participating girl from Nkwen.
8-year old Kongnyu Agape promised to teach his friends how to identify and provide solutions to climate change and environmental challenges in their communities. “I will teach my friends how they can contribute to keeping the environment clean and healthy, as we will be implementing our project reduce some climate change and environmental problems in our community,” he said.
The youngsters, grouped into five, are being guided to improve on the projects developed and additional mentorship underway so they can start implementing their projects to solve climate change or environmental challenges in their community, with funds from the EcoKids Programme. This year’s Ecokids programme, which will run until November 2023, is being implemented with funds from Earth Rising Foundation.