The rapidity with which the climate is changing today is posing serious threats to countries the world over with kids and young adults in developing countries bearing the greatest brunt despite contributing almost nothing to the crisis. UNICEF Advisor, Reis Lopez, holds that; “the climate crisis is a children’s rights crisis, and engaging children is therefore very important”.
Cognizant of this, Voice of Nature (VoNat) in January and February 2024, with Praise Baptist Academy in Ndongo-Buea to educate some 50 kids and young adults about climate change and climate justice. This climate literacy programme raise fresh conscious in the youngsters about climate change and its deleterious impacts in their communities and around the world. It also ignited in the 50 kids and young adults the zeal to contribute solutions to the climate crisis in Buea and Cameroon at large.
In order to better leverage this new-found zeal for climate solutions, VoNat recently rallied the 50 children into groups to brainstorm and present their unique solution to the climate crisis. “We will write open letters to our leaders to let them know how climate change is affecting us, so that they can come up with policies to protect us from the crisis. This letter will also be addressed to companies causing climate change through emission of gases, to support us adapt to the crisis,” said 13-year-old Akoumbou Job Jaden in Buea.
Yongabi Blessed who was in Group 2 of the “hacking exercise” disclosed that: “We plan to nurse and plant trees in schools and other public areas in Buea. This will absorb the carbon dioxide causing climate change, regulate the temperature and give us fresh air.”
The VoNat technical team promised to guide and mentor the youngers to implement their ideas in the weeks ahead. These activities were carried out as part of a climate justice project implemented with funds from Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) and McGinnity Family Foundation.