Rwenzori schools in environmental conservation drive

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Weather-related disasters as a result of climate change are continuously plaguing the East African region following the torrential rains, which are leaving unredeemable damage in their wake.

For instance, last week, seven people in the districts of Bunyangabu and Kasese lost their lives, multimillion properties destroyed and hundreds of people displaced to camps. The displacement has compounded an already dire situation where thousands of people are condemned to live in internally displaced people camps (IDPs). In Kenya and Tanzania, over 200 people lost their lives to floods.

Now, to mitigate the impact of climate change, some Kasese schools have pledged to be at the forefront in spearheading programmes intended to conserve the environment. 

The pledge was revealed during the launch of a Green Schools project to be facilitated by the World Wide Fund (WWF) at Kinyampanika Primary School in Bunyangabu district on Saturday, May 3, 2024. The project will include 35 schools within five districts of the Rwenzori region: Kasese, Bunyangabu, Ntoroko, Bundibugyo and Rubirizi.

Learners of Kinyampanika Primary School with the staff of UWA pausing with their trees up as a sign of commitment to take care of planted trees. (Photo by Samuel Amanyire)

Miracle Baluku, 13, the head boy of Kinyampanika Primary School, said extreme weather conditions (very hot or very wet) in Kasese make it hard for him to attend classes. The dry seasons make it hard for learners to attend afternoon lessons since all classrooms are always hot adding it's one of the pushing factors why pupils have to indulge in the conservation programmes.

"In fact most pupils dodge afternoon lessons," Baluku said.

"And for that matter we are going to take good care of these trees so that we have enough shed at school" he added.

Headteachers speak out

Kinyampanika Primary School headteacher Daniel Bindu said they intend to come up with artificial forests at the school premises that will include mainly fruit trees which will provide learners with fruits as well as a shed.

"We must be a demonstration school so that everyone learns from us," he said.

He, however, stressed out the need to improve the learning environment for the learners, especially by replacing or renovating the dilapidated structures, giving them food, while at school so as to maintain them there and implement the various green schools’ conservation programs.

DEOs speaks out

Kabarole District Education Officer (DEO) Sanyu Robert called for the integration of environmental conservation subjects in the new curriculum to have learners imparted with knowledge of how to conserve the environment.

He also urged headteachers and inspectors of schools to also monitor environmental conservation projects such as school gardens, tree projects among others put up in various schools so as to ensure their steady progress.

WWF director speaks out

World Wide Fund (WWF) Uganda conservation director Simon Peter Weredwong clarified that the Green Schools project will run for three years and is targeting to bring on board 31,000 learners aged 7-18 years in the 35 schools of the five districts that not only neighbour Rwenzori National Park but are vulnerable to climate change effects.

According to him, the project is to address the growing environmental challenges including cutting down trees for firewood, agriculture, industrialisation, settlement among others that end up pushing people to the protected areas majorly Rwenzori and Queen Elizabeth National Parks neighbouring the five districts.

Simon listed several interventions that will be made including planting trees in schools and along the river banks, supporting and initiating wildlife clubs in schools, environmental education and all the necessary support technically and financially.

UWA speaks out

Alice Natukunda, the community conservation warden from the Uganda Wildlife Authority, said over the years, communities have not only threatened national parks in search for firewood and to burn charcoal, among other disastrous activities.

Natukunda, who represented the Chief Warden Queen Elizabeth Conservation area as the chief guest, said she expects the project to address such challenges.

"The children will go and tell the parents to ensure that the park is not degraded," Alice said.

"We are very sure that by the end of the project, the people will be having their own woodlots," she added.

She also added that on top of the 20% revenue collections given to communities neighbouring the national park, they will support WWF and all the other stakeholders to make the green schools project a success.