Climate Change: SCI sensitizes school children on tree planting

Amidst ripple effects of climate change on people, especially children, Save the Children International has sensitized school children on the importance of tree planting.

SCI during a sensitization campaign at the Junior Secondary School, Hajj-Camp, Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory, stated that the program was under the recently launched ‘Generation Hope Campaign’ – a climate action campaign to teach the children about climate change

The Health and Nutrition Advocacy Assistant, SCI, Faith Osaretin, explained that they were teaching children the need for tree planting and why they should plant trees in their various environments.

She added that by teaching children how to plant trees, upcoming children can also make profits from the trees planted which include cashew, orange, avocado, guava and mango trees.

Osaretin said, “We choose these trees because the children will be able to profit from them. It will also provide a source of nutrition for the children as well as preserve the environment.

“We also want the children to be empowered with the knowledge about climate change and the action they can take to mitigate it. We want to teach these children to speak up in terms of climate action to enable them pass the messages to their fellow pairs, their parents and government on what need to be done about climate change.”

The Health and Nutrition Specialist urged the Federal Government to be intentional about climate change, saying that children are the future and the environment has to be preserved for them.

She said: “We want the government to be aware of these and put in place, policies that will preserve the environment for the children because they are our future.”

She further urged the school management to encourage the children on the activities by ensuring that the trees are watered, and educate them more on the effect of climate change.

On extending the campaign to other schools, Osaretin said they have started the campaign in JSS, Jabi, JSS Gwagwalada and they planned to do in some more schools including primary schools in Abuja.

Also, the Executive Chairperson, Women and Child Disaster Rescue Initiative, Ambassador Lizzy Oziri, said they came to support SCI because the campaign aligned with their mission .

She added that they have been going about advocating for climate friendly environment because they noticed that people who were mostly affected when there is disaster are women and children.

Also, the Principal, Junior Secondary School, Hajj-camp, Gwagwalada, Aliyu Hauwa, said the program was very apt, and urged the children to be good Ambassadors and learn what they were taught.

She also commended SCI for their efforts and urged them to extend it to other schools across the FCT.