Mutanda Primary School Children, teaches and MAYA members
In our continued journey and strategy to “#CatchThemYoung” Manica Youth Assembly (MAYA) on the 23rd of March conducted a schools outreach engagement activity at Mutanda Primary school where we had a fruitful engagement with the kids and their teachers. The involvement of teachers and kids is an assurance of continuity and sustainability of the tree planting activity.
Mutanda Primary School is one of the old schools in Mutare and has raised a lot of prominent personalities. Tree planting that links the old students to the school has a positive element of continuity. The trees that were planted included 50 indigenous trees as part of the space is swampy and these trees will do better under these conditions. The trees were donated by Mutare City Council through its Parks Department.
MAYA has had a good working relationship with the City Council in tree planting activities across the City. Tree planting has a direct link to the climate change issues especially the issue of green house emissions affecting the environment. Despite the fact that the trees were still young, they will grow to be a big orchard and some of the trees have medicinal properties that will be helpful to the communities.
Planting of trees has several advantages, especially regulating the environment and circulation of air. The tree planting was a school wide activity to be able to get the full support from the school community. This activity was done as a follow up to the December tree planting event that is a national event and done to encourage the planting of trees. MAYA was awarded the opportunity to work with the schools especially forming school clubs to continue with tree planting.
Plants have a way to balance the ecosystem and improving the biodiversity as they grow and some parish. Planting of trees will replenish the dead ones and help continue balancing the ecosystem. The more we have a balance of plants the more we have a balanced diversity.
We noted that we can only change habits at a young age and from discussions that ranged from climate change and dietary issues such as “eat plants”.
It has proved that environment clubs are often at the heart of school’s sustainability activities and help achieve meaningful change within school communities. They inspire, motivate and give students opportunities to build leadership skills.