By Ritah Mukasa
Farmers in Pabbo sub-county in Amuru district, Northern Uganda know firsthand how climate change can affect agricultural output.
Walter Okello, a teacher at Labala Primary School says, it’s increasingly becoming hard to grow food due to the long dry spells.
“Our environment is being degraded at an alarming rate. People destroy swamps and cut down trees for money, something that has led to long dry spells,” he says.
Okello and his pupils have decided to do something to help reclaim the environment and avert the effects of climate change.
Through the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) club, pupils have planted teak and manaina trees on an acre of school land.
The seedlings are provided by Save the children; an organization that saves and cares for children around the world. The school has also distributed hundreds of seedlings to the community and they follow up to see that they are planted and looked after well.
Okello says the DRR club has 30 members who are passionate and committed to protecting the environment. These pupils are also climate change ambassadors in their communities. They sensitize people about the dangers of degrading the environment.
Their leader, Scovia Ageno Rwot, a primary six pupil says, they don’t stop at restoring the environment but are also keen on personal hygiene and sanitation.
“We look out for learners who are dirty and ensure they bathe, brush their teeth, wash uniforms and cut nails and hair,” she says.
They also ensure the classes, compound and latrines are clean at all times.
“We spend most of our time at school. That is why we ensure to maintain a clean environment,” she says.
Even at home, Recho Monica Aber, DRR member points out that they plant trees. She has so far planted five shade trees in her parents’ compound. She got the seedlings from school.
In addition to the above, the school has also participated in the SAVE OUR PLANET competition where over 100 pupils submitted their articles to the New Vision for consideration.
Okello says they learnt about the competition in TOTO magazine which they receive every week under the Newspapers in Education (NIE) programme run by New Vision in partnership with Save the Children organisation.
Meanwhile, the NIE programme is being funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) through Save the Children.
NORAD is implementing a five-year programme from 2024 to 2028 called “Transforming the Future-For and with Children” in Acholi and Karamoja regions.
The program aims to ensure that all children enjoy their rights to survival, protection, development and participation in a safe, inclusive, accountable and resilient environment.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: The pupils take time to prune the trees. Photo by Ritah Mukasa
