Views: 0
By Julius Mugaga/KMA Updates.
Isingiro, Uganda: Kabazana Primary School in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Isingiro district has received and planted over 300 trees with help from Oxfam and partners as part of activities to commemorate the International Earth Day in the District.
Members of CSOs, School management and Pupils of Kabazana Primary School pose with different tree species after a debate amongst Pupils on the factors of Climate Change. Photo by Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa.
Betty Rose Aguti, Policy and Advocacy Specialist at Caritas Uganda and National Coordinator of The Uganda Farmers’ Common Voice Platform, (UFCVP) plants a tree at Kabazana Primary School ahead of International Earth Day cerebrations on Friday at Isingiro District Headquarters. Photo by Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa.
Isngiro is one of the districts in Uganda that has been heavily affected by climate crisis as the area is associated with environmental hazards of droughts, flooding, landslides, water pollution and others.
Pupils of Kabazana Primary School, Members of CSOs and School management honor anthems ahead of a debate on the factors of Climate Change and way forward. Photo by Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa.
Pupils of Kabazana Primary School listen attentively during of a debate on the factors of Climate Change. Photo by Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa.
In so doing, Oxfam International in Uganda and Care International Uganda are implementing a 2 year Disaster Risk Management Project with funding from European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) aimed at restoring the environment that is ever deteriorating in the area.
Oxfam and partners with funding from Community Integrated Development Initiative, CIDI involved themselves in tree planting activity at Refugee settlement based Kabazanba Primary School as one of the activities organized ahead of Earth Day this week.
Members of CSOs, parents and pupils of Kabazana Primary School seen during the debate. Photo by Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa.
Pupils of Kabazana Primary School seen holding different visibility materials aimed at creating awareness upon the climate crisis in Isingiro district and Uganda as a whole. Photo by Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa.
Before the activity, pupils of the school had a debate on the motion “Population increase is the main reason for environmental misuse” where they cited issues like bush burning, industrialization, lumbering, scramble for settlement land, encroachment on wildlife and others like lack of environmental education amongst the public, earthquakes, landslides, prolonged drought to mentions but a few.
Speaking before the activity, Jackson Muhinod Rukara, the Resillience and Climate Justice Coordinator at Oxfam in Uganda and Grow campaign, called on pupils to be stewards in restoration of the environment urging them to cascade the message to their parents but also plant trees which will later on protect mother earth.
Jackson Muhindo Rukara, the Resilience and Climate Justice Coordinator at Oxfam in Uganda and Grow campaign speaks during CSOs visit at Kabazana Primary School. Photo by Julius Mugaga.
He says Oxfam and Joint Effort to Save the Environment, (JESE) and partners are having interventions in the area like tree planting, community capacity building, supporting local government natural resource office in environmental restoration advances.
Pupils of Kabazana Primary School share a photo moment with Officials from CSOs after being awarded for debating well on the factors that lead to climate crisis. Photo by Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa.
He points that, Oxfam supported the school with charcoal saving stoves in promotion of clean energy and saving not only the environment but also resources in the purchase of wood fuel.
Hellen Kasujja, the Deputy Executive Director of Community Integrated Development Initiative, CIDI applauds Staff and the Environment committee of the school for their greater strides towards conserving the environment and equipping pupils with such knowledge that will transform to other generations.
Hellen Kasujja, the Deputy Executive Director of Community Integrated Development Initiative, CIDI delivers her remarks during CSOs visit at Kabazana Primary School in Nakivale Refugee Settlement. Photo by Julius Mugaga.
She pestered pupils to avoid all activities in line with destruction of the environment but at least involve themselves directly in those that may promote and sustain it.
She noted that the earth is not happy with our human actions and that’s why CIDI has come on board in partnership with Oxfam which already has presence in the area and other CSOs to devise actions towards restoring the mother earth.
In his maiden message on the day, Amarwe Charles the Head Teacher of Kabazana Primary School expressed excitement over Oxfam’s consideration of his school for such a beautiful project of restoring the environment of the school and the surrounding community.
He informs that learners formed the environment club at school as well there is environment committee of the school and in this learners have educated their parents on the community on the beauty of conserving the environment, dangers of destroying it and the best ways of restoring it.
Jackson Muhindo Rukara, the Resilience and Climate Justice Coordinator at Oxfam in Uganda(L), Betty Rose Aguti, Policy and Advocacy Specialist at Caritas Uganda and National Coordinator of The Uganda Farmers’ Common Voice Platform, (UFCVP)(C) and Hellen Kasujja, the Deputy Executive Director of Community Integrated Development Initiative, CIDI(R) plant a tree at Kabazana Primary School. Photo by Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa.
Hellen Kasujja, the Deputy Executive Director of Community Integrated Development Initiative, CIDI(2ndL) and others plant a tree at Kabazana Primary School. Photo by Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa.
He testified that the school is now using a half a lorry of charcoal per months as a result of the charcoal saving stoves donated by Oxfam International Uganda which is a good credit saying, they used to use about six trucks a month.
The trees were planted around the school premises and Oxfam, school agree to continuously move the campaign further.