If there is something that I cannot give up now, then it must be growing up at this age and time. There are many interesting things which are taking place, and they are all epic in nature. The most defining events for me are those concerning efforts to restore the environment and rethink the whole concept of development. In this special series, Bridging the Green Divide, I will explore various aspects which are being addressed, and others that need to be addressed, in order to bridge the Green Divide.
There are more than 1 billion young people in the world today, and they are the biggest investment to securing their own future, and that of subsequent generations. Learning by doing is the best way of inculcating ideas into the minds of the young ones. With respect to this, environmental education is the answer to sustaining sustainable development. All aspects of development are interlinked, and it is important to pivot this type of development on sustainability.
Last year, in November 2011, I was involved in a tree planting exercise organized by Teachers Environmental Rescue, a nonprofit dedicated to environmental education. It was a session for kids to learn of the importance of environmental conservation, take part in it, and have have by playing the whaky games. I was honored to take part in this awesome event, and it was partly due to the ongoing partnership with my fellow UNEP-Bayer Young Environmental Envoy Manda Njoroge. So far, children from surrounding schools have planted more than 20,000 trees at the Ruiru Prison's Children's Forest (its just amazing!).
A picture is worth a thousand words, so enjoy the pictures from the event below:
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| Preparing for the whaky games. |
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| Mr. Mapesa, of Ruiru Prisons, showing the children how to plant trees |
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| Just look at the enthusiasm on their faces |
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| Planting a sustainable future |
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| Secondary school students also take part in the event |
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| When I grow up, I want to be the next Wangari Maathai |
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| Mrs. Mwaura, the patron, sharing tips on how to correctly plant trees |
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| And planting trees is fun, no? |
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| Manda Njoroge taking kids through the activities |
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| Of course, kids love to play! |
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| Three-legged race vs two-legged race |
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| The awesome team of volunteers who made the event a success (I am the one holding the loaf of bread) |
