Cardinal Otunga Mosocho High School has been selected as a model school for instruction for environment conservation and Climate Change mitigation in Kisii County.
While launching the Programme Kisii County Director of Education Philip Chirchir lauded the National Environment Management Authority(NEMA) and the Red Cross organizations calling upon the school community to embrace it.
“This is a good programme whose time has come and I call upon all parents teachers and students of this school and other education stakeholders to embrace it.”He said.
NEMA official Beatrice Ongaki said the programme was in tandem with President William Ruto’s call to conserve and preserve the environment by increasing the forest cover in the country.
She led her group to teach the students the importance of a clean environment towards the improvement of their mental health and mind stability as they study.
NEMA team took the learners and teachers through various Tree planting and management guidelines including, the establishment of a tree nursery, care of the seedlings in the nursery, transplanting them and their transportation to the main seedbed.
“I would like the school to take their target of planting 1 Million trees within five years,” Ongaki said.
Ongaki underscored the importance of planting and preserving indigenous trees saying they were part of the country’s heritage.
She told students to be the ambassadors of forest establishment in their homes by discouraging wanton destruction of the existing trees because they provide beauty in addition to the purification of the air they breathe for their daily survival.
She appealed to the communities to avoid planting eucalyptus trees along the river banks because they drain rivers as they syphon water from the rivers at a higher rate than other plants.
“Eucalyptus trees are the great enemies of our environment, I urge all residents of this country to declare war against them.’She said.
She asked teachers of Biology, Chemistry and Geography in the school to be at the forefront towards the conservation of the environment by educating the populace on how to go about the programme because their subjects place them in a better position to understand the technicalities in their surroundings.
She asked teachers of Geography and Agriculture to demystify the teaching of climate change by writing books in the vernacular for the common man to understand the dangers of climate change.
“Teachers go out and walk an extra mile as you untie those jargons of ozone layer destruction and global warming to our people to understand the peril awaiting them unless they stand to be counted on the war against climate change.”She said
She promised that her organization will partner with both the National and Kisii County government to start a plastic recycling centre in the school.
“We want this school to be a model of environmental conservation and Climate change mitigation and from here the programme will roll out to other schools.”She said.
The Chief principal of the School Albert Ombiro thanked the organizations for choosing his school for piloting the programme.
He promised that the institution will endeavour to seize the opportunity to partner with other schools to realize its goals.
Saying that climate change is a global threat, he expressed optimism about the success of the project and promised that the institution’s Board of Management will support it.
“Today marks a milestone for our school. For us to be chosen as a model for climate change mitigation in the country this is a great honour that we shall cuddle and walk with our partners to success.”He said.
The principal said that his school has already planted 10, 000 seedlings this year and promised to plant more because the school has agreed to make tree planting an annual celebration.
By Enock Okong’o
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