Youth Camp for Environment

Written by Mensa Tsedze, Earth Guardians Africa Coordinator

In order to give a basic environmental education to the younger generation of the Togolese people and to take concrete action in the face of climate change, a camp is taking place from 11 to 17 September 2017. This camp, called "YOUTH CAMP FOR THE ENVIRONMENT", is organized in close collaboration with Earth Guardians Africa, IDEAS For Us and the Canton Chefs with the support of solutions fund.

Indeed, this camp falls within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this case Goals 13, 14 and 15 relating to the protection of the environment and climate will be addressed. This camp will focus on the awareness and training of young people under the age of 18 on the causes and consequences of climate change as well as the approaches to solutions that ensure a more liveable future for generations to come up. This training will be followed by a reforestation session during which each participant is required to put a young plant in the ground and maintain it until it fully develops. We also seek to cultivate the sense of responsibility of this young generation by forming teams responsible for the maintenance of their locality and by making them ambassadors for climate justice.

Pictures above from most recent planting and education events at the college Boudè Koufoulmdè where they planted around 300 plants.

This camp will cover a total of five (5) localities: Waragni (in Blitta) and its neighboring villages; Soumdina Haut, Soumdina Bas, Yadè and Bohou for the Kara region. On the threshold of this "YOUTH CAMP FOR THE ENVIRONMENT"; more than 5,000 trees will be planted and more than 6,000 young people will be equipped to fight climate change, protect aquatic life and make reasonable use of the energy we have.

Video from most recent planting event.

English translation: "My name is Ouro I am Director of the college Boudè Koufoulmdè and spokesperson of the community. We had received an offer of 300 plants from IDEAS for Campus for reforestation in our school. After that we had made binomes and we had given instructions to the students about the interview. This protective activity was an optional subject and the marks received are contacted on the transcripts. And the students received grades based on their efforts. We are pleased to be beneficiaries of this program and especially the tree planting programs which also desertification. This information workshop has been very productive but if IDEAS and Earth Guardians can take into consideration our new class construction grievances, this will help in the fight against desertification and we will put parents and children at the service of protection of the environment . Our community and I are committed to protecting the environment and we are ready to do what is necessary to protect the climate and convey the message."