The cities of Africa are increasingly confronted with the challenges of population growth and climate change. Their ecosystems are threatened by the devastation of the landscape, a lack of hygiene awareness and the increase in plastic waste. There is an urgent need to promote social change and especially environmental protection by raising awareness of nature and using and protecting natural resources.
The aim of the project in the municipality of Foundiougne in western Senegal is to encourage children and young people to develop positive attitudes, skills and responsibilities and to be “change agents” in their own community. Environment, waste education starts from early childhood!
Important project successes:
Good hygiene and sanitation practices are permanently embedded in the school environment. The students have specifically changed their climate-damaging waste disposal practices and sweep, clean, sort and dispose of the waste in an environmentally friendly and regular manner.
The living environment of the schools has already been improved through landscaping and graffiti. The students regularly take part in the maintenance of schoolyards and facilities. The school was landscaped and the infrastructure repaired.
A “club for environmental education” was founded and schoolchildren were trained in recycling. A botanical garden has been created and is managed by the trained students.
An innovative “future project” that encourages us to consider today’s innovative development work and climate protection as a unit that will be continued in the long term!
- The municipality will continue to be able to positively counteract the negative effects on the environment caused by urbanization and population growth through this exemplary project. Neighboring communities now have a concrete example project that they can use as a guide and which they can use themselves. In the long term, this project can thus have a comprehensive influence on other municipalities and a transfer of know-how can take place.
A scale-up project for many disadvantaged regions.
