Ten-year-old environmentalist feted for effort to combat climate change
The World Environment Day celebrations held in Embu county last week gave an opportunity for environmentalists to gather and share thoughts on how to tackle the climate change issue facing Kenya and the world.
Participants included Alice Wanjiru, a ten-year old girl who has been passionate about conserving the environment. The Brookhouse School pupil is going to every length to ensure that the war on climate change is won.
Through the Green Hummingbird Foundation, Wanjiru is already growing over 5,000 trees at the Afro Forest along Nairobi’s Ruai area, and she is hoping to grow 10 million trees by the year 2032.
Tackle climate change
“Climate change effects are sparing no one including the children. When we had floods recently, we lost children, some were displaced, and education was disrupted. Something must be done to tackle climate change,” she says.
To achieve her dream, the Foundation in which Wanjiru is the climate action ambassador, has designed some initiatives that will guide the activities that target children. One of them is to have children plant trees while celebrating their birthdays.
However, Wanjiru’s vision requires running intensive programs that require resources. To this end, the Foundation has a working agreement with the Kenya Scouts Association which has over 2.5 million members, a network that will boost Wanjiru’s efforts to realise her environment conservation agenda.
In recognition of Wanjiru’s efforts, the Scouts body has crowned her the Scouts Climate Action Ambassador. She will now lead other scouts in conserving the environment.
Speaking during the crowning ceremony witnessed by Environment Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya, Scouts Association Chief Executive Officer Moses Danda said that her crowning goes a long way to motivating the young generation to actively engage in positive environmental activities that will help minimise the effects of climate change.
