Nurturing a green generation

By Kinyanjui Munge

Dr. Ayub Macharia , Director Environmental Education and Awareness (with turban) in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry cuts a tape to officially open the event at the Light Schools in Karen

The Director, Environmental Education and Awareness Unit in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Dr. Ayub Macharia, today kicked off the Golden Climate International Environmental Project Olympiad at the Light International School in Karen. The competition, now in its eighth edition, featured more than 200 projects by students from 19 countries around the globe. The Olympiad aims to promote environmentally sustainable innovations while raising environmental awareness among the young. Dr Macharia, representing of the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Forestry lauded the school for the initiative which he says will help in increasing awareness of environmental issues among the youth.

The theme of the competition this year is ‘Raising a Golden Generation to Achieve a Golden Climate’. The objectives of the Olympiad include promoting cultural integration, innovativeness and environmental awareness. Dr Macharia, in his opening remarks commented that the Olympiad enables young people to be aware of environmental challenges and to contribute in creating solutions to counter these challenges. He  reiterated that the Olympiad contributed greatly to what is documented in Kenya’s laws, policies and strategies and her commitment to sustainable development.

Dr Macharia insisted that it would be futile to attempt to reach Kenya’s ambitious development objectives without first changing the attitudes and values that the people have on sustainable development. “Behaviors such as irresponsible dumping of waste, overharvesting of natural resources, overconsumption and lack of respect for the environment, among others must be changed through education awareness,” he said. In addition, Dr Macharia remarked that the event was in tandem with various multilateral agreements made over the last several years to promote environmental awareness and sustainable development. In this regard, Dr Macharia assured the guests of the Ministry’s interest in the event and the outcomes thereof.  Ibrahim Bichachi, the Chairperson of Light International Schools, was positive that the projects exhibited today would transit to the real world and help in making a positive contribution to the environment.

Representing the Nigerian High Commission, Mr Syndolph Endoni remarked that the Olympiad was instrumental in promoting cultural integration, international cooperation and sustainable development. These remarks were echoed by the Nairobi County Director of Education, John Ololtuaa who commended the school for organizing the contest. The 201 projects on display were chosen from over 800 proposals from students around the world. The projects featured today were selected because of their novelty, uniqueness and feasibility of application.