ENDESHA Chief Operations Officer Patience Mwila says learners are critical partners in the fight against climate change.
Ms Mwila says learners are better placed to help find solutions to problems their communities are faced with.
She has explained in an interview with ZANIS today that children can be better agents of change if equipped with the right information.
Ms Mwila disclosed that her organisation is working with 58 schools on the Copperbelt and Solwezi District on different climate change programmes.
“We are working with fifty-eight schools on the Copper belt and Solwezi District, by giving them an opportunity to design their own projects that can help find solutions to problems brought by climate change,” Ms Mwila said.
Ms Mwila added that the programmes has not exempted children from rural schools adding that the organisation does not believe in language being a barrier for children innovation, networking or exposure.
She lamented that the organisation believes that ‘every child ‘can,’ through equity and equality.
Ms Mwila explained that her organisation believes that children can be super heroes if well guided and that her organisation was using the ‘FIDS’ framework to work with the learners.
“This enables them to feel, meaning they are empathetic about a problem, imagine what they can do about it and share with their communities the solutions,” she said.
Ms Mwila added that her organisation was teaching children to be empathetic with both the environment and communities they live in if they are to be impactful.
She however noted that there was a need for school administrators to embrace climate change and be part of the solution by motivating their teachers.
“Motivation is not only about money, it can also be about a Head Teacher commending a teacher for the good work he is doing,” Ms Mwila noted.
Ms Mwila added that lack of motivation has left some teachers sticking to doing what is in the curriculum and no extracurricular activities.
“Some teachers merely register their presence to do what they are employed to do nothing else, all they want is to teach, teach and leave, but what are they teaching? Merely information that is not sustainable to the learners,” she said.
She called on the government to consider giving incentives to Guidance and Counseling Teachers in schools if they are to be effective.
“Guidance and Counseling Teachers are overwhelmed with responsibilities that have no incentives, the government would do well to motivate them,” Ms Mwila said.
Ms Mwila however, emphasised the need for patriotism and self-motivation by teachers through loving their work and learners.
“This should not however mean that teachers should be given incentives all the time, sometimes, let us learn to do work for the love of our children, the same way we love those children we leave at home, there is a blessing in helping a child,” she said.
Ms Mwila however, called for concerted efforts in dealing with issues of climate change and that with everyone’s effort Zambia would have a better environment for the children and future generations.
