Featured image for “Well-attended Plant-for-the-Planet Academy with 31 children in Bamako”

February 25, 2019

Well-attended Plant-for-the-Planet Academy with 31 children in Bamako

The third Academy in Mali took place on October 13, 2018. 28 children from 5 different schools were keenly waiting for the Academy to start. The event was free-of-charge for all the attending children, aged from 7 to 16. It took place within the center for young girls in difficulties "Djiguiya Bon" in Bamako in order to carry out innovative actions and initiatives for the participation of youth in achieving the objectives of sustainable development. The overall aim of this program is to promote education and environmental culture to young Malians and train them to become Climate Justice Ambassadors. During the day, the facilitators and participants had dynamic and interactive exchanges on several thematic modules.

The Academy began with a presentation of the Plant-for-the-Planet team about its objectives and missions. That was followed by the presentation of a text on reforestation in Mali. So the children got a better understanding of greenhouse gases, reforestation, desertification, ozone layer, climate change and plant development to face the challenges of the environmental actors in Mali in a better way.

For the following part the children were divided into 8 working groups, to learn about global distribution and global justice in the so called “World Game”. They participated and interacted on the game with the world map and exchanged on concepts such as the classification of continents by number of inhabitants, according to their degree of wealth, CO2- emission and degree of pollution development. After seeing the real life distribution of these resources, all children agreed that the distribution was unjust. Therefore the children redistributed the maps in order to visualize how a fair distribution would look like and to keep in mind that everyone should have equal rights.

In order to take action and speak up for their future, the children need good presentation and speaking skills. During the module of rhetoric, 5 volunteers of the participants had to read 5 texts on the effects of climate change in front of their comrades in order to initiate a discussion on the tips of public oratory and the postures to be adopted.

Afterwards the group planned the activities for the year 2019. It resulted in the following actions to be carried out: Academy restitution to 5 schools welcoming the young girls of the center, organization of a rhetoric workshop, reforestation activities, gardening activity and activities on the objectives of sustainable development as well as excursions.

The Academy was made possible thanks to the commitment of the National Directorate of Water and Forests of Mali, the Ministry of Education and the Djiguiya Bon" young girls” center and due to the team of local organizers. Special thanks go to the Plant-for-the-Planet Programme Coordinator Yvette Ndongo and also to the other supporters Miriam Togo Sidibé, Dimon Dolo and Nana Santara.

A huge thanks to all the helpers around the event! Without their support the academy would not have been possible.