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Aga Khan Schools to launch compulsory tree planting exercise
Some of the Aga Khan Schools students witness Mr Seyani Mahmoud, the chief executive officer for Aga Khan Education Services in Uganda, assisted by Mr Ikram Ullah, the head of Aga Khan Properties in Uganda, launch the tree planting campaign at the proposed Aga Khan Academies Campus in Munyonyo, Kampala, yesterday. PHOTOs | STEPHEN OTAGE
What you need to know:
- Ms Joy Onic, the president of the environment club, said they want to demonstrate to other schools, youth and Ugandans, that the youth can be used to conserve the environment.
The Aga Khan Education Services management have said they hope to rally all their students to start mandatory tree planting as a way of engaging them in environmental and climate action.
Speaking at the launch of a campaign to plant a forest at the Aga Khan Academy premises in Munyonyo, Kampala, yesterday, Mr Seyani Mahmoud, the chief executive officer for Aga Khan Education Services in Uganda, said as a group of schools, they have the duty and responsibility to help children understand that they must do all that it takes to combat climate change by taking care of the environment and the community.
“We are gathered here having brought 30 students to plant 500 trees to engage them in climate action. As developing countries, even if we are the small generators of carbon and the big countries emit a lot, we face a big challenge from climate change,” he said.
He added that the tree planting project was proposed by the students themselves and as a school, they hope to engage more students for its sustainability.
Mr Fred Tukahirwa, the principal of Aga Khan High School in Kampala, said one of their goals is making education relevant to the lives of the students they teach and much as they teach environmental degradation in different subjects in the curriculum, where students only read and learn what is happening elsewhere in the world, they are bringing the concept home by making students understand that this is a global challenge.
Aga Khan Schools students, staff and some of the community members after the launch of the tree planting exercise yesterday.
“They should understand that this is a global challenge and we believe that when they plant a tree, they will understand the significance of a tree in their lives. We also encourage them they go home to plant trees and we believe that they will also be able to engage in agro forestry,” he said.
Ms Magdalene Lamwaka, the coordinator for school water and sanitation clubs and the environmental clubs at the Aga Khan Education Services, said they launched the campaign to celebrate the earth day and at the Aga Khan Schools, they want every student to appreciate the environment.
Ms Joy Onic, the president of the environment club, said they want to demonstrate to other schools, youth and Ugandans, that the youth can be used to conserve the environment.
“The project intends to make it exemplary to other people that as youths, we want to conserve the environment for the next generation. This is part of our school climate action activity. We came with this initiative because we want to conserve the environment for the next generation,” she said.
