Children to be recognized for climate change efforts as First Lady's Mazingira Awards launched

The inaugural First Lady Mazingira Awards (FLAMA) will be held on October 10, 2024, where primary school children will be recognized for their efforts in climate action.

The awards were officially launched on Thursday at the Sarova Stanley hotel in Nairobi with a call for more involvement of young people in mitigating climate change.

Speaking during the launch, Environment and Climate Principal Secretary Dr. Eng. Festus Ng'eno emphasized the programme’s focus on empowering children to take an active role n environmental conservation.

“Today, we celebrate the achievement and focus of our children on environmental change. Looking forward to Mazingira Day, we want to thank the President for renaming October 10th to be Environment Day,” said PS Ng’eno.

“Through creative writing and arts, learners have the opportunity to become vocal advocates for their planet, engaging in activities in meaningful discussions about conservation and climate resilience.”

He highlighted that environmental education has been integrated in the school curriculum aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 and the national goal to plant 15 billion trees by 2032.

The programme, spearheaded by Mama Doing Good, has already impacted 89,000 learners from private and public schools and aims at equipping 18 million learners with practical skills.

Elizabeth Koskei, the Chief Executive Officer of Mama Doing Good, affirmed that Kenya has predominantly youth with a median age of 19 years and are key to sustainability of achieving climate change.

“Looking ahead, we are eager to continue working with the media including exploring the possibility of organizing a media fellowship for environmental reporters,” said Koskei.

Florence Amoit, who spoke on behalf of the Basic Education PS, mentioned plans and ambitions of planting over a billion trees in a span of 10 years.

She also inspired learners to become the forefront champions on tree growing and assured them of full support.

“The Ministry of Education is proud to be part of this. Learners in education institutions have a chance to positively contribute to the national goal of planting 15 billion trees,” Amoit stated.