Gov't launches toolkits to teach children on climate-smart agriculture

The government through the Ministry of Agriculture has launched a set of communication toolkits aimed at teaching children about climate-smart agriculture which is part of the 4-K Clubs programme reintroduced in schools by President Uhuru Kenyatta in June last year.

Among the items launched on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, were a children’s guidebook, a website, a set of instructional videos, and a set of climate-smart agriculture games.

According to the Chief Administrative Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Ms. Anne Nyaga, these toolkits are meant to teach children how to become environmentally aware and to take climate action as they practice their farming.

She further intimated that the toolkits had been launched since many young Kenyans have the will to practice farming, but due to climate change they have nowhere to turn to for proper information on how to practice climate-smart agriculture.

The CAS spearheaded the creation of the toolkits as a way to also enhance the work that is carried out by the 4-K Clubs of Kenya, which were revived by President Uhuru Kenyatta in June 2021.

She places particular emphasis on the importance of teaching children about climate-smart agriculture as an effort to ensure that future generations can conserve the environment and begin conservation efforts at an early age.

“Investing in children at that age ensures that they have the right tools to fight climate change and pass them on to future generations as well,” she said.  

The launch took place in Nakuru County, at the Egerton University in Njoro.

Also present at the event were representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP), members of the 4-K Clubs, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Fisheries and Cooperatives. These organizations provided strategic partnerships in ensuring the development and launch of these toolkits were successful.

Speaking at the launch event of these toolkits, Ms. Nyaga indicated that the book, titled ‘A Kid’s Guide to Climate-Smart Agriculture’ was derived from KSCAP’s Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy: 2017 – 2026. She also indicated that the website contained information that is necessary for children to take climate action, including instructional videos, written text, images and important contact information.

The Ministry of Agriculture reiterated its promise to continue supporting the 4-K Clubs of Kenya, either through strategic partnerships in creating even more toolkits or through continued capacity-building efforts.