Story

By Ningi Sibisi
DEA
Imvelo yetu 2020 The programme has been welcomed very well by communities and schools. Recruitment was not a problem but I am now preferring schools because I can do 3 sessions a day which fast track the target. What was most enjoyed by participants: The part that caught the eyes of many of my participants is the relationship between cutting trees and the loss of oxygen. Many people did not the danger of cutting tress as they believe as long as there are trees it doesn't matter how much. We discussed this and made several examples of how important it is to have as many trees as possible. What was not enjoyed by participants: The discussion about ecosystem and the importance of all creatures was understood by most participants, however, they were all not happy about the the existence of the snake. I had to use all the information that Susan shared during T3 when I also did not agree with the snake issue. I managed to make them understand that it is fine to be afraid of something but that doesn't give us rights to kill. After a lengthy discussion we will finally come to an understanding that if human beings can stay away from snakes they will not be f risk to them. Impact of the programme: What I realized was that people were not aware that in as much as we need civilization but if we use nature to produce manmade product, we may end up with no nature which results in a series of problems like climate change. The desperation of life in their eyes make me believe they will make some changes by preserving nature. When I present certificates I always tell them they are now our ambassadors which means they have to educate others and stop those damaging nature. That statement make them feel important to this programme and I feel they use all they can to share the information whilst they change how they handle nature for generations to come. People enjoyed the card game as it gives them a chance to assess the situation and come up with solutions.