DAPP engages primary schools in climate change fight

Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) Malawi through its 400 primary school program has so far planted 30 000 trees in 75 primary schools in the fight against global warming and climate change that has taken a heavy toll in the country.

DAPP 400 primary school program coordinator, Jimmy Brian Kayange said the program was designed to bring together DAPP teacher graduates on voluntary basis for a continuous development forum to share experiences and find solutions to challenges they face in their schools.

“Apart from our core objective of training teachers; we are also equipping them to have a beyond-classroom association with the learners as well as engage surrounding communities on crucial aspects that are affecting the country like climate change.

“The teachers are trained to teach learners and communities not only planting trees but why they are planting trees. So far, since the start of the program in 2016 we have managed to plant trees in 75 primary schools from central and the northern regions,” said Kayange.

He said DAPP is running campaigns in the rural areas on global warming and that at least 1500 households in different communities have been trained on making firewood saving stoves so that they don’t cut down trees unnecessarily.

Kayange said in its quest to sustain the trees, teachers assign a single tree to a learner for marks so that they feel responsible and take proper care of that particular tree.

The group which started in 2012 with 18 teachers as volunteers has now 100 primary schools from 18 districts participating in the program, according to Kayange.

“Our goal is to make sure that we achieve the 400 primary schools by the end of this year while we scale up the program in other districts. Currently, we are offering the training workshops in Blantyre,” added Kayange.

DAPP has since 2003 trained more than 2700 teachers from which some are working in government primary schools across the country.

The country’s 2019/2020 tree planting season launched by President Professor Peter Mutharika on December 18 2019 at Nkando in Mulanje is currently underway and 62 million trees are expected to be planted countrywide.

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