Like other urban cities, Bulawayo is facing environmental degradation in the decline in forest cover and the degradation of land, such as we...
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Like other urban cities, Bulawayo is facing environmental degradation in the decline in forest cover and the degradation of land, such as wetlands, due to changing land uses to make way for urban infrastructure development. And since 2020, nearly 700 students from six different schools are benefiting from environmental symposiums, organised by Cinderella Ndlovu of Green Hut Trust, where they learn about biodiversity crisis, climate change, and conservation. In addition, they are offered guidance on green careers to spark their interest in the environment. After these seminars and nature walks, students can also educate their families and peers about the environment.
Tinzwei: Can you please give a brief background about yourself and your organisation.
Cinderella Ndlovu (CN): My name is Cinderella Ndlovu, the Founder and Executive Director of Green Hut Trust, a nonprofit environmental organisation based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Our mission is to raise environmentally conscious, responsible and proactive citizenry with regards to endemic environmental challenges including climate change.
Tinzwei: Can you please give a brief background about yourself and your organisation.
Cinderella Ndlovu (CN): My name is Cinderella Ndlovu, the Founder and Executive Director of Green Hut Trust, a nonprofit environmental organisation based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Our mission is to raise environmentally conscious, responsible and proactive citizenry with regards to endemic environmental challenges including climate change.
Over the past three years we have been working tirelessly to ensure that our programming reaches out to diverse groups in society. In light of world wetlands day commemorated on the 2nd of February every year, as an organisation we have been running environmental education and awareness programs in schools in the form of climate change and biodiversity symposiums as well as nature walks.
Tinzwei: You mention that: “As an organisation we have been running environmental education and awareness programs in schools in the form of climate change and biodiversity symposiums as well as nature walks.” Can you please explain this further?
CN: Since 2020 we have hosted symposiums in six different schools where we conducted interactive presentations on the internet and biodiversity crisis. The aim of these symposiums is to raise awareness in schools about climate change, biodiversity conservation and the active role they can play in their communities to address endemic challenges. We also take them through green careers and jobs to spark their interest in careers to do with nature and environmentally friendly manners
Tinzwei: How many students have participated so far in the symposiums and how do you measure your success?
CN: For nature walks we have partnered with Silwane nature reserve located 10 km from the Bulawayo CBD. We utilise the natural environment at the reserve to conduct practical learning and physical interaction with natural elements of the environment. Last year, we hosted Junior Councillors as part of an activity for World Biodiversity Day. We taught them about indigenous tree species, planted trees and toured the reserve. The educational programs have provided students with a unique learning experience outside the scope of what is covered by the school syllabi.
During nature walks, we talk to them about the global crisis and contextualise it using local experience of climate change impacts and biodiversity decline. Unlike conventional career guidance, we look into green careers and pathways through which young people can play an active role in addressing these challenges at a local level. So far, we have reached over 700 students in seven different local schools. We often couple these symposiums with Tree planting, having the students nurture the trees has been a form of measuring the success of our interventions
Tinzwei: What are the greatest environmental challenges that you are facing and addressing in your community?
CN: The greatest environmental challenges we have need facing in our community is environmental degradation. We are in an urban environment where we are witnessing the decline in forest cover and the degradation of land due to changing land uses mostly to make way for urban infrastructure development. Drawing from a personal experience as an environmental science graduate, I used to struggle a lot with modules on forestry as almost all the indigenous tree species I was expected to know were foreign to me.
The fact that I grew up in a city and there were no indigenous trees to familiarize with. As urban expansion continues and resettlement areas are expanding, our program is reaching out to communities to address deforestation and raise awareness on conservation. The response we have gotten so far has been positive. One of the students in Matopo district who took part in an apiculture training we facilitated with the Rotaract Club of Matopos has been making his own beehives at home. This shows how some of the students are internalising our programs and applying them.
Tinzwei: What kind of programmes do you teach your students and how are they responding to these?
CN: We work very well with the Climate change management department of Zimbabwe and have participated in a number of programs including consultation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). We also contributed to the NDC youth policy brief together with other youth led organizations such as the Africa youth initiative on climate Zimbabwe (AYICCZIM). In 2019, we contributed to the UN Climate Change learning Strategy for Zimbabwe.
Some of our main partners are Target 13 and Vital recycling for waste management programs. We also work with the Rotaract Club of Matopos, Waste Money Private limited and local Community Based Organizations. The Environmental Management Agency and Bulawayo City council have been receptive to our interventions in communities around the city. One of our youth programs on the environmental impacts of unsustainable mining in Umzingwane District was supported by the Fredrich Naumann Foundation.
Tinzwei: How effectively do you work or collaborate with other government or independent organisations?
CN: There is indeed a direct link between the lack of knowledge and environmental degradation. Most of the time people destroying the environment do not know of the severity of their actions. An example is the practice of pole fencing in rural areas that has led to massive deforestation as trees are cut to build elaborate evidence fencing around yards. Grassroot communities are the driving force of sustainable climate action, without the right knowledge efforts to address climate change cannot be successful. We cannot protect what we do not know hence the need for awareness raising and education.
Tinzwei: Is there any direct link between lack of education/knowledge and environmental destruction or climate change?
CN: There is indeed a direct link between the lack of knowledge and environmental degradation. Most of the time people destroying the environment do not know of the severity of their actions. An example is the practice of pole fencing in rural areas that has led to massive deforestation as trees are cut to build elaborate evidence fencing around yards. Grassroot communities are the driving force of sustainable climate action, without the right knowledge efforts to address climate change cannot be successful. We cannot protect what we do not know hence the need for awareness raising and education.
Tinzwei: How do you select students for your programmes and do you give any certificates for attending?
CN: We often target environmental clubs However for the symposiums we were targeting all students as we felt that selecting a few would defeat the purpose. Climate change is cross cutting, it can be a social, scientific or economic issue depending on the lens you want to use hence all students need to be part of the conversation regardless of what subject they do.
Tinzwei: What is the gap that exists in our education system in terms of environment and climate change education that you are fulfilling?
CN: The gaps in our education system I would say is the lack of practical learning and relatability of the curriculum to lived experiences especially climate change and environmental degradation. Students should be incentivised to come up with innovations to address some of these challenges. The education sector is a powerful resource for researching climate change in Zimbabwe and preferring tailor-made solutions. enhancing practical learning is crucial in actively involving students. Other countries have gone to the extent of making tree planting a prerequisite for graduating.
Tinzwei: Can you please add any other relevant information?
CN: Since last year, we have had a monthly digital newsletter that is part of education and awareness. We have been hosting nature walks and talks at Silwane Nature reserve for children and youths of different ages. Due to the fact that we are located in an urban setup, there are not a lot of undisturbed environments to interact with hence places such as Silwane nature reserves provide urbanites a link to the natural environment. This is also a great environment to learn about our indigenous tree species which we advocate for in our tree planting campaigns around the city. Our philosophy is we cannot protect what we do not know thus for communities to actively participate in nature conservation, they have to know what they are conserving and its value.
Tinzwei: You mention that: “As an organisation we have been running environmental education and awareness programs in schools in the form of climate change and biodiversity symposiums as well as nature walks.” Can you please explain this further?
CN: Since 2020 we have hosted symposiums in six different schools where we conducted interactive presentations on the internet and biodiversity crisis. The aim of these symposiums is to raise awareness in schools about climate change, biodiversity conservation and the active role they can play in their communities to address endemic challenges. We also take them through green careers and jobs to spark their interest in careers to do with nature and environmentally friendly manners
Tinzwei: How many students have participated so far in the symposiums and how do you measure your success?
CN: For nature walks we have partnered with Silwane nature reserve located 10 km from the Bulawayo CBD. We utilise the natural environment at the reserve to conduct practical learning and physical interaction with natural elements of the environment. Last year, we hosted Junior Councillors as part of an activity for World Biodiversity Day. We taught them about indigenous tree species, planted trees and toured the reserve. The educational programs have provided students with a unique learning experience outside the scope of what is covered by the school syllabi.
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| An environmental awareness class at a primary school in Bulawayo |
Tinzwei: What are the greatest environmental challenges that you are facing and addressing in your community?
CN: The greatest environmental challenges we have need facing in our community is environmental degradation. We are in an urban environment where we are witnessing the decline in forest cover and the degradation of land due to changing land uses mostly to make way for urban infrastructure development. Drawing from a personal experience as an environmental science graduate, I used to struggle a lot with modules on forestry as almost all the indigenous tree species I was expected to know were foreign to me.
The fact that I grew up in a city and there were no indigenous trees to familiarize with. As urban expansion continues and resettlement areas are expanding, our program is reaching out to communities to address deforestation and raise awareness on conservation. The response we have gotten so far has been positive. One of the students in Matopo district who took part in an apiculture training we facilitated with the Rotaract Club of Matopos has been making his own beehives at home. This shows how some of the students are internalising our programs and applying them.
Tinzwei: What kind of programmes do you teach your students and how are they responding to these?
CN: We work very well with the Climate change management department of Zimbabwe and have participated in a number of programs including consultation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). We also contributed to the NDC youth policy brief together with other youth led organizations such as the Africa youth initiative on climate Zimbabwe (AYICCZIM). In 2019, we contributed to the UN Climate Change learning Strategy for Zimbabwe.
Some of our main partners are Target 13 and Vital recycling for waste management programs. We also work with the Rotaract Club of Matopos, Waste Money Private limited and local Community Based Organizations. The Environmental Management Agency and Bulawayo City council have been receptive to our interventions in communities around the city. One of our youth programs on the environmental impacts of unsustainable mining in Umzingwane District was supported by the Fredrich Naumann Foundation.
Tinzwei: How effectively do you work or collaborate with other government or independent organisations?
CN: There is indeed a direct link between the lack of knowledge and environmental degradation. Most of the time people destroying the environment do not know of the severity of their actions. An example is the practice of pole fencing in rural areas that has led to massive deforestation as trees are cut to build elaborate evidence fencing around yards. Grassroot communities are the driving force of sustainable climate action, without the right knowledge efforts to address climate change cannot be successful. We cannot protect what we do not know hence the need for awareness raising and education.
Tinzwei: Is there any direct link between lack of education/knowledge and environmental destruction or climate change?
CN: There is indeed a direct link between the lack of knowledge and environmental degradation. Most of the time people destroying the environment do not know of the severity of their actions. An example is the practice of pole fencing in rural areas that has led to massive deforestation as trees are cut to build elaborate evidence fencing around yards. Grassroot communities are the driving force of sustainable climate action, without the right knowledge efforts to address climate change cannot be successful. We cannot protect what we do not know hence the need for awareness raising and education.
Tinzwei: How do you select students for your programmes and do you give any certificates for attending?
CN: We often target environmental clubs However for the symposiums we were targeting all students as we felt that selecting a few would defeat the purpose. Climate change is cross cutting, it can be a social, scientific or economic issue depending on the lens you want to use hence all students need to be part of the conversation regardless of what subject they do.
Tinzwei: What is the gap that exists in our education system in terms of environment and climate change education that you are fulfilling?
CN: The gaps in our education system I would say is the lack of practical learning and relatability of the curriculum to lived experiences especially climate change and environmental degradation. Students should be incentivised to come up with innovations to address some of these challenges. The education sector is a powerful resource for researching climate change in Zimbabwe and preferring tailor-made solutions. enhancing practical learning is crucial in actively involving students. Other countries have gone to the extent of making tree planting a prerequisite for graduating.
Tinzwei: Can you please add any other relevant information?
CN: Since last year, we have had a monthly digital newsletter that is part of education and awareness. We have been hosting nature walks and talks at Silwane Nature reserve for children and youths of different ages. Due to the fact that we are located in an urban setup, there are not a lot of undisturbed environments to interact with hence places such as Silwane nature reserves provide urbanites a link to the natural environment. This is also a great environment to learn about our indigenous tree species which we advocate for in our tree planting campaigns around the city. Our philosophy is we cannot protect what we do not know thus for communities to actively participate in nature conservation, they have to know what they are conserving and its value.
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