environment
Youth environmental groups:
Uganda’s environment is
incredibly rich and diverse. Most local children do not appreciate
the national parks that surround them, nor do they even appreciate the land
that they own. They understand and see the land for agriculture purposes
and the trees for firewood, but they do not understand the complex relationships
of the ecosystem. Children do not see that resources are limited and
areas need to be protected in order to maintain the stability of the plants
and animals that live in the area.
Small environmental groups will provide children with structure and guidance to understand the natural ecological processes that they encounter everyday and how to keep them functioning to their maximum. Activities that foster growth in science education, community development, and awareness will help these children to become responsible adults in their communities. Proposed activities include: Tree nursery beds, ecology camps, organized clean ups, song and dance competitions, environmental education, etc.
Current
Status:
Three youth groups currently exist in Uganda that receive assistance
from ECO. Two are in the village of Iruhurra (30 members each) and
one is in the village of Kanyawara (15 members). The Brevard Zoo has
supplied t-shirts for the past 2 years to help the members maintain a sense
of unity. This past year, the Brevard Zoo also supported the youth
groups with an Education Suitcase filled with books, craft materials, worksheets,
and puppets to help the students continue educating the community with visual
materials.
The groups currently assist the community in projects such as tree nursery beds, and song and dance within the community. ECO also helped to train one of the youth groups in song and dance techniques that will help them in the future to get their message across to their communities in a more effective manner. ECO plans to help support the other two groups to be trained in the future.