Ms Takalani Tshiovhe, a senior lecturer in the Professional and Curriculum Studies Department at the University of Venda (Univen), encouraged the learners and educators at Ndamuleleni Secondary School in Ha-Mutsha, outside Thohoyandou, to keep on planting trees and to build a healthy environment for the future.
Tshiovhe's department, in collaboration with the Thohoyandou Botanical Garden, under the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), and the Makhado Local Municipality's parks and cemetery facility, has selected 20 schools in the Vhembe West Circuit to participate in the Keeping It Cool (KIC) Programme, which is directly related to climate change and raising awareness on the importance of reducing carbon dioxide through planting trees and fighting against trees' being cut down unnecessarily.
She addressed the learners and educators of the school on Friday, 10 September, as part of the Arbour Day celebrations. "Trees can reduce the impact of climate change, produce medicine, and provide shelter and shade. They are also a source of oxygen and help to absorb carbon dioxide. In other words, trees are essential. We must warn communities against chopping down trees," she said.
Tshiovhe said that all teachers should be trained on how to teach the learners in their classrooms more about climate change. Teachers are also encouraged to initiate environmental projects at schools, such as planting trees and vegetables.
Mr Enos Nemalamangwa, project leader of the KIC programme and an educator at Ndamuleleni Secondary, was very excited about his school's being among the chosen schools to take part in the programme. He said that they would grab this opportunity with both hands and looked forward to playing their part in helping to cool the climate down.
Nemalamangwa said the school already had a vegetable garden in which they had planted different kinds of vegetables, such as spinach, cabbage and tomatoes, which also aided their nutritional programme for the learners.
The school principal, Ms Nancy Mapikule, said she was honoured to have the Keep it Cool for Climate Change programme initiated at her school.