GOVERNMENT and other stakeholders in the country have been urged to initiate programmes and policies aimed at motivating the youth to develop a friendly attitude towards natural resources and environmental conservation.
Symon Chibaka Programme, Manager for Children In the Wilderness (CITW), an arm of Wilderness Safari, made the remarks on Friday at Nanthomba Primary School in Balaka when CITW members held an exhibition detailing activities the children are involved in environmental conservation.
He said it is a wellknown fact that the youth are regarded as the future of this country as such there is need to start equipping them with required knowledge and skills which will help them deal with emerging challenges such as climate change.
“Environmental issues affect everybody in this country and, through our activities at CITW, we have been engaging the youth to develop a friendly attitude towards the environment. We want them to take natural resources as their friend by realising the benefits of taking care of trees and other natural resources,” said Chibaka.
He said among other things, CITW has been equipping school-going children with leadership skills when trained at a tender age, Malawi will in future have leaders that are conversant with natural resource conservation.
“Apart from the environment, we also promote education for children such that at the moment, 15 children have been enrolled into different universities since the programme started in 2003.
The issue of school dropout at primary level in 17 schools we are operating in across the country has also been dealt with,” he said.
In his remarks, Group Village Head Kwenje commended the programme which he said has managed to restore forestry resources in his area. “Our area is close to Liwonde National Park, which means that forestry resources outside the national park are at risk. But this programme has brought a sense of ownership among the communities,” said Kwenje.
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