The British Council Catalyses Action in Africa

The British Council Connecting Classrooms project encouraged their partner schools to plant trees to celebrate World Environment Day under the umbrella of the Billion Tree Campaign.
With Connecting Classrooms, the British Council hopes to establish a forum for debate, exchange of information, capacity building and cooperation between schools in Sub-Saharan Africa and the United Kingdom in the pursuit of their goal to encourage the sustainable management of our environment.

In Namibia:
Students from Hochland High School, Auas Primary School and the Lenazi Cluster planted three species of indigenous trees:

• Sideroxylon Inerme/Milkwood
• Platycladus nana compacta
• Bolusantus speciosus.

The tree planting exercise was a special occasion and over 600 students and 10 teachers took part. The schools hope to place benches underneath the trees once they have grown. These areas will be designated park areas to be used for recreation. Trees were planted in different areas of the school grounds to encourage learners to use all parts of the school. Terrain prefects will care for trees, monitoring them on a regular basis. Teachers (Geography and Environmental Studies) will monitor the nurturing of the trees. Manure and extra soil has been purchased for upkeep of the trees. The teachers also hope to use the trees in their curriculum for natural science projects.

In Ethiopia:
The Ethiopian Millennium and the International Day of the African Child and in recognition of the urgent need for young people to participate in environmental conservation, students of Bole High School in Addis Ababa, a partner school in British Council’s Connecting Classrooms project participated in a tree planting exercise on Saturday 16 June 2007.
The Ethiopian Minister of Agriculture and representatives of UNICEF, UNEP and European Union attended the event. In total 150 trees were planted. The students of Bole High School have committed to nurturing these trees. Connecting Classrooms students and teachers will continue to participate in activities to protect and regenerate our environment. It is an effort the project hopes will continue to motivate young people around the world to take individual and collective responsibility for the earth; one tree at a time.

In Senegal:
The British Council Connecting Classrooms Project in Senegal committed part of their school day to tree planting. Students and teachers from Djinabo High School, Tete Diadhiou Junior Secondary School, and Biram Beye Primary School participated in this effort. They planted various indigenous trees within the school compound and committed to nurturing the trees. It is their hope that tree planting will reassert the importance of respecting and protecting the environment and living in harmony with it. 
Jane Henry, the Project Manager for Connecting Classrooms hopes that this project will continue to encourage young people to enhance their intellectual, practical and creative skills and capabilities at individual and collective levels. By so doing, the young people will contribute considerably to the advancement of ideas and practices on global issues such as the environment.

In Mauritius:
Students at Swami Sivananda State Secondary School in Andiusana Mauritius celebrated World Environment Day on 5 June 2007 by honouring their pledge to the UNEP Billion Tree Campaign. The event gathered up more than a hundred enthusiastic students with the objective of creating awareness among young people about global warming. The British Council feels that they have successfully met their goals, as seen from the concern shown by the students.nt gathered up more than a hundred enthusiastic students with the objective of creating awareness among young people about global warming. The British Council feels that they have successfully met their goals, as seen from the concern shown by the students. 

Below are a few quotes gathered from the participants in the project:
Melinda Mounsmie Oosman (Rector): “A most laudable gesture by the British Council: to make young people aware of their environment and teach them to care for it in a personal way. 
Planting a tree and nurturing it can be a piece of the solution, in the big jigsaw puzzle called the 'protection of the environment'.” 

Sheereenaz Nundlall: “Its my pleasure to inform you that I was extremely happy by the word that the British Council representative had said, and I want to collaborate with them... on 6 June 2007 after noting that they have planted some trees in our school yard, I went home to have some planted in my yard, to protect us from the greenhouse effect...”.

Dyall Indoomanee: “Our planet is in our hands... protect it”. 

Hoorvashi Sookee: “... that made us think there are a lot of problems on Earth... the more we plant the more safe the Earth will be.” 

Hashnee Chulan: “... I realized that there are many climate change phenomena in the outer world...”

Lovena Soobaul: “... After listening to a small speech of a man from British Council, I realised that there are many climatic challenges in the whole world...” More>>

For More information, please contact

Elizabeth Githinji
Africa Co-ordinator
Connecting Classrooms and Africa Dreams & Teams
Sub-Saharan Africa
British Council
Upper Hill Road
P.O. Box 40751 - 00100
00100 NAIROBI
Kenya
Tel: +254 20 2836211
Tel: Direct: +254 2836209
Fax: +254 20 2836500
E-mail: Elizabeth.Githinji@britishcouncil.or.ke