EASTERN PROVINCE

KAYONZA — The Rwanda Rural Rehabilitation Initiative (RWARRI) has awarded items and cash prizes to primary and secondary school pupils in Kayonza. The awards are for sensitising local communities on climate change.

John Bideri, the Director of RWARRI handed over the prizes recently. The prizes included cash, scholastic materials including books, pens, pencils and school bags. The students were from Kayonza Modern, Gahini Secondary School, Gasarabanyi Primary School, Gahini Nkondo II and New Life Academy.

The students formed environmental clubs at their respective schools and used pieces of theatre, songs and poems to campaign against environmental degradation in Kayonza. Other pupils used art drawings and poems indicating the causes, effects and solutions to climatic change.

Hezilon Imaniragena scooped Frw50,000 for her winning pictures, while another young girl of Gahini Primary School got the same amount for poem recitation.

Bideri stressed the need for climatic change awareness among residents. "School children were involved in the campaign to sensitize Rwandans on climatic change since last year. By use of simple massages, songs, drama and poems, the children explained to residents the causes of climatic changes and possible measures to minimise it," Bideri noted.

Anitha Umutesi, the district vice Mayor for social affairs noted the involvement of children in environmental campaign would save the country from environmental hazards.

"The participants are youth who hold the future of our nation. Being aware of the importance of protecting the environment at an early stage gives me confidence of a bright future; free from upcoming hazards due to climate changes," Umutesi said.

She appealed to the students to continue the awareness campaign especially during their holidays to enlighten their parents about the dangers of environmental degradation.

Umutesi urged pupils to be role models in their villages by planting at least five trees around their homes and schools. Venant Nzabonimana of Christian Aid, the sponsors of the project, noted that several people in villages are not aware of the causes of climatic changes and its consequences. He pointed out human activities like tree cutting and burning among the causes of climate changes.

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