Children explore hidden treasures of Akagera

“We want to create hands-on opportunities for children to learn about the National Parks.” ORPCARE Primary School in Kayonza district has embarked on studying ways of connecting children to native plants and national parks. One of the most challenging tasks confronting parents is that of instilling proper values of conservation in their children. According to teachers at ORPCARE, environmental conservation should be taught to children when they are still young. Leonard Gakwaya says that it was important that children visited The Akagera Game Park, which boasts of a number of lakes, birding paradise (with more than 300 species), shrubs and one of the best places to see red-antelopes. He says that one of the things ORPCARE School does, is to teach children to protect the environment. “They know they can’t throw away the gum or the juice pack on the compound or on the street.” Gakwaya adds that the kids “play in the compound but are taught to preserve what already is and will be their place to live in.” “Children can learn from a young age how to protect the environment. Children need to grow up seeing the environment as a part of themselves and thinking of environmental protection as a natural thing. After all, we are talking about their future. And if we teach them right, they’ll learn the lesson well,” notes Gakwaya. He says that it was important that the children learn about Akagera, as part of their training about environmental conservation and the flora ad fauna there. Famous for its vast herds of animals, Akagera Park provides natural enclosure for animals in an environment of great natural beauty. “It would be a shame if children studying in Kayonza district remained ignorant about Akagera Park. Children saw the animals in their beautiful natural habitats and were overwhelmed with joy...this is the man-animal relationship we want to create”. It is an astonishing reality that even though Akagera Park is located in Kayonza district, very few people in the district take time to visit the Park. Most people in the district don’t know the Park’s beauty and only meet the animals destroying their crops in gardens. For this reason, the natural wildlife habitat remains in uncertainty with people viewing it as a threat. The children of the school pioneered the socio-environmental relationship needed to protect the park. Aloys Ntiyotwagira a resident of Ndego sector says that teaching children to love the environment and care for general wild life, gives hope for the future. “When children visit the park, they get to know what we teach them...it is easier to use the hands-on experience than the remote lectures and speeches to promote environmental protection,” he said. The children who visited the park confessed that it was their first visit, adding that they saw what was so remote in their minds. Renatha Batakariza, 10, was all smiles when she visited Akagera National Park for the first time. She says other children in her company were too happy that they did not want to end the visit to the Park and teachers had to plead with them to go back home. “For the first time in my life, I saw buffalos, elephants, antelopes, chimpanzees and other animals so near me. I used to see them on TVs, pictures and studying books...it is such great experience in my life. I will continue to campaign for the protection of our beautiful Akagera Park,” she says. Festo Gakirage, 12, is another student who was fascinated by the treasures of Akagera Park. Festo grew up in a family where environmental concern was never an issue. “It is until one sees the beauty of the park that he or she will think of care. The park has got beautiful lakes, birds and other animals I can’t even name...it’s been a hidden beauty to us. Hopefully, we shall get another chance to visit it,” he says with joy. mugitoni@yahoo.com