Miombo Environmental Evening Education (3E)

According to WWF Southern Africa Regional Programme Office (SARPO), the project was initiated after it was realised that there was a lack of environmental awareness in the region. The project has three objectives:

• to popularise environmental issues through participatory social learning;
• to use an Environmental Mobile Unit (EMU) to provide environmental awareness; and
• to capitalise on experiences and lessons learned to inform and influence environmental management and decision making processes.

The project centres around an EMU, created by mounting a generator, DVD/VCR combo player, and LCD projector and screen on a Land Cruiser vehicle. The unit visits 46 schools, as well as community centres, in the region on a roster-basis to show environmental videos, distribute relevant literature, and conduct discussions.

The shows are particularly designed for school-going children, youth, teachers, and female adults. Most of the video shows are locally generated and focus on local environmental issues affecting the Bangweulu basin, such as deforestation, wildlife poaching, and inappropriate fishing methods. The shows also highlight sustainable natural resource use options being promoted by the project in the area. These include bee keeping, fish farming, and conservation agriculture. The shows provide clips on the importance of education in order to generate a culture of appreciating the value of education in both children and parents. Each show takes about 40 minutes, followed by a question and answer session where participants share lessons learnt.

The 46 schools visited by the mobile unit have also formed conservation clubs that act as a platform for sharing knowledge and teaching school children and their families about the importance of natural resource conservation. The clubs are registered with the Wildlife and Environment Conservation Society of Zambia which gives the clubs environmental teacher's handbooks, magazines, and posters on a quarterly basis.

According to the organisers, this approach has not only resulted in increased awareness, but also sharing of experiences between and among schools and their neighbouring communities. They also say that this initiative has inspired more players to become involved in spreading messages of conservation and restoration among communities using tools such as drama, video shows, and nature gardens in government and community schools.

Environment, Natural Resource Management

According to SARPO, lack of environmental education results in citizens taking natural resources for granted and expecting such resources to avail themselves for exploitation whenever the need arises. This contributes to the destruction of natural resources for immediate gain and a lack of appreciation for their importance in national economies and to sustainable livelihoods.

SARPO claims that the shows have generally been appreciated by both children and adults, as they are considered educative in as far as the conservation of natural resources is concerned. Participants also view environmental shows as a motivator for children to attend school and the parents to send their children to school. According to SARPO, this is important, considering that most children in the area do not attend school because the boys engage in other livelihood activities, such as fishing, and the girls are forced into early marriages. Organisers hope that, through the project, the people of the Bangweulu basin will gain a deeper understanding of how their individual and collective actions affect the environment and will feel equipt with skills for better and informed decision making.