Founder Nooshy for Climate Initiative Noel Kanthenga says humans are the biggest perpetrators of climate change and that communities are not conscious of the environment that inhabits them hence his call.

He was speaking on Saturday when the Initiative partnered with students from Kamuzu Barracks Secondary School in Lilongwe during a tree planting exercise as part of the efforts to protect the environment.

“I was concerned with the devastating effects of climate Change in Malawi, notably the Cyclone Freddy which claimed many lives and destroyed properties at a large scale that is why I decided to introduce this initiative,” said Kanthenga. 

On the involvement of school-going children in the initiative, Kanthenga said children need to be key stakeholders in reforestation efforts and environmental conservation and, therefore, they need to be drilled on environmental conservation from the grassroots stage.

“Recently UNICEF released a report which indicated the need to involve students in climate action as a means of creating a society that is conscious of its environment,” he added.

Cosmas Chitanje, patron for Kamuzu Barracks Students Environment and Wildlife Club hailed Nooshy Climate Initiative for the gesture and urged the students to be custodians of the environment.

During the exercise, over 2000 tree seedlings were planted.

Apart from leading students in tree planting exercises, the initiative is also establishing vegetable gardens in some targeted schools as part of smart climate agriculture and its contribution to nutrition and national food security.