By Prince J Musa in Kenema
Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL) under the PAPFor Project with funds from the European Union has on the 1st May 2021 presented a draft Teacher’s Guide document on school nature club to partners involved in environmental protection and conservation in Kenema.
Speaking at the event, the Environmental Education officer CSSL Kenema Victor Mbannah Fabba said the purpose of the engagement was to strengthen and build a formidable partnership for conservation of the Gola Landscape and Kambui North forest reserves.
The National Coordinator Conservation Society Sierra Leone for the PAPFor project Emurana Kemoh Sowa said it is a trans-boundary project that is implemented by Sierra Leone and neighboring Liberia. He said the partners are about to complete the process of developing the document which is an educational material to be used to teach pupils on the environment and conservation of nature. He said it was important they consult the key stakeholders for their contribution to make the process complete.
“We want them to look at the draft document and point out where we went wrong. Corrections will be made and areas they want included be done,” he said.
He said that CSSL will want the ministry to consider the document as part of the school curriculum for children to learn about environmental education from primary school to tertiary level.
In his statement the district forestry officer Kenema, Julius Sama referred to the draft document as a working tool for conservation and environmental management, saying the forestry division stands to support any program or institution that has the focus and courage to support conservation.
Ministry of Education official Mohamed Massaquoi expressed delight for the initiative taken by conservation society and for considering the ministry to be part of environmental protection and conservation
He spoke of the need for pupils to be knowledgeable on the importance of conserving the environment and believed that by teaching the children about the benefits of conserving and protecting the environment will make them realize that the existence of living things on this planet depend on the environment.
He said most schools are not environmental friendly as they lack trees because all those around them have been cut down. Massaqoi encouraged the head teachers to take environmental protection very seriously.
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