Advancing Girls Education in Africa (Age Africa), an organisation that promote girls education, organised training for secondary school girls in Zomba on climate change and resilience.
Age Africa held the training at Masongola Secondary School where girls from public secondary schools like Pirimiti CDSS, Nsala CDSS, Matandwe CDSS, Nsondole CDSS and Masongola Secondary School gathered for the training.
Age Africa District Officer for Zomba, Jessie Puwapuwa said the organisation decided to train the girls to make them change agents on issues that negatively contribute to climate change.
“We expect them to share knowledge on climate change and ways of conserving the environment with people in their respective homes,” said Puwapuwa.
She therefore called on the girls to impart the knowledge gained in their respective schools and communities so that there should be wider knowledge on effects of climate change and ways of mitigating the effects.
Age Africa’s Mission is to provide life-changing opportunities for young women in Malawi through targeted initiatives in education, monitoring and leadership development.
Puwapuwa said that Malawian girls and women in rural communities are the most affected by climate and health-related emergencies.
She further said that when disasters strike, women and girls are still expected to fetch firewood, water and food and look after their families.
“We know that the girls were equally affected by Tropical Cyclone Freddy and this time around they are also affected by this dry spell. This is why we decided to train them on issues of climate change and conserving the environment., she added.
One of the girls that were trained, Neema Hassan of Nsala Community Day Secondary School, said the training was important because it provided adequate knowledge on climate change and ways and means of becoming resilient to effects of climate change.
She pledged that she will further impart the knowledge on climate change environment conservation and disaster resilience to people in her community.
Age Africa is implementing education and empowerment of women and girls project in Malawi with support from Climate Resilience Impact Fund (CRIF).
