Group photo
Planting of trees by the pupils was part of the activities
By Ngalame Elias
The second edition of the Rainforest Student Festival rolled out in Yaounde Cameroon February 25, 2025, bringing together over 200 pupils/students from four schools, teachers and environment journalists, former Pulitzer Canter grantees.
. Holding under the theme “Resilience in environmental adversity”, the second edition like the first in 2024, aims at raising a new generation of environmentally-conscious citizens, fostering children’s creativity and resilience in the face of climate disruptions.
Organized by St Joseph’s Foundation(BNPS) in partnership with the Pulitzer Center, the event seeks to empower and familiarize young students/pupils with environmental concepts for the preservation of the environment and the fight against climate change, get the children at their tender age actively involved in the drive against climate change, the organizers said.
“The fight against climate change involves everyone. When we bring the children onboard, we are preparing for a better tomorrow in the climate change drive,” says Mbah-Ndam Joseph T, CEO of St Joseph’s Foundation School Ezazou-Tropicana, Yaounde.
It is against this backdrop that pupils/students from St Joseph’s Foundation, Awae Bilingual school, Success Vision, Les Champinons and ABS came together to be drilled on some basic environment and climate change concepts and why they children should be part of the fight against climate change.
Protecting Africa’s Biodiversity
Africa boasts high biodiversity while also being home to some of the largest and fastest-growing human populations. Unfortunately Africa’s rich biodiversity is under threat, yet only 19% of the landscape and 17% of the seascape are under any form of protection, experts say. To effectively address this issue some substantial conservation measures are urgently required.
In response to this critical challenge, scientists, conservationists, Journalists, school authorities, students and other stakeholders are bound to work together to bail out the continent from climate threats, the organizers say.
“The protection of our biodiversity, the rich rain forest in the Congo Basin in particular is a collective effort. Everyone has to be involved. That is why we are educating the pupils and students,” says Adrienne Engono, Environment Journalist and Congo Basin RJF Advisory Committee Member.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
The event saw competition in varied environment related disciplines like brain trust, singing, dancing, drama etc between four primary schools, including Success Vision, Awae Bilingual School (ABS), Les Champignon and St Joseph Foundation which hosted the activity.
Students through these different activities revolving around environmental protection and the fight against climate change demonstrated their knowledge on the subject matter and also learned a lot from the different experts present at the ceremony.
PULITZER GRANTEES
Some Seven former Pulitzer Grantees were on hand this year to share their knowledge on varied environment/Climate change topics with the students. These included, Ngalame Elias, Nadege Bowa, Adrienne Engono, Boris Ngounou, Yannick Kenne, Gibrile Tsabdo, Jean Charles Biyo’o.
They all presented a brief summary of their Pultizer Center funded investigative reports, educating the children on the need and ways of protecting the environment.
The different participating schools all won prizes after a brilliant performances in the different activities. The teachers of the different establishments, for their part, expressed hope that the activity will continue in the future.
“I have learned so many things about the environment today and our children too. I really hope that this initiative will continue”, said the lead teacher of Success Vision school.
Thinking critically
The Rainforest Student Festival is not about “downloading contents” into pupils’ brains, but wants them to “think critically” in line with 21st-century learning skills, said the Proprietress of St Joseph’s Foundation Madame Mbah Ndam.
She hoped the teaching children about environmental protection would help create a more resilient community.
” I want to thank the environment journalists and Pulitzer grantees who have come to join hands with the teachers to drill the children. No one can work in isolation. Community is so much stronger,” She said.
Singing competition on the environment was also part of the festival
St Joseph’s Foundation School hosted the event.
