26 Mar Launching STEAM Project at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Greetings from CTPH! We started the year with an exciting new conservation project with school and youth groups around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP), home to just under half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas.
With support from the National Geographic Society (NGS), Conservation Through Public Health together with Laura Arndt founder of Global GreenSTEM, launched the “STEMming Biodiversity Loss in Bwindi Project”; which engages young people in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) to inspire school and youth led conservation projects around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
The launch was officiated by the Kanungu District Education Officer (DEO) Mr. Sunday Charles, flanked by Mr. George Agaba, the District Environmental Officer and Acting District Natural Resource Officer. In my opening remarks I thanked everyone for being a part of this very exciting project and National Geographic Society for the funding. I challenged the students and youth to find creative solutions for keeping the community and forest edges free of rubbish.
In his remarks, Mr. Sunday Charles encouraged the youth to protect the environment. “Conservation is a collective responsibility,” he said. “We are here because of the environment, therefore we should protect it jealously,” he added. He observed that Buhoma Town Council (where mountain gorilla tourism began in 1993) is among the chosen few to have the STEM project, therefore, the youth should highly embrace it as an opportunity.
Community Conservation Ranger, Mr. Joshua Masereka represented Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) at the project launch. He commended the work CTPH is doing in partnership with UWA and acknowledged all the donations received from CTPH. He highlighted CTPH’s contribution to sanitation and hygiene at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP). “We received a donation of mobile toilets from CTPH and have located them in strategic areas to manage the waste.” he confirmed. On the newly launched project, he observed that the youth can engage in conservation by making terraces, to prevent soil erosion which in the end will benefit the community. He further revealed that the Student/Youth Porter programme is ongoing and encouraged the youth to take advantage of it so that they can have an opportunity to experience gorilla trekking.
The District Environmental Officer Mr Agaba encouraged the youth to write a proposal to establish a waste management plant for Buhoma Sub-County and pledged to support them in writing the proposals. The Officer in Charge of Police, Buhoma police post, Bagumira Richard encouraged the youth to join the Environmental Police. “For those of you who are interested in joining the police force, there is environmental police,”
Mr. Sunday Charles, Kanungu District Environment Officer making remarks.
UWA Community Conservation Ranger, Mr. Joshua Masereka talking to the youth groups.
A group photo of stakeholders, facilitators, CTPH team and youth groups after the launch at the Gorilla Conservation Camp at Buhoma, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Since the STEAM project is student and youth led, my two teenage sons Ndhego and Tendo Zikusoka shared their experiences in conservation. Ndhego shared his experience as a junior zoo keeper for a week at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre – the former Entebbe Zoo, and how it molded him into an author of his book, “Zoo Keeper For A Week.” “You can also do conservation through writing about your experiences in conservation” he told his fellow youth. Tendo talked about his article in the New Vision newspaper Toto Magazine on “COVID-19 and Gorillas” in commemoration of World Gorilla Day. The article talked about how to prevent transmission of COVID-19 to gorillas.
Ndhego Zikusoka (in a light blue t-shirt) holding a National Geographic magazine that was handed out to schools, highlighting the work we are carrying out to conserve the endangered mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
I am extremely grateful to the mentors of the project who are highly experienced and work closely with us on other projects. Sam Rugaba is a senior teacher and served as one of our Village Health and Conservation Team (VHCT) leaders; Safari Joseph is a teacher and the first Gorilla Conservation Coffee field officer, Ezera Mugyenyi volunteered with CTPH and heads the Batwa Empowerment Program and David Matsiko was our Bwindi Field Office manager and helped to set up the Impenetrable Kids League. He is a graduate of the CTPH Telecentre at Buhoma that my husband, Lawrence Zikusoka initiated in 2005, and when given a platform to speak, Lawrence also called upon the other graduates to say a few words. These included Augustine the head ranger guide at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Paul Muhweezi, the manager of Haven Lodge, a community owned lodge at Bwindi.
Together with Mr. Lawrence Zikusoka, introducing the CTPH Telecentre graduates – Paul Muhweezi, Augustine Muhangi, David Matsiko and Ezera Mugyenyi.
Through the project, we are engaging 40 youth and school groups from Mukono and Bujengwe parishes in Bwindi, providing conservation education and STEAM training (we added A for Art) and helping them to identify real world conservation problems in their communities, which they can address through STEAM. Groups are supported to create solutions to the problems they identify, becoming conservation and environmental champions and youth guardians in their communities. The project engages young people and supports community-led conservation, as well as reducing threats to biodiversity in and around BINP
Starting on 24th January, leaders from twenty-two (23) youth groups (both in and out of school), 2 Batwa groups and 15 schools in Mukono and Bujengwe Parishes around BINP, currently reaching a total of 2223 youths (1023 boys and 1200 girls) were trained in STEM principles and sensitized to the project during a Training of Trainers (TOT) session facilitated by Laura and the CTPH program staff led by Richard Bagyenyi. They were assisted by Laura’s husband Roger who is also a highly experienced educator from Colorado, her brother Dr. Jeff Sanders from Missouri, and by Professor Jennifer Verdolin, a Fulbright Scholar that CTPH is hosting from University of Arizona in USA.
Youth groups creating models of problems they want to solve in their communities with available materials.
Youth groups creating models of problems they want to solve in their communities with available materials.
Youth group leaders presenting their project proposals that are being reviewed by project staff.
Youth group leaders presenting their project proposals that are being reviewed by project staff.
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